THE Friends of Joshua Nkomo Trust are doing a sterling job.
Sixteen years have passed on since the untimely death of Vice-President Joshua Mqabuko Nyongolo Nkomo, but the Trust is doing a good job in keeping memories of Father Zimbabwe alive.
Although not among us, the late VP left a story that is still essential in the history of Zimbabwe.
It is his contribution not only in the liberation struggle, but even after independence that shows that he was a man of honour.
Formed purposely for celebrating the life, contribution and effort that the late nationalist made in Zimbabwe, the Friends of Joshua Nkomo Trust started operating in 2004.
It is a youth organisation that also seeks to preserve the history, culture and heritage of Zimbabwe through arts.
The Trust has managed to preserve the memory Father Zimbabwe who died on July 1 1999 through various continued efforts of engaging in the arts.
The chief executive officer of Friends of Joshua Nkomo Trust, Beverly Pullen said the Trust was determined to engage itself in different avenues of the arts to preserve Zimbabwe’s history.
“We realised that the history of Zimbabwe cannot be shared without mentioning the contribution the late icon, Joshua Mqabuko Nyongolo Nkomo,” she said.
To share the memory of the late VP, the Trust is working on a documentary that can best tell the story of the late unifier.
Named Nyongolo the man, his works, his vision, the documentary, said Pullen, will focus on the life of the late icon and his journey through the history of the liberation struggle of Zimbabwe.
To come out with a better story of the late icon, the Friends of Joshua Nkomo Trust has been engaged in a series of research and interviews with people such as the former President of Zambia, Kenneth Kaunda, and former prison mates of the late VP and other nationalists.
“ In our journey to come out with a good story, we even engaged Zambia, South Africa and London archives to get all the material and information on the history of Zimbabwe and its liberation,” said Pullen.
The pictures obtained from the interviews and archives is also another method which the Trust uses to tell the story of the late Father Zimbabwe pictorially.
Through various efforts, the Friends of Joshua Nkomo Trust has made it possible that Zimbabwe continues to embrace and celebrate the life of a great leader and unifier, Joshua Nkomo.
The Trust which is conducting exhibitions of the late and living nationalists of Africa’s liberation are also working on a gallery dubbed ‘Toyi – Toyi’ which depicts the history of the liberation struggle.
Pullen said that they hope to obtain a suitable place for a permanent gallery that could become a historical tourist destination.
Although it is more than a decade since Father Zimbabwe left this world, his story remains and will continue to remind upcoming generations of the history and heritage of Zimbabwe.
His story is one of hope and clearly shows that the country’s independence was hard-won.