Mthulisi Ndlovu also known as King KG/Khulu Gatsheni is a young multi-talented artist who has set his goals high. For him the sky is only the beginning. At the age of Twenty-Five he has managed to do all the foundation work to set himself as a serious stakeholder in the Creative Industries business.
Ndlovu has managed to register and set-up TROVOCO, a non-profit organisations wholly devoted in uplifting the underprivileged. It is a charity based organisation. The Organization has assisted hundreds of both urban and rural based children. TROVOCO has partnered with various Zimbabwean orphanages and has been taking part in national causes like the in the case of Cyclone Idai disasters and applying scholarships for impoverished children.
This sets Ndlovu as a young philanthropist. He has a big heart for the community he lives in. Many artists, young and old envy him for his work and planning ethics. He is what one would call a go-getter.
Ndlovu holds a record for the longest isiNdebele poem in the History of Zimbabwean publications, which he nailed through a ‘one poem one book’ titled uBuntu Nqaba Ngqo (uBuntu above all) published under African Sketches. Ndlovu has also co-authored two major poetry anthologies titled Imbongi ZikaMthwakazi and Izinkondlo ezinhlobonhlobo respectively under Zimbabwe Publishing House (ZPH). Izinkondlo ezinhlobonhlobo is currently a set book for ZIMSEC O’ level Syllabus.
Quizzed on whether it was necessary for one to write long poems as poetry is known for its brevity, Ndlovu had this to say,
“As a creative I wanted to do something extraordinary. They say the difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little ‘extra’. Hence I wanted to go an extra mile and do that little extra. At first I wrote an 18 page isiNdebele poem which is still a record. I then wrote the 51page poem too. As an artist I believe in order for us to be outstanding, we need not to conform to ordinary norms. We should challenge ourselves and free our confined minds.”
This sets Ndlovu as a no ordinary writer. He understands that when one sits down to write they are committing themselves to come out with something extra-ordinary and striking. Ndlovu is also the author of a controversial and politically charged book entitled POLITICKING (Lockdown Memoirs From Within). Ndlovu writes proficiently in at least 5 languages including German Deutsch, English, ChiShona, IsiNdebele and Kalanga. This sets him as a linguist.
Because of his love for writing Ndlovu recently championed the opening and officially launched a publishing house called UBUNTU AFRO-PUBLISHERS. His aim is to promote indigenous languages and Cultural diversity.
“The stable is fast growing as it is set to publish chains of literary works that will be a huge contribution in the conservation of intangible culture and Heritage in Zimbabwe and the world at large. These efforts have triggered and gunned support from literary legends like Albert Nyathi, Naison Tfwala, Desire Moyoxide, Njabulo Moyo, Philani A. Nyoni amongst others,” proudly asserts the maverick young creative.
“We also seek to offer high quality and reputable translation solutions. Revolutionizing the art industry through indigenous knowledge and language is a dream that we exist to pursue, perceive and exhaust,” he elaborates.
Ubuntu publishing house mainly intends to promote raw and rare talent that is lying dormant in most of the African societies especially remote areas. It is targeting mostly the less privileged individuals that include orphans, rural children, and women amongst others.
Ndlovu also runs Poets and Writers’ Den (PAWD). PAWD promotes writing competitions, stories and poetry. These are mainly done online due to the Covid 19 pandemic. PAWD also aims at doing live Poetry slams and a book reading club when the restrictions have been relaxed.
What inspires a man so young to embark on all these projects? Where is all this passion coming from? To answer these inquiries this is what Ndlovu had to say,
“My inspiration comes from the desire to spearhead and hail the spirit of Ubuntu at it’s best purest form. I aspire to be one of the Africans who stands proud and resolute about their Africanness. I strongly believe that we can still tell our stories to the world using our own languages and we can still write our own history accurately.”
