Some say he is mentally disturbed, others say, he is a miracle worker. The multi-talented but controversial Marondera-based dreamer-cum-everything, John Ndebele (40), has sparked incessant debates about what he does, what he is and who he is.He made a lawn mower from scratch, musical instruments, a bicycle, a cart. He can repair all musical instruments, do panel beating, welding and is winding up plans to make a combine harvester from dreams.
He is not well-educated, having only done up to grade five, and has never attended any institution for training. I get trained in dreams he said.
What happens is that I see two hands and hear a voice, calling me to be attentive for a lecture. They then teach me one job after another and everything will be very clear, understandable and applicable. I can do anything I learn in my dreams and visionsIve just been taught to make a combine harvester
But he complained that the current economic situation was hindering progress in all that he dreams. I would have established a big, diversified manufacturing company that could develop this province and create employment, but our ailing economy glues us down.
Most amazing and mysterious to people is that, besides all that, Ndebele can enchant his audience by playing any musical instrument and whistling songs. That guy is just mysterious, anoridza muridzo unoita rumbo. He delivers different messages to a people who regard him as a madman, said one resident who withheld his name.
Today the misunderstood man is touching the hearts of many, with his didactic music and songs. Im a reggae musician by birth. I sing to inform people what I would have been instructed in my dreams.
Ndebele lives in a dynamic dreamland where anything is possible. He says that he is able to bring everything that he gets from dreams into reality, but his life remains queer. Residents say he looks like a bedraggled traditional healer sometimes. He appears to be an opportunistic jack of all trades. He is quite harmless and says he is a disciplined prophet.
You see, Tagwirei, I sing in streets and people think Im mad. But Im merely misunderstood. The truth is that God speaks to me. Even if people put me in the world of mental disturbance, they still get my message, he told me.
Ndebele says that he tries hard to alienate himself from politics because he is Gods word-bearer, but his songs arouse high political feelings.
He has moving tracks like; Tell them the truth, Fire burning, Obama, Mandela and Unite and be One, which unavoidably sway peoples thoughts to Zimbabwes deadly political, socio-economic environment.
Ndebele says that financial constraints have prevented him from recording. I have an intact four-member band that is only waiting for change in Zimbabwe to record. What change John, If not political? Fortunately in his visions and dreams, he says he has been told that there is imminent danger in Zimbabwean politics. However, he would not clarify this any further, saying only: What I can say is that our political leaders speak what they are not. And if they dont change, our tragic situation will worsen, Zimbabweans must know that.
Remarkably, he speaks 10 languages fluently – English, Shona, Sutu, Setswana, Xhosa, Zulu, Afrikaans, Venda and Kalanga. But he has been in South Africa and Botswana for less than five months. He says that he learnt them for personal use and avoidance of communication limitations.
I have refused to be limited by language. To get wherever God would want me to go, these 10 are not even enough, he said.
Post published in: News