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Linguist Philani Mathuthu ventures into poetry

Philani Mathuthu was born on 27 March 1989 in  Gwanda in a village called Gwakwe.

He did his primary education at Gwakwe Primary School and went to Sabiwa High, Sibona High and Silobi High where he did his A level.

In 2013 he relocated to Bulawayo for his tertiary education which he did with Lupane State University. He attained an honors degree in Languages and Communication Studies in 2017.

Currently, he is based in Bulawayo where he is working with Young Life Trust Zimbabwe.

He started his journey as a writer, poet in 2004 when he was at Sabiwa High doing form 3. He has published an anthology of short stories titled ‘Ngubani Olomlandu’. He has a lot of work awaiting publication that  includes novels and stage plays.

To football fanatics he is known as Iso Lokhozi which is a name for his humorous sports news which he writes and post in different WhatsApp groups. Below is one of Mathuthu’s poems written in isiNdebele

NGIHLELI KOMALUME

Ngilivezandlebe kulelikhaya batshonjalo
Ngilizalizelwe bahlala bengikhumbuza njalonje
Ngingowemzini igola bangibiza njalo
Ngiyinzalo yezizweni bangitshela njalonje
Angisu-ye walaphekhaya ngingowaphandle
Pho isono sami ngesani?
 
Ngihlezi manzonzo inhlamba yikudla kwami
Ngiyigoqoza ngolim’ ixhwath’ imbenge uzul’ uyazi
Okukabambemi ngisebenza njalo
Okwenja izithukuthuku zami ziphelel’ eboyeni
Okwesambane ngiyasebenza
Njengenkukhu badla besesulela phansi
Ngihleli komalume.
 
Bathi kithi kulapho engingakaze ngiluthi bhadu khona
Bathi ngingowokuza lapha kukwabo angilasabelo
Etafuleni laphezulu badlela khona bona
Mina esithumbanjeni ngidla lezinja emkolweni
Ngingumnindelwa bonk’ ububi bugiqelwa kimi
Ngingumabonabulawe inyoka endala
Ngihleli komalume
 
Ulimi lwami angisalwazi balubulele ngabomo
Baluncindezela balululaza lwenyanywa langabami engibazalayo
Lufundiswa ngabalukilizayo abangakwaziyo lokungabilwazi
Isiko lami phendu inganekwane sengilifanisa
Bangiphe elabo bathi lilungile ngoba mina ngingowemzini
Kunjenje eNjelele sekuyisiduli samazinyane kudlalela ngitsho labakhunkuli
Imatojeni ebesitotobela kiyo izolo sebeyitonga uthi ngilenkani
Ngikomalume- ngilunywa zinsikizi.
 
Ezabo izakhiwo zifuze isigodlo sikaSolomoni
Ezami unxiwa luka Ha lungcono, yizidleke zikathekwane lezi
Badidizela ngedevolution of power basididanisa baphetha ngokuphakelana bodwa
Kowami umganu kufakwe inkotshana ezilamatshe
Ezenjiwayo eziligugu zichaphakele lapha
Kodwa zivunwa zisiwe khonale koBambazonke mina ngisale ngibambe isihlathi
Ngikomalume.
 
Abakuzil’ ukungikhumbuza ngemvelaphi yami
Batshilo angisowalaph’ ekhaya ngizalwa komakhelwane
Pho umama wangitshiya wangizalela lapha ngiqondephi?
Mina kuny’ engikwaziyo lapha
Sonke singabemzini laph’ ekhaya
Abanin’ umuzi batshi tshedu bayakwelamaTswana enkangala
Thina sesibanga ukuthi nguban’ owaqal’ukufika zwi
Ayi bo nkosi thel’ umusa.
 
Ngidla kaluklubhu
Angilamandl’ abalamandla badla ngawo amandla
Sengiyisichaka esichake sangangobuchakide ngisetshenziswa
Amathuba empilo kimi ayabandezelwa
Ngokugoq’ ulimi ngiyawuthol’ umsebenzi
Ngokungalugoq’ angiwuthol’ umsebenzi
Awu khokho kaMatshobane, aluba wabhekana loTshaka laxolelana
Lamhla ngingumgaklana osuyintwana nje isanangapho
Angisengumuntu ngob’ isiko lami libulewe
Ulimi lwam’ abalamalimi balufundisa abantwabami, ikusasa angiliboni.

3 thoughts to “Linguist Philani Mathuthu ventures into poetry”

  1. Hello there! This blog post couldn’t be written any better!
    Looking at this post reminds me of my previous roommate!
    He constantly kept talking about this. I will forward this article to him.

    Pretty sure he’ll have a very good read. Many thanks for sharing!

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