WWW.MFANAKITHIWRITES.CO.ZA An Oath I Ntokozo Edward Mpho Ndlovu oath that this website (www.mfanakithiwrites.co.za) belongs to me until my last breath. Written arts promote love, care and also recuperate other creative arts in general. Art helps in altering myth mindsets and perceptions among various kinds of racial groups which were a result of the lack of knowledge with regards to certain group of people. It is expected of me to acknowledge the sources which assisted me on my latest project (book). Acknowledgements Starting this site wasn’t a walk on the park, but the success of it is owed to many people who played substantial role inspiring me in everyway possible. I ‘d like to take this opportunity and express my sincere gratitude to them all. Firstly, I have to acknowledge the First Born Distribution Publishing company, with their assistance in publishing my very first book (Matsimane and His People.). Mr. Hector Kunene, thank you for being my advice-giver from the beginning until the publish. I am also passing special thanks to your Graphic Design which made the book phenomenal. Your hardwork in editing, thorough checking my work and guidance deserve appreciations, your determination indicated great care to me. It’s always dark at the end of the tunnel, so it was also proven to me. There was a time when I started losing the passion and wanted to give-up, because towards the end it was toughening. But you and and Mr. Shabalala motivated me to hold on tight, because there is nothing such as stress-free way. May your humanity hail on the entire globe. Great gratitude to my family because of their role they played. Matsimane, Ndlovu, Motloung, Mr. RG Ndlovu, Mr. Mathu Ndlovu, Mrs. MaKhanyile Ndlovu, Mr. Dumisani Ndlovu, Ms Lungile Ndlovu (my sister) Mrs. M. Kelefetswe, Rev. Ngethembi Ndlovu, Mr. Dumisani Nyangayensimbi kaMemela. Thank you for your kindness, assistance and support on this art of work, long live Matsimanes. Ngithi izintuthwane ezodla nina ziyobola imilomo. Special thanks to my mother, Mrs. Ngethembi MaMlotshwa Ndlovu for her teachings of being a God-fearing child and always keeping in mind that our lives are on the
palms of both Him and our forefathers (the Mlotshwas, Zithas, Ntumbezas, Bhadabhadas and the others.). As the say stands, behind every succesful man there is a wise woman (my mother is that woman). Mr. Miya, thank you so much, yet we still have a extended journey to travel, Mzizi, Gogela, Sonkosi.Ume nje! Thank you very much to the people whom I interviewed, without them I’ d not be where I am today. This website is a platform of facts I received from you (my interviewees). Exclusive thanks to my ancestors and my Lord Almighty (UMvelingqangi).
PREFACE The name of this website is Mfanakithiwrites; the name contains the entire definition that the boy is in the art of writing. Kindly listen to this: “Umgqomo odlala amashangane, ipheph’eling’xabanisa nolova kodwa nam’hlanje angeke lik’phinde lokho. Ubukwlikwlikwli umsindo wosiba ozwakele entabeni zase Mpendle kwelikaMthaniya uyewayonanela kuma Congolese eGoma/Pinga. Aksante sana. Sina udedelane mfoka Matsimane noMsholozi kwelikhulu iphephabhuku lombutho wezokuvikela emzansi, Niwuzwile umbhongo weNdlovu ebovu yaseNzinga ecikoza ngosiba ubusuku nemini ayidli mabele, iphuza itiye lase Uruguay (Mate), Inyoni
kayiphumuli,
iyophumula
mhla
isekwelibandayo,
Mgodi
kawugcwali
uyogcwala mhla edliwa zintuthwane nazo ezobola imilomo. Umadela umjojantaba wakoMatsimane othathe usiba ngoba lona alunajele. Awu suka nini madoda gqabashiyangosiba Ntokozo“ I’ d like to give you some information based on the above praise names (my praise names). Anyone can have praise names because of winning, achieving, working hard, doing virtuous things and even doing immoral. As a writer, I’ ve been exposed in different kinds of situations, my praise names support that theory. Research convey that surnames were people’s names as time went on the following generation used the names of people of the previous generations as their surnames. For example, Ndlovu was a name of a person but now it has been converted to a surname (family/ last name). My praise names ended poet-like as you stanzas, and
also containing idiomatic expressions and other figures of speech. Let me just get into business by clarifying these praise names: Umgqomo odlala amashangane – Lucky numbers on cards (6 and 9). Iphepha eling’xabanisa nolova kodwa nam’hlanje angeke likuphinde lokho – Referring to dice or cards’ money. Ubukwlikwlikwli
umsindo
wosiba
ozwakele
entabeni
zaseMpendle
kwelikaMthaniya uye wayonanela kuma Congolese eGoma nasePinga, Aksante sana – a strong feeling and a vision of a journey written arts which were made in KZN but success leading such work to be recognised by the Congolese and other Africans. Sina udedelane mfokaMatsimane noMsholozi – Referring to giving others opportunities to lead too (Anti- autocratic). Niwuzwile umbhongo weNdlovu ebovu yaseNzinga ecikoza ngosiba ubusuku nemini ayidli mabele iphuza itiye lase Uruguay (Mate) – basically, this refers to working hard, determination in such a way that there is no time for eating; until work is done. And also the roar of my family’s red golf car. Inyoni kayiphumuli, iyophumula mhla isekwelibandayo – The ever- working bird, that is how I am. Umadela umjojantaba wakoMatsimane othathe usiba ngoba lona alunajele – Refering to an unremorseable army soldier but I decided to be an artistic soldier. Gqabashiya ngosiba Ntokozo – Expressing my wisdom, my experiences and my research findings.
