Visual artist honours Mazibuko
According to Kempton Park Thembisa Tourism Association (KTTA), Mazibuko was a young South African anti-apartheid activist in the 1970s.
Bafana Nyathi (18) is a fine arts illustrator and animator pushing his own artistic boundaries to pay tribute to his hero, Brian Mbulelo Mazibuko.
According to Kempton Park Thembisa Tourism Association (KTTA), Mazibuko was a young South African anti-apartheid activist in the 1970s.
He grew up in Thembisa and attended Thembisa High School.
He was one of the first learners to object to Afrikaans in 1973 in schools and was an ANC, UDF, Cosas and the Black Conscious Movement leader.
He was a Thembisa Representative Student Council (TRCS) leader mentored by Dan Montsisi and Tsietsi Mashinini in the liberation struggle.
Mazibuko was convicted and imprisoned on Robben Island in 1977 and released in 1982.
On August 5, 1984, Mazibuko was killed in Thembisa.
Nyathi, working alongside Gata-Lenn, salutes and acknowledges the contribution of Mazibuko by telling his story through art.
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“Most people in Thembisa don’t even know the stories about Brian Mazibuko and the protests during the late ’90s and ’80s.
“For me, as an artist, I thought it important to use my talent in educating them about his work and good deeds through my art.
“My works aim is to remind the youth of Thembisa and South Africa about our fallen heroes, how life was back then and to introduce them to the struggle our heroes faced for us to be live freely.
“Most of my work is related to the struggle people then faced. They scream the tough moments. Each and every artwork I do has its message of awareness, love, care and hope.
“Thami Mnyele is my biggest influencer as his work is mind-blowing.
“I used to draw for fun, mostly cartoons, during my younger years. I started practising portraits and techniques on how to draw a realistic portrait using pencils, then started sketching people in 2018.
“I wasn’t that good but I kept drawing and improving my skills.
“To get my work out there, I draw icons and celebrities. When I’ve completed artwork of a celebrity I post it on social media. The most effective way for me to connect with my collectors is to communicate with them enthusiastically about my art and ideas,” said Nyathi.
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