Poet lends voice to the down-trodden

marginalised women across the continent.
In an interview ahead of her performance at the festival, Ntsiki said she had heard so much about the high level of ingenuity among local poets and would engage those keen on the plight of women.
“I am an artist who is spontaneous and I would certainly grab an opportunity to do some collaborations on poetry.
“Of course, we would be able to touch on a lot of subjects, but I would be happier working with local poets, who share the same passion that I have for women and other issues that continue to affect our lives as Africans,” said the pint-sized poet, who apparently is the young sister to renowned South African diva, Thandiswa Mazwai.
Ntsiki, known as the “Street Queen” said her passion to give voice to disadvantaged women was largely informed by her upbringing during the apartheid era in South Africa, when blacks had to fight for recognition.
“Growing up in the apartheid era in my country made me realise that life wasn’t actually what it seemed.
“Although I was only 10-years-old in 1990, when Madiba (Nelson Mandela) was released from prison, there were issues that came up with being a black kid in all white kids schools that I had to deal with.
“It was not easy, and a lot more was happening elsewhere.
“Although a lot of African countries are now free from the grip of the apartheid regime, they are a lot of issues that come along in being a woman in these states.
“I yearn to have such imbalances and barriers removed and addressed, so that women get the same recognition, same respect and are not looked down upon, all because of their sex” she said.
It is her passion to see a level of justice being achieved in different social strata, that forced her to choose a career in arts, when her father, had wanted her to become an accountant.
“My dad had it all worked out that I become an accountant and earn a living through a decent pay.
“But I decided to venture into arts and pursue my dreams of expressing myself through poetry. My choice of career did not come as a surprise because most of my family members are into arts,” she said.
Apart from her famed sister, Thandiswa, one of her sisters, Nomsa, who is still a novice in the music industry, last week, clinched an accolade as South Africa’s Best Female Artist in the contemporary category.
The trio’s dad is a bona fide writer, who has penned several books, whilst her late mother was also an artist.
“We are carrying a legacy that our mother left for us,” she said.
There is no doubt that the diminutive but energetic “Street Queen” will give an enthralling performance when she gets on stage at the show titled “Gathering of Poets”.
She will be the main act at the show that will also feature local artistes such as celebrated poet Albert Nyathi, Mgcini Nyoni, Mbizo “Black Poet” Chirasha, Nomakhosazana Ncube and Psyfo among others.
The performance will be held tonight.
Apart from her prowess as a wordsmith, she is also a multi-talented artiste, a designer and an author.
She is an internationally acclaimed poet and has produced several albums to her name. Ntsiki recently relaunched her range of clothing line, The House of Mobu, which came on to the scene in 2002.
She is currently working with house music disc jockey Nipro, in a project called The Word of House.
Mazwai has also courted controversy with her carefree attitude after appearing naked in a campaign against rape in 2008.
She appeared nude, alongside 22 other South African celebrities, in the Marie Claire March 2008 edition in the “Each One Reach One” campaign, to raise awareness about the high incidence of rape.
Intwasa will be running for its seventh year and the organisers have decided to make it seven days instead of the usual three-day event that had become part of its trademark since its launch in 2004.