The016

THE016

June 2020

R20.00

Omang?

A profile feature on Vaal talent

The man behind Malome Komkyk

#PRIDE MONTH HAVE THINGS CHANGED? A STORY ABOUT LERATO

M A S E D I SOTHO SA METSING

Letter from the Editor W

hat a month! June was filled with so many emotions for me. I met and collaborated with many creatives this month and I learned so much about the beauty the people in the Vaal have to offer.

Let’s start with our cover star. Masedi was such a pleasure to interview. He was professional, punctual and he didn’t hold back one bit. I was nervous to work with such a huge personality. I actually didn’t know what to expect at first but he put all my worries to rest once I got to know him. He is humble and he isn’t afraid to speak his mind, respectfully though.

In this issue you will read about a locally produced clothing brand called Malome Komkyk which was founded by Thato Mafale. You will learn about a local pizza business called Lalazza’s pizza founded by Samuel Motloung and you will get to learn about a page called Let’s do lunch and chat which is run by Nombuyiselo Magcuntsu.

I always preach about the power of collaboration and this issue is a true testament of that. I am proud of each and every individual that I got the honour of writing about this month. Thank you all for allowing me into your spaces. Thank you for trusting me to tell your stories. Thank you for allowing my magazine to carry your stories.

To telling more Vaal stories!

Enjoy the read.

Reitumetse Shebe, Editor 2 | THE016 JUNE ISSUE 2020

Photo taken by Kamohelo Mogoere

CONTENTS

issue no 5

JUNE ISSUE Features Page 4 - The rainbow community

Omang?

Pafe 24- A new feature that promotes Vaal creatives.

Poetry corner Page 21- A taste of Hazer’s words He graced us with two of his poems in this issue.

Masedi Page 6- Vaal rapper Masedi tells me about his new album titled Sotho Sa Metsing and I get a close up on who the rapper is outside of the studio.

I also make mention of the phptoshoot Kamohelo Mogoere had with Masedi and how it went.

THE016 JUNE ISSUE 2020 | 3

The Rainbow Community

By Reitumetse Shebe L – Lesbian G – Gay B – Bisexual T – Transgender T – Transsexual Q – Queer Q – Questioning I – Intersex A – Asexual A – Ally + Pansexual + Agender + Gender Queer + Bigender + Gender Variant +Pangender

L

GBTQ is the word most people use which makes sense because it’s the most user friendly term right?

Pride is a movement by members of the LGBTQI+ community. The idea originated from America as there were riots that were taking place at the Stonewall Inn in New York City on the 28th of June 1969. The Stonewall riots were against a police raid that occurred which have paved the way for the formal recognition of gay rights. June is the chosen month in commemoration of the riots.

Pride month has drawn millions of members from all over the world. Normally, there would be parades, marches, concerts and parties to only name a few. The rainbow flag would be displayed. The flag was created by American artist, gay rights activist and U.S Army veteran Gilbert Baker in 1978. The flag represents the gay and lesbian movement.

4 | THE016 JUNE ISSUE 2020

Nonkululeko Mtshali attending pride.

Picture supplied.

Socials: Nonkululeko Nox Mtshali on Facebook

Baker died on the 31st of March 2017 at the age of 65. But the legacy of his rainbow flag lives on and is still regarded as an influential symbol in the gay and lesbian community.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of annual LGBTQI+ Pride traditions.

In South Africa, Pride has been celebrated since 1990. The very first one was held on the 13oth of October in Johannesburg. Historically, the parades were used to promote discrimination against LGBT members. Now, they are used to create awareness on the increasing numbers of crime and violence that the LGBT community has been faced with.

More especially the rape and murder of lesbians in townships as a form of corrective measure by judgmental and entitled men.

South Africa legalized same-sex marriage on November 14th 2006 making it the 5th country to do so. Did you know that SA is the only country in the African continent to legalize same-sex marriage?

Nonkululeko Nox Mtshali is a proud lesbian from the Vaal. I spoke to her about her thoughts on being lesbian and what celebrating Pride means to her.

