However King’s excitement was short-lived making chunky and attractive jewellery out
when they realised this was not merely of spoons and forks and knives that few have
a courtesy call. Nkomo Diva ordered the seen.
villagers and everyone else within the area to Despite his amazingly intricate and
immediately gather in the courtyard. Mujibas sophisticated designs, King enjoys a simple
were young boys working as messengers
e
a
d

K
r
u
g
e
r
lifestyle and believes in simplicity through
for the Freedom Fighters, running for miles language and thought processes. Because
between villages, carrying news of the he only believes in that which is tangible or
Rhodesian Security Forces’ movements.
o
n
e
t
t
e

R
visual, everything must be clearly obvious
Eventually, any mujiba, having proved his to him at the outset before he reaches any
worthiness could suddenly be taken across

b
y

D
decision
the border into Mozambique and trained in
o
t
o
s
armed combat. Unknown to them, there were p
h
photos by Donette Read Kruger His heart is in Africa and he will be
more of Nkomo Diva’s unseen comrades and returning, with his family, to settle down
mujibas waiting patiently in the darkness,
“Duri raMbuya Nehanda”, (named after
in his own gallery, “Wrong Time Village”,
beyond their village, keeping a wary look out
Zimbabwe’s fi rst female heroine and
so called because, he asked me, “Is there
for “m’soldiers”.
activist, Mbuya Nehanda, a small woman
ever a right time?” Now married to a girl
hung from the end of a rope by the colonial
from his own village, Constance Magwenzi,
In the courtyard, they listened to the
settlers) made the heavy sound of a mother
with children, King’s struggle continues.
commander, shocked that his personality
continually grinding corn. When they heard
He considers elaborate funeral coffi ns to be
suddenly changed to that of an extremely
that sound, they giggled with happiness and
an overpriced western concept, with ornate
angry man. Nkomo Diva was livid, and King
bravely whispered to one another, “We are
caskets manufactured for the sole purpose
was fl abbergasted – never before had he seen
winnnnnnnning!”
of making those in the business wealthy. He
anyone so angry as he outlined the historical has already decreed that when he dies, just as
facts of the country they lived in.
Then the schools closed down and it wasn’t
his ancestors were, his body will be wrapped
long before King’s uncle arrived to take him
in a traditional reed mat, because he says, in
After the lecture, all the boys and girls were
to live in Salisbury. In the city, the reality
Africa funerals have become “big business”.
ordered into the big house where more
of the war was much like that of the naïve
His favourite musician is Zimbabwe’s Hosea
comrades awaited their arrival. On the side
villagers in Chihota, when the comrades fi rst
Chipanga, whose lyrics include being unable
of the big room, King noticed some long, thin
arrived, and his fellow students and peers
to afford a plot of land in life, yet he is
sticks resembling whips. The children were
were in awe when King began to manufacture
comforted by the knowledge that when he
then pressed to repeat some of the facts that
and demonstrate his war toys being used in
dies, he will fi nally get his own plot of land
the irate comrade had revealed about their
The Struggle – weapons of war they could
– in a cemetery!
history. Those who couldn’t answer were
never have imagined!
told to remain behind. King remembered, King no longer considers himself an artist. He
“The white settlers raised their Union fl ag at
After he attained his O-levels, King worked
explained that art is the start of documenting
Fort Victoria!” and he and other luckier ones
for his uncle, but he was restless and fi nally
images into a permanent state, be it through
were returned to their parents. However,
quit to attend Mount Hampden Art Institute.
sculptures, paintings or performing arts. King
eventually when their elders were dismissed,
From there he was accepted into the BAT
believes that, as an artist, one engages with
King and his cousin Michael managed to
Workshop under the National Art Gallery to
the concept of the visual and then marries into
escape by hiding beneath the long skirts
continue his studies in Fine Arts. Successfully
that. The idea of what you made, makes you
of their mothers’ – crawling on all fours
winning a Zimbabwe Heritage Competition he
what you are, so that you connect with nature
through the dust as the women shuffl ed out!
received a scholarship and moved to Toronto,
in this way, and you begin to appreciate the
Early the next morning, the other children
Canada (1991-1994). He won further awards
environment and its natural inhabitants –
returned. They had been whipped with those
and scholarships and exhibited in various
which in turn makes you a scientist. Studying
long sticks for failing to remember anything
galleries and group exhibitions. Finally, King
overseas magnifi ed his in-depth appreciation
– the welts on their bottoms were painful!
returned to Zimbabwe to teach at the Harare
of his roots. He is fascinated with nature and
Polytech, later going back to Canada to fi nish
loves and respects it, whether it is an ant or
In awe of his Action Man hero, it was the
his Masters Degree in Fine Art. One day, in
an elephant, or a grain of sand.
beginning of a new era in King’s imagination
Canada he was commissioned to make a

and he now began to create wire models
signpost for a restaurant – and using cutlery,
King’s quiet confi dence lies within the
of AK47 rifl es, landmines and mortars –
the results encouraged him greatly.
knowledge of, and the moral teachings of
anything that the comrades used to fi ght his ancestral spirits, who controlled the
against the Rhodesians. Just as suddenly,
His cutlery jewellery is a dimension of his
guidelines of his being from the start when he
weeks later, another group of comrades
sculptures. He has an in-depth appreciation
twisted barbed wire into armoured vehicles
arrived, but this time it was because of the
of “ready mades” as a media, which is
for his playmates. That which progressed into
personal involvement of the villagers in the
the reason he chose cutlery. Recycling is
art, sculptor and photographic exhibitions
fi ght for freedom, and the comrades brought
environmentally friendly. If you look at his
in Canada and the UK, stemmed from the
with them the “morari”, music and singing
jewellery, you will realise that the fork can
unknown future he dreamed of in creating,
Chimurenga-inspired songs.
ultimately be more than a fork, e.g. it can
beyond the horizons of Chihota.
also be a beautiful bracelet; a spoon can be
Now, the situation worsened. The comrades
a magnifi cent pendant! Now he has a huge
In the meantime visit Camden Market, in
destroyed bridges to stop the Rhodesian
collection of cutlery, including some special
London, and secure for yourself a piece
Security Forces. Long into the night those
pieces made into rings, which he will never
of the un-tangible he has made tangible,
in the Keeps listened to the cross-fi re in
part with. Other pieces of his collection are
because one day, this unknown scientist will
contacts between the Freedom Fighters and
planned for a special display, which should
be famous for his most unconventional art.
the Rhodesia Security Forces and mortars.
fetch better prices. King’s contention is
One particular mortar, belonging to the
that he is no longer an artist, but is now a
You can email King at Afrikaunite@hotmail.
Freedom Fighters’, which they referred to as
scientist, working in metal with cutlery,
com
P
www.thepromota.co.uk THEPROMOTA | 43
ppromotamagazine_issue12.indd isabelle corrected.indd 43romotamagazine_issue12.indd isabelle corrected.indd 43 330/11/2007 21:50:170/11/2007 21:50:17
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