When Tradition Flourishes

The lead singer of the renowned Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Joseph Shabalala, once said, “Tradition is a seed planted by God”. Reserved by nature, and maintaining the strict principles of tradition he has learnt in his upbringing, Lawrence Magombe has lived a life of great discipline and application in his tasks, and has refused to divert from his cultural values to feel accepted in his new surroundings of Rhodes University.

Born at Bonda National Hospital in Muntare, Zimbabwe, Lawrence is the second born of five children, and together with his family, spent his entire upbringing in the agricultural region of Nyanga, in Municaland. He speaks passionately about his hometown, and behind the delicate tone of his voice, lies a great sense of pride. “We live in a rural, mountainous area,” he states. “We earn a living through agriculture, and tourists also visit through the summer,” he adds.
He becomes mystified when speaking of the general attitude of tourists who visit his hometown. “Some tourists are inconsiderate,” he states. His motivation for this statement lies in some tourists’ lack of respect for his community’s traditional values. “They do not respect our culture. They would do funny things, like having sex in public areas”. Magombe comes from a strict African society, which follows stringent principles, so rebellious behaviour is strongly condemned in his community. Lawrence does admit that he has developed a very good relationship with a tourist who once visited his hometown. “John was very social. I do not know his surname, but we became so close, it was like we grew up together”. Lawrence is still in contact with John, and he comes across as a person who savours good friendships.

Lawrence’s quietness may make him seem like a distant figure, but the language barrier and his dedication to his books seem to have raised this misconception of him. He has a brilliant academic record, which has paved his road to Rhodes. “I was
elected the best student in the District in Nyanga, after my O-levels in 2004,” he says, tracing his early achievements. “It was a great achievement, as I felt like I was having a greater value in the community,” he adds, with a sense of confidence evident in his voice.
He continued to achieve academically, and the possibility of studying in South Africa surfaces. “I initially planned to study at the University of Zimbabwe, but when I was named the best student in the district, I got a Presidential Scholarship to study in this country,” he says. He waited until the completion of his A-levels to make use of the scholarship, and made a decision to attend Rhodes University. “I learnt that Rhodes is the second best university in Africa, so I did not think too hard about where I wanted to go,” he says with the gentle smile on his face.

The reality of Lawrence being away from his agricultural society, hit the moment he arrived at Rhodes. “I was confused when I got here. Rhodes seemed like a big town,” he says. With his traditional values firmly intact, he was immediately struck by the cultural differences here at Rhodes and in his own community. “I saw girls smoking, and wearing funny clothing. Girls do not behave like that where I come from,” he states, with a concerned look on his face. Coming from a patriarchal society, which equally demands good behaviour of men, he is also concerned about the general partying at Rhodes. Speaking of those students who seem to be dissolved in the partying culture, Lawrence feels ashamed of them. “They seem to divert from their main objective of studying. There are others though who limit their drinking, and that is fine,” he adds.

Lawrence Magombe is an individual who has managed to uphold his strict traditional principles through his first year at Rhodes, and this has enabled him to continue flourishing academically, and not to fall prey to the various distractions at tertiary. In his reserved self, there is an awareness of the importance of him to do well at university, and an unflappable determination to reward those who have had faith in him
throughout his academic studies.