Bekunyakazela ngoLwesihlanu koBulawayo kumbuthano wenkonzo yokuvalelisa umuyi, uCont Mdladla Mhlanga, obedume kwezemidlalo yokuzithokozisa leyamasiko njalo engumqondisi womuzi wemimdlalo lamasiko oweAmakhosi Cultural Centre and Theatre Productions.
UMhlanga, owazakala ngokuthi ngumalume, ubhubhe ngoMvulo esibhedlela sakoBulawayo.
Abantu abafika phose inkulungwane bebethe gwaqa eBulawayo Amphitheatre abagoqela abalingisi, abaculi, iziphathamandla zikahulumende lezakhamizi edolobho leli, bezovalelisa iqhawe likazulu.
UStillloving Mhlanga, owazakala ngegama lokuthi Stix, ngumfowabo kamuyi. Uthi balahlakelwe okwamagama njengemuli.
"Isikhala sakhe bhudi, mfowethu sikhulu kakhulu. Kunzima vele ukuthi mbani ongangena ezihlangweni zakhe, ngoba njengoba bengikhuluma laphana ukuthi waba yiFirst born indodana endala kufamili yethu kuClan yethu he was groomed ukuthi abeyilokhu ayikho khona. IAmakhosi khathesi ikhangelelwe mhlawumbe ukuthi ibanjwe yinext genaration."
Uhulumende weZimbabwe uncedise imuli yako Mhlanga ngendleko zomgcwabo, i-state assisted funeral. Umphathintambo womuzi wako Bulawayo, uNkosikazi Judith Ncube uchaza ngesizatho uhulumende wakhe ephathisile.
"Umsebenzi owenziwe nguCont kubone kufanele ukuthi ihulumende incedise ukuze umsebenzi kabhudi ube buthakathaka kungasindi imuli yodwa ngoba akwenzileyo bekusenzelwa isizwe ikakhulu ebantwini abatsha, ngyakwazi ubezaphuma lama ideas amatsha abezakwenza ama youth esondele. Sukhala lemuli yako Mhlanga lemuli yakoNgwabe leBulawayo lelizwe lonke jikelele."
UMnu. Tomeki Dube, okuqembu leBlack Mfolosi, uthi abaculi labalingisi hatshi abakoBulawayo kuphela kodwa lasemhlabeni jikelele balahlekelwe kakhulu.
"Ukuhamba kuka Cont Mhlanga kutshiye inkalakatha yegap ku arts industry njengoba ngitsho ngithi besilo meli ohamba esikhulumela kuhulumende, osimelayo even la overseas kuma donor agencies and everyone else ukuthi i-arts industry kumele ime njani, ishotani, kumele ibe ngasiphi istructure. Yikho litbolukuthi wenza iAmakhosi Theater Productions lapha wahamba futhi wayakwenza another cultural center eLupane okutshengisa ukuthi vele into le isegazini lakhe. So-ke siyakhala sithi thina akubekhona omunye ozakuba njengo Cont, ongahluma abenjengo Cont ukuze linto iqhubeke iye phambili ilegacy yakhe ingapheli ngokutshona kwakhe."
Amazwi kaDube agcizelelwe ngomunye umculi oweqembu eleThandanani Women Ensemble ugogo uMatshabalala.
"Thina eThandanani sisebenze lobaba kakhulu, kakhulu, kakhulu ngeminyaka sisengama 40years khathesi sesikuma 70 years wani kade silokhe silaye ubaba esithatha sihamba sesi hamba izindawo ngezindawo, esihambisa konke eZambia ngama festivali sihamba. Ayi! Ubaba bakithi silahlekelwe siyabonga lala ngokuthula baba sizabonana."
Umqondisi weqembu elilodumo lwabagidayo, ele’Iyasa’, uNkululeko Dube, uchaze uMhlanga njengomuntu owayesenelisa ukungena kunhlangothi zonke zempilo okugoqela ezamasiko lezamalungelo oluntu.
"UCont ubeyiyo yonke into esiyithandayo ngoba ubengumuntu wabantu uCont ubengena kupolitiki uCont bengena kwezemidlalo uCont bengena nje entweni zonke ezihlupha umphakathi wakithi njengabantu ikakhulu abantu baseMatebeleland, silahlekelwe kakhulu, silahlekelwe ngumkhokheli, silahlekelwe ngubaba kodwa ke ngithi mina, ubeyisitsha esihle esidlele kiso, yebo ye babathi bona isitsha esihle kasidleli kodwa kuCont zonke sidlile. Okuqakathekileyo yikuthi imfundo yethu lemfundiso asitshiyele yona sibone ukuthi siyiqhubekisela phambili."
Bebekhona abamabandla ezombusazwe kulinkonzo. Omunye wabo nguMnu. Kwanele Hlabangana, umkhokheli webandla leRepublican Party of Zimbabwe.
"Silahlekelwe kakhulu thina njenge sizwe seZimbabwe. UCont ubengubaba obethanda ilizwe lakhe leZimbabwe ethanda ukuthuthukisa kakhulu intsha kwezoku actor kumbengathi ezomculo eze Arts silahlekelwe ngumuntu obethanda abantu, ubengazicabangeli yena ubekhumbulela wonke umuntu konke abekwenza ubekhumbulela ukuncedisa omunye umuntu. Kungakho siyakhuthaza amanye ama Artists ukuthi alandele indlela ebiphilwa nguCont."
UMhlanga, obhubhe eseleminyaka engamatshumi ayisithupha lane 64, utshiye umkakhe ongumlingisi olodumo, uThembi Ngwabi, abantwana abayisithupha - 6 labazukulu abathile. Uzabekwa emzini wakhe eLupane ngoMgqibelo.