ABOUT THE JOSHUA NKOMO CULTURAL MOVEMENT
The Joshua Nkomo Cultural Movement (JNCM) is a trust registered with the Deeds office of Zimbabwe in June 2014, established to promote our diverse cultural values and also stands to sustain and advance the legacy and vision of our cultural and international icon – Joshua Mqabuko Nyongolo Nkomo – Father Zimbabwe.
ABOUT THE PROJECT
The JNCM will this year celebrate the 100th birthday of Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo, and is inviting all thechildren of the soil to participate in this landmark centenary celebration. The celebrations will be held at St Joseph’s, Kezi in Matabeleland South Province of Zimbabwe. The historic event will run under the theme Celebrating Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo’s Centenary through our Arts, Culture and Heritage”. People are encouraged to arrive at the venue on Friday the 9th of June 2017 for the programme that will officially start on Saturday the 10th of June 2017 continuing to the 11th of June 2017. We aim to mobilize 1 00 000 people to celebrate 100 years of Nkomoism.
THE ICON BEHIND THE MOVEMENT
Born on the 7th of June 1917, Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo, dedicated his life towards achieving his vision of aprogressive society of Zimbabwe where people live in unity, peace, love and tolerance. During his selfless revolutionary life, he exhibited unique leadership qualities that will forever be remembered by the people of Zimbabwe and his comrades worldwide. The JNCM has embarked on extensive preparations for the historic centenary celebrations. The local and international communities are invited to participate both in the preparations and on the day of the massive event.
MOBILIZATION
i) Chiefs
The Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo Centenary Celebrations belong to the people, and the people through their traditional and community leaders, shall decide on how they want their event
run. The JNCM is engaging local government officials particularly Chiefs as part of efforts to make the Centenary an
inclusive event. A special request is made to the Chiefs to play a pivotal role in the establishment and the monitoring of preparatory committees within their constituencies who shall work on the following;
run. The JNCM is engaging local government officials particularly Chiefs as part of efforts to make the Centenary an
inclusive event. A special request is made to the Chiefs to play a pivotal role in the establishment and the monitoring of preparatory committees within their constituencies who shall work on the following;
- Gather gifts, contributions, food items and traditional brews
at community level. - Coordinate traditional performers to represent their
communities at the event. - Facilitate transport arrangements at community level to
ensure smooth traveling to the event and back.
ii) The Department of Arts Culture and Heritage
As we invite the Department of Arts, Culture and Heritage to partner with us, adopt the Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo Centenary Celebrationand encourage their arts, culture and heritage officers at district level to work closely with the chiefs and or communities to ensure their respective districts are represented at the event. The department is key in facilitating preparations of traditional meals, traditional dress codes and traditional performances to be presented by communities to the Centenary Celebrations.
MARKETING
The JNCM is applying diverse forms of marketing to reach out to both the local and international communities in order to achieve the targeted attendance of 100 000 people and the mobilization drive will go full swing from the month of February 2017. Preparatory meetings, consultative meetings and public meetings will be held countrywide continuously as part of awareness campaign activities spearheaded by the Joshua Nkomo Youth Movement.
All forms of media remain key role players, regalia containing Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo images and speeches, fliers, banners etc. are part of the marketing strategy for this massive event. Pictorial exhibitions and road shows are also lined up as a build up to the Centenary. The JNCM invites the public sector, the private sector and individuals both local and abroad to come on board and make the event a success.
All forms of media remain key role players, regalia containing Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo images and speeches, fliers, banners etc. are part of the marketing strategy for this massive event. Pictorial exhibitions and road shows are also lined up as a build up to the Centenary. The JNCM invites the public sector, the private sector and individuals both local and abroad to come on board and make the event a success.
ENTERTAINMENT
In line with the theme “Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo Centenary Celebrations through our Arts, Culture and Heritage”, the entertainment programme will be dominated by traditional and cultural performances, Father Zimbabwe valued all our cultures in their diversity in our society therefore on this special day, as a society we shall celebrate our cultural diversity. All tribes in our society to take this opportunity and showcase their cultures. Storytelling, music, dance, drama and poetry will keep people entertained throughout the programme.
