ABSENT FATHERS EXPOSED!..Nonduduzo’s explosive book lays bare the pain of dadless homes

Langalakhe Mabena , Zimpapers Arts and Entertainment Hub

OUTSPOKEN socialite and author Nonduduzo Ncube has ignited a firestorm with her new hard-hitting book, Isihlalo Sika Baba, a raw and emotional exploration of the scars left behind when fathers abandon their families.

Bold, unfiltered and soaked in lived experience, the book tears into the pain, confusion and generational trauma created by men who disappear from their children’s lives. But Nonduduzo wants it clear, this is not about her own father.

“My father is very much present and alive,” she told B-Metro. “The book draws from my real-life experience as a single mother. It is the father of my children who is absent, and I know that pain all too well.”

This is her third book, but arguably the most personal and emotional. Nonduduzo says she wrote it as both a form of healing and as a wake-up call to communities that sweep such issues under the rug.

“There were moments I couldn’t write for days,” she said. “The pain would just take over. But I knew I had to finish this — not just for me, but for so many other women and children living this reality every day.”

With the help of close friends like Zibusiso Mabonisa and Artwell Sibanda, she finally completed the project after a year-long emotional rollercoaster.

The book, officially launched on 11 July, is already sparking powerful conversations online and in community circles. Isihlalo Sika Baba tackles fatherhood, or the lack of it, head-on, challenging readers to confront the damage that absentee fathers leave behind.

“Some parts are fictionalised, but most of it is based on what we live through. I wanted to put a mirror to society. To say, this is what happens when fathers walk away. This is the pain they leave behind,” said Nonduduzo.

The book explores emotional neglect, financial struggles, and the identity crises faced by children growing up without a father figure, something Nonduduzo has seen not only in her own home, but in countless households across Zimbabwe.

“This is more than just a book,” she said. “It’s a cry for healing, for broken families, and for the children who still wait by the door, hoping their fathers will walk in one day.”

With Isihlalo Sika Baba, Nonduduzo Ncube is not just telling her story, she’s shaking the table for every man who chose to walk away. And the country is listening.

 

 

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