21 February 2008

The Ministry of Arts & Culture mourns the passing on of a young musical pioneer, Mr. Tebogo “Zombo” Ndlovu who died recently following an Aids-related illness.

However, we are very thankful for the life of a young, gifted and African composer, singer, dancer and creative songwriter whose life expressed the elasticity and self-definition of the kwaito generation growing up in conditions of peace, freedom and democracy.

Mr Ndlovu epitomized the promise of a young future leader who was destined to influence cultural trends, especially in music, and thus make an immense contribution to the nation’s soul.

Zombo, as he was fondly called, used his own talents not only to create employment for himself and improve the quality of our cultural life but inspired hope among some of his peers and contemporaries.
We hope that his family, friends, relatives and fans will allow his spirit to rest in peace after battling with a ravaging disease that continues to cut short the lives of far too many of the young, gifted and talented people we need to build our nation.

The life of Mr. Ndlovu lays bare on of the biggest challenge facing our nation, especially young people, following the attainment of hard won freedom and democracy in 1994.

His life is a testament of the urgent need for our young people to practice of safe sex as espoused in the government’s programme of “Abstain, Be Faithful and Condomize”   -  ABC campaign.

Ndlovu’s career began during the euphoric period of freedom and democracy in the mid-1990s, when he joined Arthur Mafokate’s 999 Studios as a dancer, vocalist and back up singer for Abashante.

Soon after that he emerged as a distinct solo artist who not only carved out a niche for himself but became a living encyclopaedia and source of inspiration for his age group.

This added strength to the potential and achievement of the well-known 999 Studios which was among the first independent recording labels to be launched by the business minded new kwaito generation.
In his own way, he was using arts and culture, especially music, not only to create employment and fight poverty but to contribute to a better quality of life and participate in the redefinition of the nation’s soul.
Kwaito today is an unmistakable sound, expressing the exhilarating ghetto experience that is intuitively connected to the optimism of the African majority in this “age of hope.”

Few people would doubt that in his short life, Mr Ndlovu helped lay a solid foundation for future popular music stars who will go on to fly the flag of a liberated South Africa that is the envy of the world.

His passing on can be considered a turning point for the kwaito generation that has brought the reality of Aids closer to home.

It is true that Mr. Ndlovu’s premature death is a tragic loss for the music fraternity and cultural life of the country, but he achieved what he could as a man who was not deterred by his background.

We do believe that his life epitomizes a spirit that says ‘it does not matter where you come from but it is where you are going that counts.’

We had a young man who may have lived fast, and died young but who has left us an exhilarating ghetto sound that makes people dance to the music of liberation and freedom.

Mr. Ndlovu will be buried on Saturday, 23 February 2008 in Alexandra Township.

Lala Ngoxolo! Gatsheni!

Ends

For further details, call Sandile Memela, Spokesperson for the Minister of Arts & Culture at 082 800 3750 or Premi Appalraju, Media Liaison Officer at 082 903 6778

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