A talent is a gift from the Almighty and everyone is born with one, but it is a different story for “The Big Animal Sibanjana Junior, who has multiple talents and is doing wonders in the creative industry. The South African-based creative whose birth name is Zaphaniah Sibanda is a porter, ceramic sculptor, gospel singer, visual artist and actor. He is from Plumtree, Bulilima West, ward 10.
Sibanjana is one example of a multi-talented creative whose passion spreads across several art categories. He is a pure legend and this is a clear testimony that he was born a creative and shall forever remain one.
In the acting industry, he has flown the country’s flag higher as he has featured in a number of South African soapies like Generations in 2010 where he acted as a thug who went to collect money from JB who was working for Rubby. It takes a lot of talent and commitment to be considered in foreign productions, being selected as the right person to perform a particular role in a foreign country is more of a blessing that comes with a high level of seriousness and dedication to one’s work. Sibanjana is one of the talented artists who have been privileged with high responsibilities outside their home countries. Sibanjana also mentions that he acted in a Kalanga drama called Buhhuhha Bupamhidzwa which means “If you are a man you must upgrade yourself”, he says.
The Big Animal Sibanjana Junior has also featured in movies like ” The Lethereal Africa” produced in 2006 where he acted as a soldier and in 2010 appeared on “District 9” where he acted as a Nigerian gangster.
The Bulilima’s gifted creative does not only spend his time acting, he is also a gospel musician who has released 9 albums namely: Sizawanyathela Madimoni; Sohlongana Ezulwini; Sikhokhelele Moses; UJesu uyingonyama; Ulwandle olumnyama; Madodana; Muya Waleza; Ngambulelwe; and Uhambo. Sibanda has worked with Vincent Future Dawn recording studio in Bulawayo, Kapamba studio, Nicholas Ndebele and BK studio. The gospel singer has also managed to bring his works home as he has performed his music in his hometown Plumtree, for community charities.
Sibanjana is also a proud porter, visual artist and sculptor who has continued to shine at the same time thinking about the youths in his hometown Plumtree. His art skills and knowledge he acquired between 1982 and 1984 at Mzilikazi Art Centre, a vocational training establishment, in Bulawayo are unique according to him.
“My art is different from that of others because l use my hands not a computer, my works have been showcased at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe and some at Go Nature Go at Bulawayo Museum,” says The Big Animal Sibanjana Junior.
In some of his drawings, he has drawn famous places and people in Zimbabwe like the late artist and veteran Cont. Mhlanga and places like Victoria Falls and Zimbabwe Ruins. He has also sculptured some prominent people in the country like the late former Vice President Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo, the late former President Robert Mugabe and South Africa’s late former President Nelson Mandela.
The youths are the future of any nation and it takes one to actually realise their talents let alone investing and dedicating one’s self to naturing and grooming them. It is something that Bulilima’s creative has embarked on, a journey to success in a bid to uplift his community through community empowerment training programmes.
“I am busy with the youths in my community teaching them art and craft. The name of the project is called Milikani Recreation Art Center,” he says. The skills and knowledge that he is sharing with the youths have earned them recognition as youths who are capable of producing amazing handwork products and brilliant performances.
The Big Animal Sibanjana says that he received 10 trophies from Isizeni Sabansundu in 2020 when his students were competing with Chapo and Bulawayo children. He said the trophies they won all at once were for different categories that included drama, acting, traditional dance, rumba dance and poetry, these are his areas of expertise in which he has demonstrated high levels of passion and dedication. He is a great source of inspiration not only for the community where he comes from but for all surrounding places locally and internationally.
Sibanjana also fulfills a humanitarian role where he travels from South Africa to Zimbabwe to help Persons With Disabilities, (PWDs) through the donation of assistive devices that enable them to lead independent lives. That kind of gesture is critical as it is highly empowering. He mentions that he has managed to donate wheelchairs to the needy from his home in Bulilima and the kind of responses he gets from them gives him all the energy and love to continue showering them with all that they need to lead better lives. He is one of very few creatives who believe in stretching a helping hand to the needy. His contributions to his community are for a good cause and this deserves a high applause.
This visionary man, the Big Animal, Sibanjana has an ambition of establishing a school of creative arts that he believes will help in identifying, marketing and promoting talent from his community. He looks forward to receiving assistance in any form necessary in order to realise his dream of coming up with this great initiative with awesome opportunities, especially for the less privileged. He intends to take his passion for teaching youths, art and craft to a higher level under a fully registered entity. “Challenges are there especially funding, we are also looking for space where we can build a school, at the moment we are working from an open space,” he says”.
The Big Animal surely has a lot of impressive projects that he is working on, the good part is that he loves what he does, and this is why he can manage to balance all the activities and come up with quite commendable productions. “I enjoy everything that I do and that makes the load even lighter, quite manageable to handle.
