The Sunday News
Kudzai Mpangi, Sunday Life Reporter
A 22-year-old upcoming author and poet has penned an 18-page single poem book which may be one of the longest poems so far debunking the wide held tradition that poems must by nature be short.
The poem titled Ubuntu Nqaba Ngqo was written by Mthulisi Ndlovu and published on 5 October.
The one-poem book has proved his competence as it is one of the longest poems to be published in SiNdebele poetic assertion on Ubuntu as a universal doctrine of humanity.
The youthful poet said he started writing at the age of 16 when he was still in high school.
“I started taking writing seriously when I was in Form 3, but since then I have been faced with obstacles that have made it difficult for me to publish. It is only now that I finally got a chance to publish my first project with the assistance from Pathisa Nyathi, Njabulo Moyo and Marshall Chiza and I’m hoping to continue with my writing which is my passion,” Ndlovu said.
The poem Ubuntu Nqaba Ngqo brings across a strong message about the definition of humanity and the inhabitants of the universe.
It also seeks to capture the minds of the readers while attempting to stay relevant for generations to come. The poem attacks the forces of racism, tribalism and social segregation on every level.
“The main aim of this long poem is to rebuke the illusions by the perpetrators of social injustice. It calls for human nature to unite and live in peace, harmony and in love. Disunity produces a failed nation which is not safe for present and future generations,” Ndlovu said.
He added that the poem was inspired by the present generation which has neglected writing or publishing stories using indigenous languages. The poem according to Ndlovu was a form of reviving story telling through local languages which he said should be embraced with pride.
“It saddens me so much to see this generation neglecting our own indigenous languages when it comes to writing our stories. This realisation gave birth to my passion and gave impetus for me to write such a long poem. My idea is to encourage other young upcoming authors to prioritise our local languages,” he said.
“As a young author I wanted to do something extraordinary yet so full of valuable content. I therefore ended up putting up a piece of work that shall always be relevant to future generations,” he said.