FOREWORD Constitutional law 108 of 1996 under Section 2 speaks of the Bill of Rights Act Number 31 (1) which specifically states that: “Societies with different beliefs, religions and languages shouldn’ t be demoralized; freedom of expression to everyone. (a) They be given a right to enjoy their cultural
norms, rituals, religions and languages. (b) They be granted a right to build or join groups and keep their religious, cultural and language heritage with pure freedom.” My titles on this website will to promote oneness, South African future writers and tackle the importance of written arts worldwide. My focus is on written arts, poems to inspire black writers since the black nation still have a tendency of looking down upon writing/written arts. I’m targeting the youth. Since they are the unstable ones at the moment and our cultural activities and pride of being black is being destroyed on their hands. Losing your language is losing your culture and obedient way of life. This website sets to restore humanness in humans. “Akudlulwa ngendlela indlu yakhiwa.” This is an old say which promotes helping when something is being built, mainly because this wont only benefit myself alone, but it will also help most of the people. THE ROLE •
This website promotes book writing, poems.
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Teaching and learning about art writings.
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Togetherness among Africans.
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Teaching factual South African history.
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Importance of art on the development of our freedom.
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To warn that Art shouldn’t be utilised as a weapon to attack others but rather to build a nation.
ART This website preaches the culture of art (fictional and non-fictional) in terms of: •
Play-writings.
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Novels.
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Short stories.
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Poems.
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Telenovellas.
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Hand crafts etc.
This website sets to restore the nation using:
•
Expertise on cultural contexts and others.
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African methods, commandments with regards to humanity.
Aim of the Site •
Stimulating art on South African youth.
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Finding means of restoring the proper use of the Zulu language.
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Discovering methods to restore humanity using art.
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Developing and promoting indigenous languages.
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Inspiring youth to read and write.
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Conveying the importance of written art in S.A.
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Conveying the worth of writing our own history by ourselves.
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To develop and enrich our knowlegde.
Questions set to be Answered 1. What is the role of art on inspiring South Africans, to write using Indigenous languages? 2. How to restore writing tradition among youth? 3. How could art unite different racial groups? 4. How to promote art in general (play-writing, poems, music, dancing etc.)? 5. Are the any other ways of motivating youth to write? Challenges •
Challenges are common in this industry in such a way that others quit without even finishing their projects.
•
As a writer I also encountered different challenges that made me to fade desire on my project (Matsimane and His People.) but I was able to hold on: •
Some
challenges
were
experienced
during
research
whereby
sometimes my sources (people) were unavailable because of different kinds of reasons for example being on duty. Ø I’ve learnt that abundant time required by a project is significant for a better production. Ø Proper research is also essential, yet it is a challenging factor on a project.
Ø The lack of written books which have tackled the history of a certain South African groups of people in terms of their origination. This made it difficult to find a pattern of writing my project (Matsimane and His People.)
Chapters Chapter 1 I describe the importance of this website, methodology and the order of chapters. Chapter 2 In this chapter, I’ll explain everything about the importance of your origination.