From praise singer to acclaimed artist and cultural activist

Zolani Mkiva has made his mark in art, music and politics, promoting African culture globally

Yaqhawuk’imbeleko (the umbilical cord has snapped), roared praise singer Zolani Mkiva three times to signal a break with colonial conquest, apartheid brute force and to usher in a new era of freedom as he introduced Nelson Mandela minutes before he took to the podium to deliver his inaugural address on May 10 1994.

The young praise singer who had appeared out of nowhere continued in sharp guttural rasps Zaqhawuk’ ii-ankire zentiyo nengcinezelo (the ruffians of racism and oppression are no longer).

The crowds were ecstatic. Mandela waved to the audience in approval.

Mkiva went on to sum up the voice of international solidarity against apartheid and charged that he heard the voice of former Cuban leader Fidel Castro, and attributed to him the slogan “Solidarity in action” while former Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat is stated to have said: “Long live the struggle against apartheid”.

Former UN secretary-general Boutros Boutros-ghali was instructive in Mkiva’s mind when he said: “lt will be contra bonos mores of the masses of SA not to liberate themselves,” but it was the inclusion of Afrikaans in the poem that received thunderous applause: “Vryheid of dood, Oorwinning is gewis” (Freedom or death, victory is certain).

It was victory for the youth of the June 16 massacre and an end to baasskap for the throngs of SA’S people gathered to celebrate Mandela’s inauguration as the first black president of SA.

Mkiva said: “The poem was not just about Mandela. It signalled a turning point in the history of our country from colonialism to apartheid.

“I was making an emphatic statement that the nation severed the umbilical cord with our ugly past of brokenness, our people being killed and maimed.

“The poem succeeded in ushering in a new SA and setting the tone for Nelson Mandela who responded with the words ‘the time for the healing of the wounds has come’.”

As Mkiva delivered Mandela’s praises in full flight, beneath his wings was a family lineage of spiritual figures, cultural mystics, warriors of social justice and oral traditional poets and raconteurs such as Pauzen Mkiva (A! Jucula), Mkhenke Mkiva (Ah Dubulirhamba), Gwebindlala Mkiva (Ah! Makhonya), who was also the eldest son of Mkhenke, Khaya Mkiva (Ah! Dumezweni), author of the book Imfazwe ka Nongxokozelo.

On the lineage of griots or more broadly speaking — storytellers — these were poets who used imagery, allegory, metaphor in their praises of chiefs and kings.

But there is something profound that Mkiva took from the literary modernism of oral poetry, the ability to be fluent and fluid at the same time, drenched as he was in the public assembly performance art of our past.

It is easy to pick up in Mkiva’s poetry that he is not only sensible but endowed with knowledge and the wisdom of our ancestors.

Mkiva is a leading cultural force and a powerhouse — not only a praise singer but an acclaimed artist and cultural activist.

The clarity in his poetry and music exude a passion, a poignant sensibility for the most simplistic and the most complex.

His poetry celebrates myths, legends and critiques leadership and social injustice.

Through his oral poetry rendition, South Africans slowly realised the richness of their historical and cultural backgrounds.

Mkiva used his privilege and his exposure to sow the seeds for a better future, one that would include reconciliation and fashioning a better future for all South Africans.

Mkiva is a former member of parliament.

He also served as a permanent delegate in the National Council of Provinces (NCOP), and finance, appropriations, cooperative governance and joint constitutional review committees.

Regarded as a decorated cadre in the advancement of SA’S liberation movement, Mkiva has devoted his life to advancing the transformation agenda of the poor masses of the country.

Asked whether by being in parliament at the time, he was not mortgaged and silenced to no longer speaking truth to power as a praise singer, he was quick to point out that he thought is was “important not only to represent the voice of the creative industry but to mainstream the voice of the institution of traditional leadership”.

“My time in parliament was spent preoccupied with that task.”

He continued: “Artistry expresses intelligible ideas that flow from lived experiences of ordinary people and foregrounding the institution of traditional leadership ensures that we combine modernity with tradition, in this way we can’t forget where we come from and who we are as a people.

“Beautiful words of poetry must translate to beautiful things. Saying and doing are two sides of the same coin.

“As an MP, my saying was original and independent and most importantly it is informed by the lived realities of our society.”

Through his oral renditions, Mkiva traversed SA and the world and earned the salutation Dabu’lulwandle.

