‘Long live Ladysmith Black Mambazo’ says Halalisani

Halalisani Shoba

“Somebody say (ih hih, ih, hih, ih), somebody sing (hello, hello, hello), somebody cry (why, why, why?). These are “HOMELESS” lyrics, a song that was composed by Dr Joseph Bhekizizwe Shabalala, the founder of Ladysmith Black Mambazo. Last week I was listening to some radio station where I learned that this year marks 35 years since Ladysmith Black Mambazo won the first of many Grammy awards and they became the first group from South Africa to do that. It is only fair that I took my time and wrote this article in great honour of the late Dr Joseph Bhekizizwe Shabalala who became the pillar of the group at least from the 1950s until he decided to retire. Dr Joseph Shabalala was born in KwaZulu Natal province, near the town of Ladysmith but he went all the way to fly the South African flag higher alongside his group members of Black Mambazo. He actually represented the African continent well. He warmed many hearts by sharing his extraordinary gift with the world.
It is not easy to ignore His great achievements and legacy. It was exactly in 1987 when the group won their first Grammy award and after that, they became the world iconic group that is still in existence and popular today. One can only try to separate the achievements of Dr Joseph Shabalala and those of Ladysmith Black Mambazo but it is impossible and unnecessary. To mention just a few achievements, I learned that the group performed in 1993 when the late Nelson Mandela received his Nobel Peace Prize, shared the stage with many other great artists around the world and they have followers around the globe. It is not surprising that in 2010, the University of KwaZulu Natal decided to award Joseph Shabalala with an Honorary Doctorate in Music. What a giant he was! He was not just a founder but also a great leader and that was evident when he retired in 2014 from the group but his sons managed to take the group to greater heights.
The name and legacy of Dr Joseph Shabalala deserve to be celebrated more in South Africa. I know that there is a school that was renamed after him around Ladysmith and in 2021 a monument was unveiled in his honour but I don’t think that is enough. I believe the Minister of Arts and Culture in South Africa and the Alfred Duma Local municipality, in particular, can still do more. I understand that there are many people who have achieved great things to fly the South African flag high, but here I am pleading with Alfred Duma Local municipality. Upon entering Ladysmith, traveling from Newcastle and exiting Ladysmith driving towards Harrismith there is some sort of unconvincing “statues” of Ladysmith Black Mambazo individuals as kind of displays that welcome you to Ladysmith town. I’m saying such artwork is not convincing because I believe it is possible to erect a proper, big statue of Dr Joseph Shabalala similar to that of Gandhi somewhere in Ladysmith. Such a great statue won’t only attract tourists from all over the world but it will be the proof of embracing the legacy of Dr Joseph Shabalala, the world icon. Hopeful, somebody will sing “(hello, hello, hello)” to Alfred Duma Municipality. Long live Ladysmith Black Mambazo.