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Poet speaks on ‘Who Killed My Grandfather’

Life & Style
The 24-year-old artist said he did not only view his anthology (Who Killed Grandfather) as a book, but an eye-opener for finding the reasons behind the demeaning of the precious heritage of the grandfathers.

BY SILISIWE MABALEKA A PLUMTREE-BASED author and poet Kwanele “Mntungwa ka Mbulazi” Khumalo who has penned a book titled Who Killed Grandfather says his desire was to revive culture and norms through conducting lessons in Plumtree schools.

The 24-year-old artist said he did not only view his anthology (Who Killed Grandfather) as a book, but an eye-opener for finding the reasons behind the demeaning of the precious heritage of the grandfathers.

“Who Killed Grandfather is more than a book. It is a book that revolves around culture, respect for the elderly, unity in the community and seeks to empower poets and other talents,” he said.

“The book came as a tribute to my late grandfather, and extends to the loss of culture and norms in the bitter world we live in. Humans no longer have humanity. I expect change in terms of cultural perspectives and I wish people could go back and practise what was once considered humanity.”

Mntungwa ka Mbulazi has appealed with the community to value social differences and equality of all individuals as expressed in his poem titled Gweja in which he preaches love and tranquillity and says these have been replaced by pretence and hatred.

He lamented the loss of a grandfather which he said was symbolically tantamount to a culture whose value have been lessened.

“If it was possible to destroy our culture, customs and norms then it can be possible to revive all these. Nothing destroyed by men for men cannot be revived by the same men,” he said.

Mntungwa ka Mbulazi said he wanted to visit schools and hold lessons in his rural home based on the book, adding that it helped to restore the African culture.

On other projects, Mntungwa ka Mbulazi has collaborated with fellow authors in Matabeleland and he has written, a Ndebele anthology titled Izilwane zikaMthwakazi.

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