Given Nysco Risimati Maceke (36) has just scooped the first prize in the Xitsonga category of the AVBOB Poetry Competition for 2019. The results were announced last week.
Maceke is a resident of Nhlengani village at Shikundu in the Collins Chabane Municipality. He says that he started writing at the age of 14 after reading a poetry collection by his former teacher, Mr VD Salane. "I then fell in love with poetry," he said. "I wrote some verses and gave them to him, so he could have a look at them. He encouraged me to read and write more. I would sometimes write during class sessions."
He kept on writing more poetry but lacked the funds to put them together and publish them in book format.
"Now I am happy that, so many years later, AVBOB has recognised my talent," he said. "Poetry is a piece of writing whereby an author can express his feeling or personal views towards a certain thing or issue. We can use poetry to deal with situations and emotions. This can be done while not forgetting to follow the instructions of literature whereby the utilising of words and creativity is vital in crafting a good and unique poem."
The poem that earned him recognition in the AVBOB Poetry Competition is entitled I vukati muni?
He said that his winning the poetry award came as an encouragement to him and that he was now looking forward to publishing his work in book format.