Partners and Stakeholders
Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo was an international icon, a liberator, one of the pioneers to the liberation struggle of Africa, a Commander in Chief, a cultural icon, a unifier a peace builder, a family man and Father Zimbabwe. The JNCM therefore recognizes various formations as part of the partners and stakeholders to the Centenary Celebrations, such will include the following:
- The Government of Zimbabwe
- Pioneers of the African Liberation Struggle
- Liberation movements of Africa
- Former Liberation Forces of Africa
- The local and international business community
- Cultural associations
- NGOs
- Churches
- War Veterans Associations
- Political organisations of Zimbabwe
- Youth formations
- Informal sector
- Farmers
- International organisations
- Embassies
- Community based organisations
- Individuals
- The Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo’s Family
- Tertiary institutions and primary and secondary schools
A BRIEF HISTORY OF JOSHUA MQABUKO NYONGOLO NKOMO
Born Thursday 7 June 1917 in Tshimali-Kezi, his parents were Thomas Nyongolo Letswantso Nkomo and Mlingo Hadebe. He Completed standard six at Tsholotsho Industrial School and also obtained a carpentry certificate at the same institution. Joshua Nkomo later taught carpentry at the LMS run Manyame School in Kezi as well as Makupa and Ezimnyama schools near Plumtree. Eager to improve his carpentry qualifications, Nkomo enrolled at Adam’s College in Natal, South Africa, on his way to South Africa in 1942, he boarded the same train with Enoch Dumbutshena and Herbert Chitepo. While in South Africa he abandoned carpentry in favour of an academic career. On attaining University Junior Certificate (UJC) he proceeded to Jan Hofmeyr School of Social Science in Johannesburg graduating in 1949 with a BA degree in Economics and Social Science. While studying in South Africa, Joshua Nkomo befriended Nelson Mandela (founding father of South Africa) and Sir Seretse Khama (founding father of Botswana).
1949:
Joshua Nkomo he returned home and married Johanna Fuyana (Mafuyana). He joined the Rhodesian Railways as a social welfare officer based in Bulawayo. The post exposed him to huge salary differences between blacks and whites doing same jobs. Appalled by such injustices as well as generally poor social conditions under which Africans lived, Joshua Nkomo joined the trade union movement to fight against these conditions.
1951:
Joshua Nkomo was appointed Secretary of the Workers’ Association.
Joshua Nkomo was appointed Secretary of the Workers’ Association.
1952:
Joshua Nkomo was elected President of the African National Congress of Southern Rhodesia. He took advantage of his railways pass to travel throughout the country mobilizing people. The same year he accepted an invitation from Sir Godfrey Huggins, the Prime Minister of Southern Rhodesia to represent African opinion at the London
Conference on the proposed federation of the two Rhodesians and Nyasaland. Kenneth Kaunda and Hastings Kamuzu Banda represented Northern Rhodesia and Nyasaland respectively. Joshua Nkomo returned home bitterly opposed to the proposals, but could make no impression in the face of overwhelming European support for the concept.
Joshua Nkomo was elected President of the African National Congress of Southern Rhodesia. He took advantage of his railways pass to travel throughout the country mobilizing people. The same year he accepted an invitation from Sir Godfrey Huggins, the Prime Minister of Southern Rhodesia to represent African opinion at the London
Conference on the proposed federation of the two Rhodesians and Nyasaland. Kenneth Kaunda and Hastings Kamuzu Banda represented Northern Rhodesia and Nyasaland respectively. Joshua Nkomo returned home bitterly opposed to the proposals, but could make no impression in the face of overwhelming European support for the concept.
1954:
Joshua Nkomo resigned from the Rhodesian Railways in to start his own business as an auctioneer and insurance agent in Bulawayo becoming the first African to own such a venture.
1955:
Joshua Nkomo became the president of the African Worker’s Unions and inevitably propelled into national politics.
1958, Dec:
All African People’s Congress held in Ghana, interaction with other Liberation movements
around the world. Joshua Nkomo and other nationalists accepting armed struggle as an
alternative means of attaining independence.
around the world. Joshua Nkomo and other nationalists accepting armed struggle as an
alternative means of attaining independence.
