Opinion / Letters
In Memory of Dr Joshua Nkomo
02 Jul 2014 at 11:21hrs | Views
The Editor
Dear Sir,
We solemnly remember Umdala -Joshua Mqabuko Nyongolo Nkomo who passed on this day 15 years ago. I vividly recall the first time I met the first leader of the African struggle for independence in what was then Southern Rhodesia.Dr Nkomo had just been released from the infamous Gonakudzingwa detention camp.
It was in the mid 70s and I was a student at Mbuso Primary School. The school was one of those established by Salvation Army Missionaries after the Second World War. It is situated few kilometres from Maphisa Growth Point. During our time the school intake was hardly more 60 students at any given year. The staff compliment fluctuated between two or three.
One morning the school Headmaster Mr D. Fuyane came to our class and asked us if we wanted to see Joshua Nkomo.We all sang in unison 'YES SIR', BUT we had no clue that Nkomo was. He took us to a near by business centre ko Gwalale Stores. We waited by the road side.
And late in the afternoon we were called to join an extend line because something very special was about happen.
An audible, but barely distinguishable sound filled up the air. As the dust died down we saw a convoy of cars followed by a police land rover approaching at a snail pace suddenly stopped few meters from us. My heart went bang bang, I had no idea what was going on. Suddenly our teachers Mr Fuyane and Mrs L.Dube burst into a revolutionary war cry Zii! We also spontaneously sang Zii! That was the only time I saw my teachers agitated and heard their voices crack. The atmosphere was electrifying. We were all clad in our school uniforms, very smart, cute and innocent.Dr Nkomo disembarked from his car and shook our hands. It was a wonderful experience think to be in presence of a great but humble personality. Dr Nkomo took more than half an hour to greet us all.
That day remained engraved in my memory forever said Zii for the second time as the cars drove off. The police car joined the convoy. In evening I heard that earlier Nkomo held a big closed meeting at Mbembeswana village before he proceeded to his rural homestead ko Nyongolo, one of the rural areas saddled between Marinoha and St Joseph's. In the morning the police van was seen in land roving. We asked our teacher where ubaba Nkomo. Was. His inaudible but baffling response was 'he disappeared.'
Soon after I stumbled upon Gonakudzingwa News which said among other things:
UMosi waya ehlathini wabuya lobukhosi
UJesu waya ehlathini wabuya lobukhosi
UNkomo waya ehlathini uzabuya lobukhosi
Yours faithfully
TAMSANQA MLILO
Dear Sir,
We solemnly remember Umdala -Joshua Mqabuko Nyongolo Nkomo who passed on this day 15 years ago. I vividly recall the first time I met the first leader of the African struggle for independence in what was then Southern Rhodesia.Dr Nkomo had just been released from the infamous Gonakudzingwa detention camp.
It was in the mid 70s and I was a student at Mbuso Primary School. The school was one of those established by Salvation Army Missionaries after the Second World War. It is situated few kilometres from Maphisa Growth Point. During our time the school intake was hardly more 60 students at any given year. The staff compliment fluctuated between two or three.
One morning the school Headmaster Mr D. Fuyane came to our class and asked us if we wanted to see Joshua Nkomo.We all sang in unison 'YES SIR', BUT we had no clue that Nkomo was. He took us to a near by business centre ko Gwalale Stores. We waited by the road side.
And late in the afternoon we were called to join an extend line because something very special was about happen.
That day remained engraved in my memory forever said Zii for the second time as the cars drove off. The police car joined the convoy. In evening I heard that earlier Nkomo held a big closed meeting at Mbembeswana village before he proceeded to his rural homestead ko Nyongolo, one of the rural areas saddled between Marinoha and St Joseph's. In the morning the police van was seen in land roving. We asked our teacher where ubaba Nkomo. Was. His inaudible but baffling response was 'he disappeared.'
Soon after I stumbled upon Gonakudzingwa News which said among other things:
UMosi waya ehlathini wabuya lobukhosi
UJesu waya ehlathini wabuya lobukhosi
UNkomo waya ehlathini uzabuya lobukhosi
Yours faithfully
TAMSANQA MLILO
Source - Tamsanqa Mlilo
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