Literary Competitions

Awusunduzele eceleni umganu eseke wadobha iqatha lenyama, achiphize inyembezi umuntu omdala, ngemva kokungena kombiko kumakhala ekhukhwini omazisa ngendodana yakhe  ebangwa lezibi khonale kweNingizimu Afrika. Azizwe umzimba wakhe utshaqa engasenguye, agcwale ukwesaba. UsekaMbusi kunyanga kaNhlolanja ungcwabe udadewabo onguye obefunga ngaye. Ufa nje udliwa yilo leli ihobahoba lomkhuhlane weCovid-19. Ngenyanga kaMbimbitho ungcwabe umzawakhe khonale eSeshanke, kambe kakaboli lokubola, nanku namhlanje sekuhlatshwa umkhosi ukuthi…

“Awu, kodwa Nkosi yami! Kuthange lokhu bekubekwa indodana yami yesibili ngingekho. Namuhla sekubhubhe unkosikazi…kufa awulazwelo,” kububula uKhandakhulu umfokaDube emva kokwemukela umbiko umazisa ngokwedlula kukankosikazi wakhe uMaDube ngobhubhane lweCovid-19. Into ezwisa uDube ubuhlungu yikuthi akayikwenelisa ukuyangcwaba ikhosikazi lakhe ngendaba yokuthi  laye wabanjwa igcikwane leCovid-19. Ngomthetho owabekwa ngabezempilakahle kunye lohulumende weZimbabwe, umuntu olomkhuhlane weCovid-19 akavunyelwa ukuthi ahlanganele labanye…

Zazisehla, zigeleza sezingumhlangano lapha esilevini sami inyembezi. Wena osowake wabona impophoma zeVitoli ungafakaza ngcono. Ukukhangela isidumbu somuntu engimthandayo sithe dandalazi laphaya,

“We Thathisani! Wanethezeka kangaka, uwuthola nini umsebenzi? Uyajabula yini abantwabethu bebulawa yindlala? Esikolo-ke, bazabuyela nini njengoba lemali yakhona ingekho?” Kuthetha uMalawula ehwaqile, ethe nhlo umyeni wakhe emehlweni.  “Kanti ufuna ngiyithathephi imali yakhona, ngiyeyeba yini, nakaZwelithini? Ngiyawudinga umsebenzi, kodwa selokhe wangiphelelayo kome qha, kayibonwa ngitsho!” Atsho ngelihawulisayo uThathisani, qede ahlome amehlo phansi. “Kayinyonywa, kayinyonywa ukuthini kwakhona,…

Umnumzana Mkhaliphi Ncube uzalwa koTamuhla indawo eyakhelene leyakoSipepa, useGoli eHillbrow ngokuhlala, uphila labangane bakhe akade ephila labo koBulawayo lapho athe ukuzama khona impilo kuqala engakezi eGoli. Aphume uNcube engovakatshela umngane wakhe uMqondisi Ndlovu, avele ahlangane laye uNdlovu engakayi kude. ”Gatsheni! boya benyathi,” uNcube ebingelela.  ”Hawu! Mzilankatha, siseyini nxa kunje emhlabeni, sesizulelwa ngamanqe, kuzajabula lezimpukane ngoba…