Langutani Rikhotso, a 25-year-old author, poet and motivational speaker from Chavani village outside Elim, has published a memoir about her childhood experiences of abuse and her journey towards healing.
Her debut book, From Childhood, published on 4 May by Vuako Publishers, tells the story of her difficult upbringing and how faith and resilience helped her recover.
Rikhotso, a third-year Language Practice student at Tshwane University of Technology, said the book was painful to write but important, as she hopes it will encourage survivors of abuse to speak out and seek help. The book is inspired by Psalms 71:6: “From birth I have relied on you; you brought me forth from my mother's womb. I will ever praise you.”
The memoir describes a childhood marked by fear and repeated sexual abuse, including incidents involving both strangers and people she knew.
She writes about how these experiences affected her mental health and schooling, leading to depression, suicidal thoughts and delays in her studies, which stretched from three years to six. “When I think of my childhood, the memories that come back are not simple or happy,” she writes. “I grew up with fear.”
Rikhotso, who also founded Vuako Publishers, said writing the book meant going back to painful memories, but it also helped her heal. “Writing about these experiences has been painful,” she said, “but telling the story helps me heal.”
She also uses poetry and motivational speaking to share her story. On TikTok, she has built a following of more than 61,000 people, where she posts messages about faith, healing and personal growth. She said sharing her story online has helped her connect with other women who went through similar experiences. “I realised I wasn’t alone,” she said.
Rikhotso said telling her family about her experiences was difficult, as some advised her to stay quiet out of concern for her future. She also spoke about the stigma and blame often faced by survivors of sexual violence, saying abuse can happen anywhere, including in homes, schools and communities, and is never the victim’s fault.