1959:
The authorities in Southern Rhodesia declare the first State of Emergency, banned ANC
and detained 500 of its members. Cde Nkomo escaped because he was in Egypt at that
time. At the advice of Egyptian friends he opened an external office in London. For 18
months Joshua Nkomo travelled widely from his London base.
and detained 500 of its members. Cde Nkomo escaped because he was in Egypt at that
time. At the advice of Egyptian friends he opened an external office in London. For 18
months Joshua Nkomo travelled widely from his London base.
1960:
A new party, the National Democratic revolution was formed with Joshua Nkomo as President with the late Leopold Takawira, Morton Malianga, Ndabaningi Sithole and Robert Mugabe as executive members.
1961:
Nkomo led the NDP delegation of George Silundika, Ndabaningi Sithole and Herbert Chitepo to the Southern Rhodesia Constitutional Conference chaired by the Prime Minister Sir. Edgar Whitehead. The NDP rejected Sir Edgar’s franchise and representation plans and Nkomo led the boycott against the elections emanating from that Constitution.
The resultant escalation of civil unrest and tension between the NDP and the government led to the party’s ban in December. Nkomo responded by launching the Zimbabwe African People’s Union (ZAPU) headed by himself as president and the NDP executives retaining their posts in the new organization.
1962, Sept:
20 September – ZAPU was banned and most of its leaders and members were restricted to three months to their rural places of birth.
1962:
Cde Nkomo who was in Zambia at the time ZAPU was banned, considered establishing a government in-exile to bring pressure on the Organisation of African Unity, the United Nations and other sympathetic bodies to effect political change at home. His idea was resisted by Rev Ndabaningi Sithole, Enoch Dumbutshena and Tanzanian president Julius Nyerere who felt he should return home to suffer the same restraints as other leaders. He returned home in early 1963 and was immediately restricted to his Kezi home for three months.
1963:
On his release, he travelled to New York where he addressed the UN Committee. Joshua Nkomo’s idea of a government in-exile brought to the fore internal disputes that had been simmering in the liberation movement for some time.
The formation of the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU) headed by Reverend Ndabaningi Sithole.
Cde Nkomo then initiated a new organization called the People’s Caretaker Council (PCC) which was essentially ZAPU under new name.
1964:
clashes between ZAPU and ZANU supporters resulting in both ZANU and PCC being outlawed.
1964, Apr:
Joshua Nkomo was arrested and restricted to Gonakudzingwa Camp and for the next 10 years he was confined at various other places including Gwelo Prison and Buffalo Range near Chiredzi.
1965, Oct:
October 29, 1965 he was flown to Salisbury to meet British Prime Minister, Harold Wilson on his pre-UDI visit to Salisbury.
1968:
November 1968 Nkomo was summoned to meet Commonwealth Secretary General, George Thompson.
1969:
From 1969 he was permitted only three-monthly visits from his wife and children under 14 years of age.
1972:
February 10, 1972 Joshua Nkomo appears in public for an interview with the Peace Commission at Nuanetsi.
1976:
October 9, 1976, ZANU and ZAPU forged the Patriotic Front Alliance ahead of the Geneva talks scheduled for October 25. The armed struggle escalated with Joshua Nkomo leading Zimbabwe People’s Revolutionary Army (ZIPRA) as its Commander-in-Chief.
1979:
Joshua Nkomo led the Zapu delegation to the Lanchester House Peace Conference, London.
1980:
Zimbabwe’s first elections – Cde Joshua Nkomo’s ZAPU won 20 seats against ZANU’s 57. He turned down the largely ceremonial post of president before eventually accepting the portfolio of Minister of Home Affairs.
April 1988, he became the Vice President of the Republic of Zimbabwe.
Joshua Nkomo passed on in July 1, 1999.
(NB# This article was taken directly from Dr Joushua Nkomo's publications. Many thanks to the Nkomo family and the patrons)
(NB# This article was taken directly from Dr Joushua Nkomo's publications. Many thanks to the Nkomo family and the patrons)
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