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Bubelo Moyo
Growing up in a society where gender-based violence and sexism are the order of the day, Ndebele writer Nonduduzo “Noe” Ncube has written a book titled Umhlaba ungihlanekele, a reflection of a girl child’s encounters.
Writing seems to be a family thing for Noe as her younger sister, who played a major role in rebuilding the writer in her, is a poet.
“My 23-year-old sister kept on encouraging me to take my writing seriously. She would say, what’s the point of keeping your writings to your laptop?” she said.
Each time we face our fears, we gain strength, courage, and confidence in the doing.
For the 29-year-old mother of two, a boy and a girl; took more than five years to be self-assured of her pieces and when the time came, that was her turning point.
“It started as a hobby, I used to write articles in Ndebele and keep them without sharing them. I guess I was just too afraid of how people would react to them.
“But then I attended a programme called The Winners Circle facilitated by Samkeliso Tshuma. She inspired me to tell my story,” she said.
“I’m not just an entertainer, the real reason I write is because I want to teach and inform,” said Nonduduzo.
Chronicling the book, Nonduduzo said it gives a picture of how the Ndebele culture tended to attribute some aspects of the way of life to Westernisation when in some cases it would not be the case.
“It is about a young woman, who makes life changing decisions at a very tender age, and because of those resolutions, she faces a lot of challenges in her life, gender-based violence and depression, until she reaches a point where she thinks she can’t take it anymore.
“Society then misunderstands her torment and says she deserves it. In our black community, people tend to underestimate depression, most think that this phenomenon is Western, it has nothing on the African community, leading to the suicidal tendencies in the end for the one affected,” said Noe.
Noe’s debut book is set to be launched some time in April.
Online Reporter
Blessing Chizhande