Online Reporter
Zimpapers Arts and Entertainment Hub
ZIMBABWE’s creative brilliance took centre stage at the recently concluded 2025 Afrotellers Conference in South Africa, where Bulawayo-based poet Sondlane “Sox the Poet” Dube captivated audiences with a stirring performance alongside his mentee Silethemba “Letty” Dube, a participant in the mentorship programme WeCre8te Afrika.
Their collaborative piece, “The Worst Thing,” delved into the deep generational scars and trauma born out of armed conflicts and genocides across Africa. Told from the perspective of children who witness such atrocities, the poem reflected on how the wounds of war extend beyond the battlefield shaping the political, economic and social fabric of affected communities for generations.
The powerful performance took place at the University of Witwatersrand’s Film and Television Cinema during the official opening ceremony of the three-day conference, held from 23 to 25 October 2025 under the theme “Our Stories. Our Voices. Our Power.”
An alumnus of Accountability Lab Zimbabwe’s Arts for Change programme, Sox is also the founder of WeCre8te Afrika, a Bulawayo-based mentorship initiative nurturing eight young female poets. The programme uses creative expression to confront issues of social justice, identity and healing through art.
Wilson Chivhanga, the Chief Executive Officer of Thrive Africa and founder of the Afrotellers Conference, lauded Sox’s performance, describing it as “a powerful story that illustrated the struggles and aspirations of the African people.”
“It captured the lived experiences and everyday challenges that define our continent. It was a call for justice and for the Africa we all hope to build one that is fair, peaceful and rooted in dignity and respect,” Chivhanga said.
Now recognised as one of the leading Pan-African storytelling movements, the Afrotellers Conference brings together artists, activists, researchers and cultural practitioners from creative hubs across Malawi, South Africa, Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria, Lesotho, the DRC and Zimbabwe.
During the welcome reception, Lekgetho Makola, Chief Operating Officer of the Market Theatre Foundation, highlighted the importance of reclaiming African narratives:
“Our stories matter because thriving societies tell their stories beautifully in their own voices and languages. As Africans, we must do the same,” Makola said.
Rene Smith, head of the Wits School of Arts, reaffirmed the university’s commitment to African-centred creative education, noting that Wits aims to foster “a community of artists and researchers immersed in practice-based, decolonial, critical arts technologies fuelled by innovative thinking and creation.”
Other performers from across the continent included Noluntu J, Kabelo Mofokeng the Poet, Drum Café Kenya and Arts 4 Change, representing Kenya, Lesotho, South Africa and Zimbabwe.
Through his performance, Sox the Poet brought Zimbabwean storytelling to the Pan-African stage blending creativity, memory and activism to remind audiences of the enduring power of words in healing and transformation.
“We must be in charge of defining the African narrative. Our future depends on it,” Chivhanga emphasised.
