Local author Ntsako Nhombelani from Jimmy Jones village in Malamulele was awarded a trophy at the sixth AfriCAN Annual Global Honoree Authors' Awards this year for his comprehensive poetry collection, titled "In the Corner of My Shack". The award ceremony was held at the Genesis Shopping Centre in Johannesburg on 31 July.
Nhombelani's anthology of verse, written in English, was published in April this year. He is a political activist who spent his school days campaigning for equal access to education through student organisations. In December last year, he published his fifth book, titled "Khom'reti". He wants his work to exert a significant influence on contemporary life and the prevailing socio-economic hurdles.
More than 250 guests attended the awards function. "I felt honoured that they have recognised my creative work. It means there are people out there who understand that we can change the lives of people through creative writing. This is the first book recited in English; all my other books are written in the vernacular language (Xitsonga)," he said.
His anthology serves as a testament to the enduring spirit of the human experience, encapsulating the joys and struggles, hopes and disappointments that shape existence in South Africa's ghettos. Nhombelani says the book also serves as a poignant reminder that the ancestors have never abandoned their people but left a legacy and blueprint for moving forward behind.
"'What I fear is that the liberators emerge as elitists who drive around in a Mercedes Benz and use the resources of this country to live in palaces and to gather riches.' These were the words spoken by Chris Hani many years ago, long before the birth of liberation, and yet they remain as true today as ever, echoing through the fourth verse of 'In the Corner of My Shack'", he said.
Nhombelani says he wants to continue to inspire others, especially young, upcoming writers.