LICENCE TO WRITE

Zongezile Matshoba did Masters in Creative Writing at Rhodes University. In this poem, he questions the imbalance of the curriculum of education. He highlights the dangers faced by an African student being taught mainly the European curriculum, especially in literature, and encourages isiXhosa scholars to produce more material. In the last stanza he also encourages Africans to read more as important information can be hidden in books.

The second poem was written recently and is inspired by the support that the isiXhosa page has received this year. Moreover, this support has inspired a lot of young poets whose material has always been readily available for each issue of the newspaper. Having conducted various poetry workshops with young poets and having been to isiXhosa poetry competitions, the poem urges young authors to keep producing more relevant poems, poems that speak to everyone today.

Kade ndihamba De nam ndakungqin’ ukuba ukuhamba oku kukubona Xa ndimana ndihlohlwa isiNgesikazana sokukhobozeka Utyhatyhiwe nje wembudede yomvubo wemvuthuluka Kuluncwadi olungathethi nam, nakwimbali ehexayo Ndizanywa ukuba ndihloniphe ooShakespeare nekumkanikazi Amakhumsha eqhayisa ngoosongcali noosonjingalwazi

Ngcalindini ezo zinemiqondo neengcamango ezingoneliyo Ezifumbathe inkohliso engamandla, ndiyakrokra Kuba ziyephu-yephu zinjalo entloko zigoba olwasemzini kuphela Phithi-phithi suka yaziingcali nakolu lweenkobe Sathi ngoku thina siluncance ebeleni Suka yazizo ezikhomba ngophakathi, kowu imali kodwa Kwathi izizo ezitsho kuvokotheko ngooShakespeare nooYeats Umnqa zathi zikwatshatshele kwakooMqhayi nooJolobe Iinto zooRubusana nooJordan zatya phants’ isitya sigcwele

Khona sekusithiwa fihla encwadini Kub’ umnt’ omnyama engasayi kuze ayibone Yiyiphi thina esinokuze siyifihle kugqibelele Xa ooStewart baza kusuka ibengabo abafun’ usifundis’ olweenkobe Makube kanti ezi ngcalana zethu zihlohlwa ntoni? Le ide yangathi umtya awufiki ncam eparafinini nje Le nto zona zingatshatshelanga kooShakespeare aba Xa kucaca ukuba zoyisiwe nabubuAfrika obu

Now listen to the poem at bit.ly/GrocNgcali Nanku umbongo ekufuneka uqanjiwe Apha ndithetha ngombongo othe qabavu Ndithetha ngombongo wokuqhol’ ingqondo Ndithetha ngombongo ongaqakathiyo, Ndithetha ngombongo oqulath’ ingqiqo Ndithetha ngombongo ongqala ngqo kundoqo!

Uyafuneka umbongo oqanjwe ngengqwalasela Umbongo oqanjwe waqanyangelwa ngenyaniso Ningabisaziqhelanisa nokuqamb’ amaqamza Hleze nigqibele ngokuqamb’ imiqhutso Yithani gqaba-gqaba ngezinto ezingundoqo Nithi gqolo ukuqeqesh’ ezuth’ iingqondo

Ningoyikiswa ngamaqaqasholo anobuqhophololo Koko qingqani ngokuqamb’ imiqolo equlath’ inyaniso Qaphulani ngosiba, qabani nge-inki, niqubule njengegqirha Qhubani njalo nigqamise ubuqaqawuli bengqeqesho Nilumke ningenz’ ucumbelele kub’ isiphelo nguqhabalala Qambani kuqhawuk’ uNobathana, niqeqebul’ iziqedeZeqabak’ ezingqondweni, qhu saa ziphele nya!

Qambani niqhuqh’ endleleni yeqhawe lethu uMqhayi Yena waqamba imiqulu equlathe ubuqholo bengqondo Kaloku yena zange aqambe eziqhenya ngobuqhetseba Kaloku yena waqamba imibongo eqiqw’ engqondweni Kwatsho kwaqal’ ukuqond’ ezingqondweni zethu maqaba Kuba kaloku yena wayengaqakathi kway’ engaqoboli Naantsoooook’ imibongo ekufune’ iqanjiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiwe!

Now listen at: bit.ly/GrocQaqamba

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