The Herald NMU Citizens of Year category winner uses literature to keep heritage alive

Multi-award winning author Mzoli Mavimbela has added another feather to his cap by winning the Arts, Culture and Heritage category of The Herald Nelson Mandela University Citizens of the Year 2024 awards.

The George-based social worker, who has helped dozens of people through his work at the SA National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, is also passionate about the development and preservation of indigenous languages in SA.

The humble 34-year-old, who was overjoyed at his latest accolade, said it proved he was doing something right.

“Winning the award made me feel different, as though there was something that I was doing that people were seeing,” Mavimbela said.

“I thank my profession for also inspiring me to be an author, because we have a saying that if it is not documented then a consultation never happened.

“I have that belief that something that is written has more power than something that is said.

“In order for isiMpondo to be taken seriously, I said it had to be in books,” Mavimbela said.

The Nelson Mandela University alumnus, who was born in Port St Johns, is pursuing his PhD in anthropological studies at his alma mater, exploring the sociocultural aspects of the amaMpondo of Mbizana, looking at their language, family life and dress code.

Through his research, he hopes to help revitalise the pride and heritage of the amaMpondo nation.

“I look at how amaMpondo lived in the past culturally and how they are living now.

“One of my research questions is on language, to find out where isiMpondo originates from, how it came to be.

“I discovered that people know isiMpondo, but they also believe they are marginalised, they are associated with isiXhosa in the Eastern Cape.

“That is one of the things I want to advocate for, that the clan of amaMpondo must be emancipated.”

Mavimbela is a former winner of the Via Afrika award for African Language Creative Writing and has published five isiXhosa books — poetry, short stories, fairytales, traditional literature and a novel — for which he received an award from the African Language Association of SA in partnership with the Centre for Advanced Studies of African Society.

In November 2021, he won the South African Literary Award in the Creative Non-Fiction category for his book Masibuyel’ eMbo Konakele Phi Na?

The poet, ethnographic researcher, translator, editor, newspaper columnist and author has edited more than 100 books.

“I loved listening to stories on the radio from mama Gcina Mhlope, only to find out I was a storyteller as an author.

“Ncedile Saule, who wrote a story called Unyana Womntu that ended up being on TV, spoke with me, he encouraged me to write stories and he said that I would win many awards.

“That was the final push that I needed,” Mavimbela said.

He continues to inspire up-and-coming authors and poets because of his writing skills and determination to uphold culture and heritage through literature.

Mavimbela will be celebrated at a red-carpet awards ceremony on Friday September 20. 

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