King Mzilikazi Day celebrations bring Bulawayo to a standstill

BULAWAYO exploded in colour yesterday, as the annual King Mzilikazi Day celebrations (Umgubho weNkosi uMzilikazi) brought business to a standstill in what was arguably the biggest celebration of the founding Ndebele monarch to date.

The King Mzilikazi celebrations have become an annual spectacle in Bulawayo, giving some a convenient excuse to showcase their traditional fashion sense, while for others, it is a timely reminder of the great trek that was made by the founding monarch from KwaZulu-Natal to present-day Bulawayo.

Yesterday, young and old congregated in the City of Kings to celebrate the day, as poets, ululating women and whistling bystanders were all in full voice as they rose early in the morning to acknowledge a day that is fast gaining prominence on the city’s cultural calendar.

Dust rose on the way to Mhlahlandlela along Old Gwanda Road, where hundreds travelled in vehicles, big and small, for celebrations at the late king’s capital.

Yesterday’s event also saw a melting pot of race and culture, reflective of the multi-ethnic state that was led by King Mzilikazi.

In his speech, Chief Dakamela of Nkayi District thanked people from all walks of life that had made the long trek down the dusty road to Mhlahlandlela.

“People have come from all over for this particular event. You have some that have come from SA just for this and I also noticed that we have white members of our society amongst us. All this just shows how much of a powerful leader Mzilikazi was. He built this nation by bringing people from different from places. A nation is not just the building or other kinds of infrastructure. It is the unity of the people, the kind of unity that we are seeing today. That is Ubuntu. As a traditional leader, I am happy to be here and I encourage people to continue coming in their numbers to show the support and remembrance we have for King Mzilikazi,” he said.

Chief Gwebu of Umzingwane District said he was particularly encouraged by the increasing presence of young people at the event.

“I am happy to see the dedication that people have towards the betterment of King Mzilikazi’s legacy. It is always worthwhile to celebrate and remember something good and without King Mzilikazi, none of us would be here today. It is encouraging in particular to see our young people taking part in some of these ceremonies because it shows that they have one eye on their past and another on their future,” he said.

Chief Gampu from Tsholotsho said he hoped that yesterday’s event would provide a springboard for more people to attend more traditional events.

“I’m here to celebrate our King Mzilikazi. On October 4, we are unveiling a tombstone for the first Chief Gampu and I felt that it would be fitting to honour him by making an announcement here at the King Mzilikazi celebrations. We are doing a continuous bit of work that has been growing since the first edition of these celebrations and I am very eager to see where we go from here,” he said.

Representing Amantungwa based in South Africa, Thokozani Khumalo said they were happy with the growing importance of King Mzilikazi’s celebrations in Zimbabwe.

“We are happy that adults brought young people to this event because, without our young people, there’s no future for our culture. We would like to see unity amongst our people as a royal family. Let’s stand together because the preservation of our culture is everyone’s responsibility and that does not fall to the Khumalo family only,” she said.

Another representative of Amantungwa, Midard Khumalo said while there might have been more pressing engagements for other people in their clan to attend, they were impressed with the exponential growth of the celebrations.

He said while some members of the Khumalo family could not attend because of a funeral, they were impressed by the strides taken since they had last spoken in 2023. He said the family was proud of the takes taken by people of Ndebele origin, as their commitment showed that they had not abandoned their roots, contrary to popular belief. He encouraged those in attendance to encourage those absent to do the same next year.The Sunday News.