“Even though we can’t attend pride this year due to Covid-19, we still need to celebrate our diversity in the LGBTQI community. Although we have the Constitution that protects gays and lesbians, the struggle is still very tough and we are far from where we want to go.”

What challenges are faced by members of the LGBTQI community?

“There is still discrimination, hate crimesw and corrective rape amongst others. We are still striving for people to accept us instead of tolerating us. People are not educating themselves about the LGBTQI community. Some don’t know what the acronyms mean. Unfortunately, there are still people who are stereotyped. Hate speech is still very rife in our societies”, says Mtshali.

“We celebrate price because we are proud of who we are. Some people don’t understand what being lesbian or different comes with. No one chooses to be born this way. No one chooses to be hated. No one chooses to be discriminated against. I don’t think anyone would wake up one day and choose any of those things. It’s who we are and we live by the wound every day.”

How does the behaviour of the society affect the way you live your lives?

“We try so hard to live our lives the way we want to live them so that society cannot block us in any way. I can love any gender that I want to love and be okay with it. As long as I cannot take a walk holding my girlfriend’s hand ka Moshoeshoe road and kiss her goodbye in

public then I am not safe at all. For instance, I can’t walk my girlfriend to a taxi and kiss her before leaving like any other couple would.

That doesn’t happen with us. We get bad remarks from taxi drivers and the community.

We are still far from where we want to go.”

I don’t believe how much members of the LGBTQI community have to deal with on a daily basis. I commend them for their strength. For constantly choosing themselves despite what everyone else labeled them as. For always standing their ground. For remaining true to themselves.

I hope we can do more as communities to educate ourselves about them. They matter. Their struggles matter. They love matters. Their existence matters. Every member of the LGBTQI community matters!

THE016 JUNE ISSUE 2020 | 5

6 | THE016 JUNE ISSUE 2020

The Sotho Visionary Friendly. creative. Humble. Theseare the words that best describe Vaal born rapper Masedi. He tells me about his new album titled Sotho Sa Metsing and I also got a taste of who he is outside his studio. This is his story...

By Reitumetse Shebe

M

asedi Mokhothu has been in the Vaal ing and it promotes the values we grew up music scene since 2016. His unending with. Yes we sang some English songs grow-

tenacity to be unapologetically bold about ing up but very few artists are getting it right who he is and what he stands for is defi- these days. Masedi is one of those artists. nitely a trait to admire. The Sebokeng born “I feel comfortable rapping in Sotho more Sotho visionary who has over 40 songs so than in English. I like sounding different and far still looks forward to making more music. Sotho plays a major role in my sound identity His first debut single “Sho” has been viewed and that makes me stand out from the rest”.

12K times on YouTube. The single, which was recorded in 2016 and was released in 2018, is still a fan favourite in the Vaal.

The 28 year old takes inspiration from Amer-

...

ican rapper and businessman Kanye West.

“I look up to Kanye. I’ve been a big fan of his work since Varsity. I fell in love with his fashion sense before I followed his music/ artistry”, Masedi says.

Masedi has flown the Vaal flag high on countless occasions. He has easily become one of the biggest stars to come out of the Vaal and he does this so well.

“I like sounding different.

Sotho plays a major role in my sound identity”

“I think it’s because I sound unique and the fact that I sing in our Sesotho language is what makes my fans love me because most people can relate with my simple lyrics”.

Rapping in vernac has become a pathway for musicians to get to the heart of their audience.

This connection allows for easier understandTHE016 JUNE ISSUE 2020 | 7

Having listened to some of Masedi’s songs, including the likes of OB, Lebo Sekgobela, one wonders what the writing process is JustSam, King B and Flokey amongst others. like for him. How does he write his songs? We are definitely looking forward to more Does he arrive at the studio already armed hits from Masedi with lyrics? Does he play around with beats His latest 10 track album is currently availfirst? Does he already know what he’s go- able for ing to write about once he steps in studio? downloads.

How does he conceptualize his songs?

“Funny enough, I don’t write my songs.

I prefer listening to a beat in studio and coming up with a crazy concept and immediately record the energy that I am within.

