Zimpapers Logo

Artist Joshua Mboya

Tawanda Marwizi Arts Correspondent
Kuwadzana-based visual artist Joshua Mboya who carved a metal sculpture for President Robert Mugabe said the statue will be unveiled at the 21st February Movement celebrations scheduled for the Victoria Falls.

Mboya said the three-metre statue was almost complete.

“I am almost done with the statue and if all goes well I will officially hand it over to responsible authorities on President Mugabe’s 91st birthday,” said Mboya.

He said he was inspired by President Mugabe who worked tirelessly for the empowerment of the majority of Zimbabweans.

“President Mugabe has done a lot for us and there is need to honour him in a big way,” he said.

He said he has been working on the statue for two years now.

Financial problems have been a major challenge for him as he ended up auctioning some of his personal property to fund the project.

“I have been struggling to finance the project and it explains why it took time to complete,” he said.

Suluman Chimbetu also assisted the sculptor financially.

Titled “President Mugabe the African Icon”, the sculpture is made of various pieces of metal and stands tall in a fascinating way.

“We need his legacy to live and generations to come should also remember his Pan-African ideas that are to our advantage as Africans,” said Mboya.

The versatile artist said he used about 10 different still pictures of President Mugabe to give the piece enough detail.

Born in Makonde, Mboya did his primary and secondary education at Muriel Mine before relocating to Harare.

His grinder and welding machine became more than mere tools in 2007 when he started carving metal sculptures.

His desire to spread the gospel of Pan-Africanism saw him creating statues for various celebrities.

He has done other pieces of icons such as Bob Marley which, was bought by the government of Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and another of the late Vice President Dr Joshua Nkomo.