Nguvu yaMbengu eNtabelanga

Nguvu Ya Mbegu is a Swahili title meaning the power of the seed. it is the story of the prophet Enoch Mgijima, the Israelites, the land and the Bulhoek massacre of 1921 in the Eastern Cape. The work was originally devised by students at the Centre for Theatre, Dance and Performance Studies under the direction of Mandla Mbothwe at UCT and is performed in isiXhosa, isiZulu, Sesotho, SeTswana, and Swahili. Nguvu ya Mbegu strongly draws its aesthetic from African storytelling traditions, incorporating dance, song, and ensemble work. This performance marks the 100th year anniversary of the tragedy and is a resistance against persistent narratives that continue to erase black history.