Online Reporter
Mbulelo Mpofu, [email protected]
FOR decades, Bulawayo and the wider Matabeleland region have proudly worn the mantle of Zimbabwe’s cultural and creative heartbeat. This year’s National Arts Merit Awards (Nama) nominations provide resounding, almost overwhelming, proof that this pulse beats stronger than ever, particularly in the realms of spoken word and comedy, where the region has staged a near-total takeover.
A forensic look at the nominees’ list reveals an astonishing regional dominance in the spoken word categories. In a stunning display of concentrated talent, five out of the six nominees across the key poetry and stand-up comedy awards hail from Bulawayo and Matabeleland.
The sole exception, Harare comedian Nigel Maritinyu, better known as Nijo the Slick Pastor, is up against Bulawayo heavyweights Frank Chirisa and Mbongeni Ignatius in the race for the Outstanding Stand-Up Comedian award.
Frank Chirisa, celebrating six years honing his craft in the city’s comic scene, brings experience and local flavour. Mbongeni Ignatius, on the other hand, is a two-time Nama nominee whose pedigree was cemented last year when he clinched the “Outstanding Comedian” title at the Bulawayo Arts Awards (BAAs). Significantly, Chirisa and Mbongeni Ignatius were the very same contenders in last year’s BAA category.
Their consecutive nominations at the national level, alongside the consistent emergence of local comedic talent, solidify Bulawayo’s claim as Zimbabwe’s ascendant “funny capital”, a scene meticulously nurtured and now reaping national recognition.
In an interview, Chirisa said the nomination came as a complete shock, initially dismissing it as a prank.
“I was chilling with my mum and didn’t even know the nominees were being announced that day. Bryce called and simply said, ‘Congratulations.’ I asked, ‘For what?’ He said, ‘The Namas.’ I laughed it off, thinking he was joking.
“After the call, I went online and found messages and missed calls from so many people. I had to check the Nama pages myself to be sure. When I saw it, I started running around the house. Once it finally sank in, I cried.
“I didn’t expect it to happen this year, not because I doubt my talent or achievements, but I thought I wasn’t on their radar since I don’t have many industry connections. Every day, I think about it, I get emotional. Being a Nama nominee means everything to me, and I’m truly honoured.”
While comedy reflects Bulawayo’s strength, the “Outstanding Poet” category highlights the region’s rich depth and technical mastery in spoken word. The nominees read like a roll call of Matabeleland and Bulawayo’s poetic elite, setting the stage for a contest defined by sharp linguistic artistry.
Matabeleland North’s Obert Dube enters the fray with his distinctive voice, joined by two formidable Bulawayo wordsmiths, the evocative Sithandazile “Um’Africakazi” Dube and the compelling Thaluso Moyo, popularly known as Thaluso Da Poet. For Thaluso Da Poet and Um’Africakazi, this Nama nomination carries an extra layer of significance. Both were finalists in the “Moyoxide” Outstanding Poet category at last year’s BAAs but narrowly missed the top prize to Sonkomose.
Their return to the national stage represents a powerful quest for redemption and a chance to claim the highest accolade their craft offers.
Um’Africakazi, who is a perennial Nama nominee, spoke to this publication and highlighted that, “It’s exciting to get national recognition. I always say as far as I’m concerned, the nomination is the cake and the award becomes icing on it.”
Fellow nominee, Thaluso Da Poet, who is making his debut in the competition, said, “The nomination is scary. This is because we always do what we do with passion, and little do we know that people are following our work. And to get a national nomination is a scary thing, not in a bad way, but the recognition motivates us to do even more.”
This near-clean sweep is no accident. It is the product of years of grassroots nurturing, dedicated performance spaces, mentorship, and a deep cultural reverence for oral tradition within Ndebele heritage, a foundation that naturally feeds into modern spoken word and comedy.
As the nation turns its attention to the Nama ceremony this Saturday, the spotlight firmly rests on Matabeleland and Bulawayo’s poets and comics. Whether they walk away with trophies or not, their dominance on the shortlist is already a triumph. — @MbuleloMpofu.
