BhekiNkosi Ngwenya: Inspiring hopes through literature at Funda Mzantsi Championship

Young KwaZulu-Natal author BhekiNkosi Ngwenya and a group of budding writers are set to participate in the 15th Funda Mzantsi Championship in George, Western Cape in October.

Ngwenya, who has published multiple books, has made it his mission to promote literacy and nurture young writers through, A Chorus of Rustics Writers Club, which he founded.

His club has already enjoyed good success, three of his members are published authors.

He hopes that the upcoming opportunities like the championship in George, will nurture and inspire more reading, writing and communicating excellence from club members and others. 

Some of the focal areas at the championship includes, spelling, book reviews and debating contests.

The competition, which has been running for fifteen consecutive years, is backed by a trio of stakeholders: the National Library of South Africa, the Department of Correctional Services, and the George Municipality.

Ngwenya, has always been an author deeply rooted in societal emancipation, and has dedicated his writing efforts to making the dreams of others come true.

He said his motivation to write stemmed largely from his troubled childhood.

In spite of growing up in a challenging environment marked by missed opportunities, he emerged as an A student, yet he felt unrecognised at home.

His experiences were compounded by the absence of a father, instead of being bitter about his suffering, it ignited his passion for writing.

“I was hurting deep down and thus chose to take my issues to pen and paper,” Ngwenya said.

Along the way, he founded the club in 2016.

Apart from workshops and other sessions of impartation, a much-loved club activity are “Literature Fridays,” where members engage in creative writing sessions.

Included on his list of his personal achievements are the 23 books that he had published and assisting over 60 writers, the majority learners, with their written work.

He singled out the efforts of 11-year-old Liwa Kojana from the Eastern Cape and two 12-year-olds from KwaDukuza, Siyamthanda Zungu and Nongcebo Msomi, who are published authors.

In spite of the achievements, Ngwenya said attending the event in George has once again become a challenge, due to a lack of sponsorship.

However, he remains hopeful: “I continue promoting a culture of reading and writing.

”I acknowledge the cultural barriers in KwaDukuza and the Ilembe District where we operate. Local attitudes towards literacy programs often present significant hurdles.

“Another challenge is the limited time people have for reading and writing,” he lamented.

Ngwenya has sought support beyond his local community, and has in the past found some backing from the eThekwini Municipality, a UNESCO City of Literature, which assisted by purchasing copies of books.

The Gauteng Province's Department of Education and National Libraries have also been instrumental in acquiring books for schools, highlighting the need for regional support in nurturing local talent.

“It’s painful to be writing in KZN but get support outside the Province,” he concluded, reflecting on the challenges of local writers.

DAILY NEWS