Nqobani’s parents were staunch supporters of the mainstream MDC and his mother, Buhle Ncube, dedicated her time to party activism. This irked state security agents and other Zanu (PF) supporters in the area, who sought to punish the family in a gruesome manner.
His mother, then 36, and his 11-year-old brother, Mehleli, died of their burns, while Nqobani sustained third degree burns. A cross-border taxi driver took him to Johannesburg and handed him over to the MDC.
An inconsistent reaction to treatment, which saw him in and out of Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital’s special burns unit, raised doubts over the youngster’s chances of survival.
While recovering from the horrific injuries on his head and chest, his bladder developed a new problem that caused him excruciating pain. But two years later, the effort put in by the MDC’s Johannesburg district, Bishop Paul Verryn of the Central Methodist church and other well-wishers, seems to have worked wonders and the boy’s life is back on track. His scars look permanent, but the fact that he is now pain-free and healthy gives hope that this boy from Nkayi could get his life back.
As promised in March 2010, two months after he was burnt, the MDC-T has made sure that Nqobani not only gets the medical, financial and social support he needs, but also that he continues his pursuit for academic excellence.
He recently progressed from Grade 3 to Grade 4 at a Johannesburg school. “We are proud that, while Zanu (PF) chose to be a part of the problem in this boy’s life, we have chosen to be a part of the solution he needed, the solution he needs and the solution he will always need to become a successful man,” said Trust Ndlovu, the party’s district organising secretary.
The party’s district secretary, Milton Matshazi, said: “We are delighted that Nqobani has had his health restore and is now concentrating on his studies. It has been a proud moment filled with awe and hope for him to know that he is graduating, but one could read from his grim face that he was frustrated by the other children whose parents were present. We are still very concerned about the welfare of other victims of violence in Zimbabwe and we are busy identifying and helping more of them.”
He said the district was preparing itself for any eventuality ahead of the 2013 elections. “Most victims of political violence often end up here in Johannesburg. We therefore, need to be ready now to receive them,” said Matshazi.
“It is so disappointing that more than 30 years after independence, Zimbabweans are still stuck with a party like Zanu (PF), which believes in unleashing state-sponsored violence against its political opponents,” said Trust Ndlovu, the party’s district organising secretary.
Post published in: News