1. CELEBRATING THE FIRST GENERATION OF ISINDEBELE NOVEL/ POETRY WRITERS.

Some people may not know the early isiNdebele writers & their works. This thread seeks to highlight some of them & their works.

2. 1956 : Umvukela wamaNdebele - Ndabaningi Sithole. Sithole was also a politician & minister of religion with the UCCSA church. His book was banned & was later republished under the title AmaNdebele kaMzilikazi.

3. 1957 : UMthwakazi : Peter Sivalo Mahlangu. Peter was an educationist & first The first black masters degree graduate in Rhodesia. He was a descendant of Sivalo Mahlangu who was King Lobengula's advisor & chief. The Sivalo Mahlangu chieftaincy still exists today in Nkayi.

4. 1958 : Akusoka Lingenasici : Isaac Neslton Mpofu. Mpofu is a retired veteran educationist. Mpofu also wrote Wangithembisa Lami, Izenzo Zabantu, Imingcele Yothando & UMaweni.

5. 1958 : UVusezindala : David E. Ndoda. Ndoda was also a lay preacher in the Salvation Army Church. Ndoda also wrote Isidlodlo sikaMthwakazi, Indabikhona & Omahlakanipheni. He was also a social & cultural commentator on radio. (Please share more about him). I

6. 1959 : Imbongi zalamuhla lezayizolo ( iqoqo lezinkondlo)

7. 1961 : Uyokhula umfana : Amon Mzilethi. (Please share more about him).

8. 1962 : Qaphela ingane : Lassie Ndondo. Lassie was the first Ndebele female writer to be published. (Please share more about her).

9. 1962 : USethi Ebukhweni Bakhe : Ndabezinhle Sigogo. Sigogo wrote & published extensively. (See more on the thread about him.)

10. The ealier books were published through Shuter & Shooter in South Africa by writers who schooled in South Africa or had influence from colleagues who studied in South Africa.

12. The Southern Rhodesia Literature Bureau was established in 1959. The bureau sponsored the writers & helped them to publish their works through Longman, Mambo Press & College Press.

13. The bureau encouraged one religion - Christianity, moralistic writing & discouraged political themes & Ndebele religion. The second generation of writers includes the likes of Barbara Makhalisa, Bernard Ndlovu, Mayford Sibanda & N. P Ndhlukula.

THE END