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Tonderai Zvimba, Showbiz Reporter

POET, Likhwa okaNcube says winning his second National Arts Merit Award (Nama) for Outstanding Poet is an indicator that he is in the right direction.

The spoken word artiste who won his first Nama in 2015 said he was honoured to have scooped the award again adding that this has motivated him to keep doing what he loves – poetry.

“I’m really honoured to have bagged this accolade for the second time. It’s as if they (Nama adjudicators) are telling me to keep going as I’m on the right track,” Likhwa said.

He thanked the Nama organisers – National Arts Council of Zimbabwe – for honouring arts practitioners, especially poets through the awards initiative. 

“I want to thank the Namas for honouring poetry as a whole. There are very few awards which give poets accolades so this is something I’ll always cherish as a poet.”

The poet, who was nominated with Mercy Dhliwayo and Beloved Maridzanere, said: “I was nominated with some talented poets and I think the future of Zimbabwean poetry is bright. People should just continue supporting us for us to go far”.

Likhwa, who has collaborated with the likes of Khuxxman, Albert Nyathi and Duduzile Sibanda, said the spoken word industry was now being recognised and receiving support from the public and corporate world, something he finds quite encouraging.