Library rich in Nkomo history

Bongani Ndlovu, Chronicle Reporter
A SURREAL walk through the life and history of Joshua Nkomo is what you will experience when you visit the Joshua Nkomo Museum in Bulawayo’s Matsheumhlophe suburb.

It is a paradise of information for any student of history or anyone who seeks to know about one of the country’s greatest heroes.

The home is liberally sprinkled with the history of Dr Nkomo, the General, the man of the people, Father Zimbabwe, the family man and the husband of Joanna Mafuyana.

A blue Mercedes Benz 350 SEL sits at the front of the house. This left-hand driven car belonged to Dr Nkomo and was one of the many things that saved him from death. Two distinct bullet marks from a sniper can be seen on the right-hand side of the rear windscreen at the exact place where there is a ZW badge.

The armoured vehicle according to the tour guide, Thandiwe Nkomo, Dr Nkomo’s daughter, was donated to her father by the Germans.

“This is what he was using, you couldn’t shoot through it, it saved him particularly here when a sharpshooter tried to end his life. He was seated on the right-hand side and there were two bullet imprint holes, but the slugs didn’t penetrate. Otherwise, this person was a very good sharpshooter and he could have died,” said Thandiwe.

This was one of the many episodes in Dr Nkomo’s life that someone tried to kill him, but all these failed until he died at the ripe old age of 82, on July 1 1999.

Outside the museum that does a lot of educational tours for pupils and academics, it is not all about Dr Nkomo.

Visitors are introduced to his wife, uMama Joanna Mafuyana and Dr Nkomo said in his book, The Best thing he ever did in his life was to marry Mafuyana.

“This museum also commemorates both uBaba uNkomo and uMama Mafuyana. She is also a national heroine as she played the support role. It was a very important role. This is because when my father was at Gonakudzingwa, she was used as a conduit to deliver messages and letters between him and freedom fighters. The struggle had started and at that time no one was allowed to visit except the wives,” said Thandiwe.

But besides that, she was always being searched by police and they also would come to our house and turn things upside down. These Amajoni (colonial police) traumatised us a lot.

Why her role is so important was that the struggle of liberation took 30 years of their married lives until the day Zimbabwe gained independence in 1980. The couple married in 1949 with Thandiwe being the first born of four children, Thuthani Earnest (late), Sibangalizwe Michael and Sehlule Louise.

“Her role is very important as she was patient with the struggle as it took 30 years for the country to be independent while all the other countries were gaining theirs, like Zambia, Malawi and the like. She understood it and stood by him making it possible for him to do the work,” said Thandiwe.

Entering into the house, there is a whole room dedicated to the history of the country and how Africa was partitioned.

Dr Nkomo who was born on June 7, 1917, met former South African leader, the late Nelson Mandela and the late Sir Seretse Khama, the former President of Botswana in South Africa. Dr Nkomo was studying towards a B. A Degree in Social Science at the Hofmeyr School of Social Science in Johannesburg.

According to Thandiwe, Dr Nkomo, Mandela and Khama had a pact that they would fight for the liberation on three fronts in their respective countries.

“We know that Zambia, Malawi and Ghana got their independence early because it was a negotiated one and rightfully, Nkomo and Mandela thought it was going to be early. But unfortunately South Africa and Zimbabwe, from what I understand, because of their rich resources, the whites held on tightly,” said Thandiwe.

The tour was detailed and even revealed the bedroom that Dr Nkomo and mama Mafuyana shared and it has not been touched from the last days they used it.

Before you get to the bedroom there is a display of Dr Nkomo’s various walking sticks that were gifted to Dr Nkomo and were part of his persona.

Some of the myths that surround Dr Nkomo’s life are that he was a person who could sense danger and hence he escaped numerous attempts on his life.

The tool of his trade, a small short staff (Intonga kaNkomo) that was said to be magical can be seen at the museum.

“These are very interesting,” said Thandiwe as she pointed out the staffs in the display.

“These were said to be quite magical and that uMdala if he was holding this stick, he was invincible. He could disappear, so they said. And he would stand in front of a crowd and he could calm them with just a wave of the stick.

The whites were afraid of these sticks, they were afraid of those hats that he wore as they associated them with witchcraft. But this was not the case as it was the party (Zapu) symbol,” said Thandiwe.

There is a picture that shows Dr Nkomo being given an axe by traditional leaders at the Njelele Shrine in Matobo, with the late President Robert Mugabe looking on attentively.

Thandiwe said this was one of the times that Dr Nkomo was told in 1950 that the country would be granted independence.

“When they were at Njelele which they visited every year. One time they were spoken to at that big rock, where it was said ‘You, son of Nyongolo, you will have the independence that you are looking for, but it’s going to be in 30 years’ time. And it was accurate,” said Thandiwe.

There are pictures in the room that show Dr Nkomo drinking traditional beer.

Thandiwe said her father was not a drinker but was a believer in the traditional ceremonies.

There is a letter that Dr Nkomo wrote to his wife, Mafuyana, which is displayed in a room that contains memories from her past.

Mafuyana was a devout Roman Catholic while Dr Nkomo was a United Congregational Church of Southern Africa (UCCSA) popularly known as iLondon, devotee.

Thandiwe said the Fuyana family is a royal family as they used to be the installers of the Khumalo chiefs back in KwaZulu, Natal, present day South Africa.

Her grandfather, Mdilizelwa is said to have been the one who stabbed Robert Moffat in war.

Her grandmother was Zifosi Mkhwananzi, the second wife to Mdilizelwa Fuyana. Her father Silwalume married a MaMbambo and the couple had three children, Johanna, Lahalasi and Elizabeth Mafehlefehle.

According to history, Elizabeth married Joshua Nkomo’s father, Nyongolo while Dr Nkomo married her sister, Johanna.

There is a Singer Sewing machine in the same room that Thandiwe said was a key in their upkeep.

“This machine here played a big role especially when he was in Gonakudzingwa and we were children at that time and we didn’t have support at all. Once you are thrown in jail people tend to turn their backs on you. She was using it to raise some money for food and so forth,” said Thandiwe.

In the kitchen, her utensils are still on display.

“She wasn’t a person who wanted a high lifestyle. She wanted basics. She yearned to live in the rural areas as she wanted to do her own planting and only got that after independence. She and my father enjoyed African food, they didn’t like western food,” said Thandiwe.

The tour ended in a room with various memorabilia that celebrate the death of Dr Nkomo.

It has a book of condolences which various people signed when he died. The book still gets signed by visitors to the museum and President Mnangagwa signed it when he visited last month.

The museum is an embodiment of who Dr Nkomo was as it gives you a glimpse into the life of a gallant fighter for the liberation of the black majority.