A well-known retired educator who is also an established author, Mr Edgar Miyen (70), has recently published a novel that he believes will help to address the problem of gender-based violence and many other challenges.
Miyen originally hails from Derdepoort in Pretoria. Because of his involvement in the political struggle in the early 1990s, he and his family had to relocate to Makhongele near Elim village.
He said that he fell in love with writing at the age of 14, but his late father had a great influence on his becoming an author. "My late father used to read books with a political theme, like Alan Paton's Cry, the Beloved Country and many more, while my uncle would interpret," he said.
As a young man, his father wanted to keep him occupied and away from alcohol and other activities that tempt young men to venture off the established roads.
He penned one novel during his teaching career and two more after his retirement from Elim Primary School in 2012. Miyen was a Xitsonga and English teacher for about 40 years.
His first novel was titled Makumu ya vutomi byebyo (the end of that life), which he published at the age of 27. "This novel has over the years been prescribed in Grades 9 to 12 as well as in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd year of university by the Department of Education," he said.
The title of his third novel is Nthlamu (wu rhiyiwa emahlweni ni lendzaku), which in Xitsonga means 'a trap has been set'. The story is about a trap set by a husband to catch his cheating wife red-handed and the psychological abuse of women by husbands who feel betrayed.
Miyen said that he had spent 10 years writing this book. "I wanted to address a social problem, such as violence against women. Gender-based violence must come to an end. I also want to expand the Xitsonga language, to strengthen cultural identity and uplift the standard of using it," he said.
A copy of Ntlhamu (wu rhiyiwa emahlweni ni lendzaku) costs R180 and can be ordered directly from the author. He is available on Facebook and can be reached on Tel 083 540 0859 /079 197 6369