What Can Parents and Children Learn from these Regal Revelries?

Can you see a sea of historians, academics, culturalists

or traditional leaders who are dancing or discussing Ndebele

history and heritage? Join me today, let’s sing Ngwalo Ngwalo

KaMatshobana! Where is your lovely traditional attire? Don’t tire.

I see a sea of proud and patriotic participants: Amabutho (regiments),

Amatshitshi (young maidens), and praise poets (izimbongi) marching

in traditional attire. Where is your beautiful traditional attire? Don’t tire.

September 5–6, 2026 are momentous dates and days

on the heroic, honored, perceptive minds and hearts

of the Ndebeles and culturalists from all walks of life

as they honour the heritage and history of King Mzilikazi,

the valiant, visionary and iconic founder of the Ndebele Nation.

Do you hear them? They are crooning: Ngwalo Ngwalo KaMatshobana!

In that majestic spirit, various pupils and community members

congregated at Mhlahlandlela, on the outskirts of Bulawayo, on the 4th

of September, 2026 to mark the anniversary of the death of King Mzilikazi.

The two-day occasion saw a brilliant and beautiful convergence of schools

from across Matabeleland North and Matabeleland South for the purposes

of prosecuting a programme focused on the origins of the Ndebele people,

on cultural heritage and history. What is a nation or the future without children?

“Isigogo sigoqwa sisemanzi”—which lightly translates to a cow hide

or skin is rolled or fashioned or shaped when it is still fresh and wet,

or so goes a timeless Ndebele proverb. The flipside of the lesson

is that once a hide dries out totally, it becomes stiff, and unbearable

to bend or shape without breaking. A child’s mind is like a wet skin,

hence, behavior is easy to outline, lead and inspire. It is encumbered

on parents and elders to impart good manners, discipline, and values

early in life since corrupt habits become unbending and hard to change

as one grows older. Think of English equivalents “As the twig is bent,

so grows the tree” or “Catch them young.” The King Mzilikazi Celebrations

are more than mere carnival parades from Matshobana through Makokoba

to the Large City Hall and the main heritage site at EMhlahlandlela: they signify

the present, prosperity, posterity, cultural continuity, identity, dignity and unity.

They represent an academy where children are disciplined, trained, and taught

good character while they are still young and pliant, so they proudly know who

they are, and where they come from. Both parents and kids that are duty-bound.