With a career spanning more than two decades, sharing the stage with international icons and becoming an acclaimed heritage practitioner, producer and director of creative works, he is a highly regarded arts genius and administrator and a well-respected cultural expert and policymaker who employs indigenous knowledge systems in catapulting SA’S cultural heritage.

Mkiva earned the title His Royal Heritage during his tenure as senior adviser to King Xolilizwe and King Zwelonke and was the CEO of the Xhosa Royal Council.

In May 2023, he was elected to serve his second term as general secretary of the Congress of Traditional Leaders of SA (Contralesa), after he was elected unopposed in December 2017.

For more than 15 years prior to his overwhelming election as general secretary he served in the national executive committee (NEC) of Contralesa occupying senior leadership positions, including head of the presidency, national executive director and national organiser, respectively.

Mkiva believes that: “African leadership should employ African wisdoms in their approach to policy and programming.

“It is strategic to uphold African values of ubuntu, morality, spirituality and servant leadership.

“The winning formula in leadership and governance is when we embrace who we are in terms of our culture and heritage.

“Our laws and policies must not only complement our culture but must enrich it so that we can reach high levels of efficacy in the developmental agenda of bettering the lives of our people.

“As African leaders, the best way of articulating the management of the national question is when we combine spirituality and scientific discourse, that will certainly give us a competitive advantage in the international arena and will put Africa ahead of everyone else.

“Our sophistication as Africans is embedded in the indigenous knowledge system and we must tap into that.”

Also, Mkiva is the president and director-general of the Institute of African Royalty (IAR), a continental body that co-ordinates initiatives of African traditional and cultural leaders.

The IAR serves as an advocacy instrument for rural investment and infrastructural development as well as policy thinktank for African royals and the institution of traditional leadership.

In his role as the president of the IAR he interacts with both the leadership of the African Union, Pan African parliament, governments and other critical institutions in the continent and diaspora.

Mkiva has also dabbled as producer and director of artistic works that resonate with music, poetry, fashion and film.

He has produced more than 20 music albums, including international singles for a myriad of countries such as Cuba, Colombia, Cote d’ivoire, Palestine, Libya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Russia, Venezuela, Swaziland and Sweden.

And he has written more than 100 songs which are part and parcel of all his music/poetry albums.

Most of his poetic songs have enjoyed airplay on radio and television.

These artistic works have been released as professional albums and are available in physical form as well as on online platforms like istores, Youtube and related social media downloads.

Mkiva has served as CEO of the National Arts Council, CEO of PACOFS, chair of the Eastern Cape Provincial Arts and Culture Council and the National Delphic Council, respectively, and was board member of the National Heritage Council and the Eastern Cape Parks and Tourism Authority. He has facilitated and established international poetry festivals in Ethiopia, Eswatini, Lesotho and Zimbabwe including wine and fashion festivals in Venezuela and Zimbabwe.

A dynamic artist who has diversified his compositions, Mvika has translated his poetry into painting and has created by-products in the form of lithographs and limited screenprints.

His works have been exhibited in galleries and art fairs.

His poetical verses have appeared on his clothing label, produced under the auspices of Poet of Africa and His Royal Heritage.

His artwork and fashion label features several languages — Xhosa, Swahili, Siswati, Chinese, English, French, Swedish, Turkish, Russian and Spanish.

For his efforts in bolstering the creative economy he was awarded the Order of Ikhamanga in gold for promoting African culture globally.

HRH Mkiva is also a talented film actor who has featured in Hollywood blockblusters like Long Walk to Freedom, a movie depicting the life and times of Mandela.

In this feature film, Mkiva also played a role as a cultural adviser to British film director Justin Chadwick and British actor Idris Elba.

Mkiva has also produced and directed his own documentary and film works — the documentary he co-produced with Lisa Brittan, titled Mandela’s Poet Laureate, won an award at the New York Feature Film Festival in 2001.

He has served as an associate producer to a film titled A Small town called Decent and is currently featured on a documentary series written and directed by this writer, called Mandela’s People.

Having conceptualised and championed Ancestor’s Day in 2022 — which seeks to mainstream African spirituality, he said: “I believe that the ancestors continue to guide us from the other world.

“While we lost Mandela, we gained an ancestor.”

Vukile Pokwana is a creative writer, television producer and creative industries consultant. Recently, he became the recipient of the inaugural Isakhono Award: Research and Writing organised by the Nelson Mandela Bay Theatre Complex. A recipient of a Lifetime Achievement award from DAC for his contribution to South African music.