Shaka's latest novel touches on greedy pastors

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In a society where everything revolves around money, a lone voice has emerged, addressing church pastors in particular, whom he calls upon to stop milking their congregations of their hard-earned money and rather focus on God’s Word.

Shakandinnyi Ramulifho, better known as “Shaka,” has written 34 Tshivenda books to date. His books range from poetry, short stories, novels, children’s books to educational books for primary school learners between Grades 1 and 5. Now the self-published author from Mukula Mukondeni, outside Thohoyandou, is back with his latest book, a novel titled “Mufunzi Wavhudi”.

The story is about a charismatic pastor who is obsessed with making money from his congregation. Every year, new and more elaborate means are conceived to get the church to tithe more. The congregants are encouraged to contribute to a burial society, the pastor’s birthday, donations to build a bigger church, and tickets for the church’s win-a-car competition. The congregants believe that being members of the church protects them from death, witchcraft, and sickness. However, things get very intriguing when a member of the church’s executive committee challenges the pastor’s wrongdoings, and a deadly war erupts.

Why Ramulifho became an author in the first place is not surprising at all. His late father, Mr. Thomani Abraham Ramulifho, was a school principal and an accomplished, yet unpublished, author himself. In 2004, he bought a computer, and the young Shakandinnyi was tasked with typing his father’s manuscripts. “During this process, I gained an interest and began asking him how a poem is structured, about the rhyme schemes, how to approach short stories, and how to keep a reader engaged in a novel. I would show him a draft of my own work, and he would provide me with constructive feedback, helping me to become a better writer. I will forever be grateful to him,” Ramulifho said.

By: Elmon Tshikhudo

Elmon Tshikhudo started off as a photographer. He developed an interest in writing and started submitting articles to local as well as national publications. He became part of the Limpopo Mirror family in 2005 and was a permanent part of the news team until 2019.