Reporter’s passion for EC royal matters

A PASSION for cultural matters has seen Stutterheim-born Daily Dispatch reporter and photographer, Lulamile Feni dedicating his time to learning more about the province’s royal houses while writing about them.

And this month, Feni will be defending his best cultural journalist print media title at the South African Traditional Music Awards. The awards last had the category in 2014, when Feni won it.

“After Saba Mbhixane’s [former traditional news presenter for radio station Umhlobo Wenene] death they stopped the category; I don’t know why but I am glad they brought it back this year, and I want to bring it home again,” said an excited Feni.

Feni has been nominated alongside Charles Khuzwayo from Isolezwe Newspaper and Masego Tiro from The New Age.

He said he was honoured to again be nominated for the award.

The Daily Dispatch traditional affairs correspondent, and the newsp Mthatha bureau chief, said it was a love for his culture that saw him writing about the various royal houses in the province.

“The country doesn’t have a traditional affairs correspondent; reporters only write about such matters when there is controversy around traditional matters.

“I decided to be the one who told the stories of our kingdoms. From AbaThembu, AmaBhaca, AmaRharhabe, AmaHlubi, AmaMpondo, AmaMpondomise to AmaGcaleka,” he said.

Coming from royalty himself, Feni, who is from the Tshawe royal clan, said through the years he had learned a lot about the different kingdoms in the Eastern Cape.

“People focus on politics or business and they forget where they come from. Also, we have been westernised to a point that we have forsaken our roots.

“By telling these stories I hope to remind people where we come from, and for them to actively learn more about their culture. This is our pride as black people,” he said.

Through his visits to various villages, Feni said he has also learned about diversity and how each kingdom did things differently. “I am humbled by the experience and I will continue telling our stories as best I can. We don’t need to wait for negative things to happen around traditional affairs before we start reporting on them,” he said. —