Zimbabwe News Update
herald
7 min read
Zimpapers Arts and Entertainment HubZIMBABWE’s creative brilliance took centre stage at the recently concluded 2025 Afrotellers Conference in South Africa, where Bulawayo-based poet Sondlane “Sox the Poet” Dube captivated audiences with a stirring performance alongside his mentee Silethemba “Letty” Dube, a participant in the mentorship programme WeCre8te Afrika.Their collaborative piece, “The Worst Thing,” delved into the deep generational scars and trauma born out of armed conflicts and genocides across Africa.
Told from the perspective of children who witness such atrocities, the poem reflected on how the wounds of war extend beyond the battlefield shaping the political, economic and social fabric of affected communities for generations.The powerful performance took place at the University of Witwatersrand’s Film and Television Cinema during the official opening ceremony of the three-day conference, held from 23 to 25 October 2025 under the theme “Our Stories. Our Voices. Our Power.”An alumnus of Accountability Lab Zimbabwe’s Arts for Change programme, Sox is also the founder of WeCre8te Afrika, a Bulawayo-based mentorship initiative nurturing eight young female poets.
The programme uses creative expression to confront issues of social justice, identity and healing through art.Wilson Chivhanga, the Chief Executive Officer of Thrive Africa and founder of the Afrotellers Conference, lauded Sox’s performance, describing it as “a powerful story that illustrated the struggles and aspirations of the African people.”“It captured the lived experiences and everyday challenges that define our continent.
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