Zimpapers Logo

Bongani Ndlovu, Showbiz Correspondent
IT’S been 20 years since the late Vice President Dr Joshua Mqabuko kaNyongolo Nkomo died and this year, a concert will be held at White City Stadium in Bulawayo to honour him.

Dr Nkomo died on July 1 in 1999.

Before the concert dubbed “Umdala Wethu Dance”, there will be a street procession in the morning where people will walk from Mahomva Shopping Centre in Mpopoma (where Dr Nkomo and his then Zapu party held rallies during the liberation struggle) to Nkomo’s house in Pelandaba then convene at White City.

Madlela Skhobokhobo, Mzoe 7, Asaph, Clement Magwaza, Sandra Ndebele, Msiz’Kay, Novuyo Seagirl, Indlukula kaNyongolo, Mr Lit, Sugar

Shane, King BL, E7 and Gregory will perform at the concert, a free event which will be hosted by Babongile Sikhonjwa.

Madlela, who is one of the organisers of the show, said they want to celebrate Dr Nkomo through music.

“When I was in South Africa, I’d organise a commemoration called ‘Celebrating Nkomo Through Art’ every July. So when people from the Joshua Nkomo Cultural Movement approached me this year to help organise a local concert to celebrate Dr Nkomo, I was up for the task,” said Madlela.

Joshua Nkomo Cultural Movement (JNCM) national director, Mehluli Moyo, said all was set for the commemorations which are part of the Joshua Nkomo Legacy restoration project.

He said the commemorations are meant to celebrate Joshua Nkomo’s life, work and everything that he stood for.

In the past, Moyo said commemorations were held at Stanley Square but this year, they settled for White City as they wanted a bigger venue.

“We want our programmes to be of a high standard that’s why we’re holding bigger events as the JNCM brand is growing. We’re now hosting these programmes even outside our borders,” he said.