Nothembi mkhwebane biography sample

The Order of Ikhamanga in Silver

Peki Emelia “Nothembi” Mkhwebane (1953 - ) Awarded for:

Her excellent contribution to music and putting the Ndebele music on the world stage.

Profile of Peki Emelia “Nothembi” Mkhwebane

Peki Emelia “Nothembi” Mkhwebane was born in Carolina in Mpumalanga on 1 January 1953.

Orphaned at the age of five, she was raised by her grandparents who could not afford formal education for her. Most of her early life was therefore spent looking after her grandfather’s cattle and sheep – their limited means of livelihood at that time.

It was no mean task for a girl.

Mkhwebane’s family loved music and nurtured her first love for Ndebele songs.

Nothembi mkhwebane biography sample pdf

Her grandmother taught her to play a reed flute, while her sister exposed her to isikumero. Her uncle taught her to play a home-made guitar. In this hub of Ndebele music and culture, Mkhwebane learned a lot about the richness of her culture and later started a musical group called “Izelamani zako Nomazilyana”, whi