The Eminent Chief--By Ndaba Sibanda--Saudi Arabia

The Eminent Chief

He became chief at the age of 26 in 1939.
An illustrious trailblazer and negotiator,
he was among the leaders who attended
the 1979 Lancaster Conference in London
where the country’s independence
was discussed. He was both a remarkable
visionary and a thoughtful realist. A heroic
proponent of self-rule, he did not mince
his words when it came to human rights.
Chief Khayisa Ndiweni was certainly
the most revered and recognised
traditional leader across the breadth
and width of Matabeleland. A unifier,
his noble deeds and vision have a great place
in the progressive people`s history and life.
A voice for the voiceless. A bold voice.
A principled and pragmatic figure,
the chief passed on in the year 2010
in his home area of Ntabazinduna.
May his soul rest in peace.

Ndaba Sibanda is a Zimbabwean-born writer. His poems, essays and short stories have been published in Africa and the USA. Ndaba currently lives and teaches in Saudi Arabia. Of his career, he says, "writing is my life, and my second wife".