Ndabezinhle Sigogo

Biography

Ndabezinhle Sibanda Sigogo was born in 1932 at Shamba in Filabusi in the Matabeleland South region of the country.  His father was Sigogo Sibanda hence Ndabezinhle’s use of his father’s name as his double surname, Sibanda Sigogo. 

He did his primary education at Filabusi where in 1941 he did his first year at Malole.  In 1942 - 1943 he attained sub standard A and B.  He moved to Shamba 2 where he did standard 1.  He later proceeded to Shamba 1 and did standard 2 and 3 in 1945 – 1946.

He went to Wanezi mission still in the same province and did standard 4, 5 and 6 from 1947 – 1949.  In 1965 he wrote his O levels at Mkoba Teachers College. He did Book keeping and attained an intermediate level certificate in Filabusi.  In 1980 he attained a certificate in journalism and professional writings in Harare.

He has worked a s a teacher in the following schools: Ngome Primary School (1950), Makorokoro Primary school in Plumtree (1951 – 1953) , Mabhenkani in Filabusi (1954 – 1955), Tshazi primary school in Filabusi (1956).

From September 1956 up to 1959 he worked for the African Development Fund responsible for distributing land to people and his special area was mapping the distributed land. Between 1960  and 1962 he became the Internal Affairs Clerk at Fort Rixon before moving to Internal Affairs Clerk at Selukwe(present day Shurugwi) where he stayed until May 1989.

In June 1969  to Nov 1974 he became an editor at Mambo Press in Gweru’s Ndebele Department and in Dec 1974  up to July 1975 he worked at translating at the Catholic Liturgy of English texts to Ndebele. In August 1975 he moved to the Literature Bureau Ndebele section in Bulawayo. Between 1980  and 1992 he worked for the Bishop’s Catholic Office in Bulawayo until a time of his retirement at the end year 1992.

Sigogo is an author of Ndebele poems, short stories in anthologies, Ndebele novels, plays and cultural collections. He has published a number of books among them poetry anthologies; such as; Emayini Kangisabuyeli, (1957, African Parade), Imbongi Zalamhla LayiZolo, (1959, Shutter and Shooter), Kusile Mbongi Zohlanga, (1969, Longman, Harare), Ugqozi Lwezimbongi, (1973, Mambo Press), Inkundla Yezimbongi, (1979, Mambo Press, Gweru), Umdumo Wezinkondlo, (1993, Mambo Press, Gweru), Ezivusa Usinga, (1989, Mambo Press, Gweru), Giya Mthwakazi, (1990, Longman, Harare), Izinkondlo Zomdabu, (1996, Ezomdabu Publishers) and Imisebe Yelanga, (2000, College Press, Harare).

In the English category he has published poems in the following anthologies: Poetry from an Emerging Africa, (1961, Eked Publishers, Israel), Chirimo, (1968, Bureau Trust) and The Voice of Black Africa, (1970. Pergamon Press, U.K).

As the foremost Ndebele novelist he has published novels such as USethi Ebukhweni Bakhe, (1962), that he published with Panel & Sons Publishers. This being Sigogo’s first novel, he shows his expertise in the Ndebele language and the experiences of the speakers of the language as his book USethi Ebukhweni Bakhe (Sethi at her Bethrodal) is pregnant with Ndebele tradition and culture. This book won Sigogo an award for the best Ndebele literature in 1961 with Literature Bureau.

Gudl’Indlu mntanami, 1967 published by Mambo Press Gweru. This is the second book from the pen of Sigogo, the poet from Filabusi. His first novel USethi Ebukhweni Bakhe established him as a leader Ndebele writer.  He has also gained a reputation as a poet.  Some of his poems appeared in Imbongi Zalamhla Layizolo, a collection of Ndebele Praise Songs.  One of his poems was included in an anthology of African verse published in Israel.  His poems were frequently broadcast on the then Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation.  Gudlindlu Mntanami can be interpreted as Steal away around the house and disappear, my son.  It describes how the careless acts of one or two people can set in motion a spirit of revenge that costs many lives.  The story evolves swiftly, and as it does so the tension mounts until the reader does not want to put the book down before he has finished it.- The manuscript of this book was entered for the literature Bureau literary competition and won first prize in Ndebele section.

The other novels are; Akula Zulu Emhlabeni, (1971, Mambo Press), Akugobo Lingeqondiswe, (1981, Longman, Harare), Yeyeni Madoda, (1982, College Press) and Umhlaba Umangele, (1984, Mambo Press, Gweru).