That’s why my lyrics are easy. I am just an artist who is not complicated. I get inspired by what I see around me and street/home experiences that my people go through. All of my concepts are easy to grasp and I’d rather go to studio without knowing what I am going to record until I get there. I always draft my concepts at the recording studio”.

Photo shoot Our photo shoot for the issue was held on the 28th of May in Zone 14. Masedi arrived in jeans, orange and black sneakers and a Socials: red Adidas top. I was met by his warm smile masedi za on FAcebook and his friendly aura. We walked around and @maseedi_za on Instagram he took me to a mural of himself that was painted by Hloni Ryza Phatso who owns True Black Ink which is a tattoo shop based in Sebokeng Zone 14. The mural has half of Masedi’s face on the left side alongside Thato Calvin ‘DJ T-Skull” Sekere’s face on the right. The artwork is a true representation of the amount of talent the Vaal has to offer.

Masedi’s latest album titled “Sotho Sa Metsing” was released on the 25th of May. The album consists of 10 tracks with collaborations 8 | THE016 JUNE ISSUE 2020

Photo essay . The following pictures were taken by Kamohelo Cee Mogoere also knows as KINGKAMZATHEFIRST Mural painted by Ryza Phatso the

THE016 JUNE ISSUE 2020 | 9

Purchase a pair of these handmade sandals for only

R800.00

10 | THE016 JUNE ISSUE 2020

The new age Tsotsi Taal

By Reitumetse Shebe

W

hen Thato Mafale looked around, all he is today. During our conversation I said ‘man it saw were clothing brands that were not lo- would be really nice to start wearing our own’. I’ve

cally produced. His research suggested that these always wanted to wear big brands but didn’t have brands hit hard on consumers’ pockets. Well, for the coins for it so I had to create something I could those who couldn’t afford them. Mafale came up afford to wear that’s also appealing,” Mafale says. with a solution. He founded a brand fully pro- The name Malomekomkyk is quite an interesting duced in the Vaal. The brand was started in 2016 one. Mafale says he was tired of his social media in an effort to create affordable and appealing account handles and wanted to change the name. clothing. This is how Malomekomkyk was born. He was listening to a song when the word ‘Kom“It’s very important that we separate the two kyk’ caught his attention. He went back and add[Malomekomkyk and Thato Mafale]. So it’s like ed the word Malome because his niece had just one movie with different characters. In this in- been born. Malome is the Sesotho word for uncle. stance there’s two characters; the founder and the “I thought how about we add eyes to this and brand. We treat them differently”, says Mafale. see how it works out so I hit up Thabang TheletSpeaking of treating the two characters differ- sane who is a friend of mine. We went to the ently, let’s get to know who Thato Mafale is first. same high school and same home room class for “I’m from Vanderbijlpark. I spent most of my the first two years. I gave him the design and I years here since I was about 7 years old but I asked him to see how he could add the eyes and can’t forget where I’m from originally. Before we so he did and he showed me what he had addmoved to Vanderbijlpark, we used to stay in Se- ed. I liked it. We then tested on a cap. I remem-

...

bokeng Zone17 to be exact. I have good child- ber the cap was red and it had a black print. hood memories there I’ll never leave it out.”

This particular brand stands out because it was born out of a concern that there weren’t a lot of local clothing brands. This brand isn’t just looking to fill a gap in the market but it is promoting the notion that a creative from the Vaal can have an idea to change what we consume and can actually make a success of his business.

“I appreciate our customers.

I value them very much”

“I remember prior to starting it, I was having a conversation with Kamohelo Hlapolosa who is a person that plays a vital role in where the brand THE016 JUNE ISSUE 2020 | 11

The cap was posted on social media and people liked

‘Komkyk’. If you think about it, it’s a word that’s

it very much. We started selling the cap and then

been there from the generation of our parents be-

people wanted t-shirts and now the rest is history.” cause of the Tsotsi Taal. Lastly, what I appreciAre

there

faced

with

any

challenges

when

that

running

Mafale

his

is

ate about the brand is that it grows by the day.”

business?

“I wouldn’t say I have challenges because we take challenges as homework and something we can learn from but if I can give you one right now it would be because we outsource. Sometimes you really don’t have control of what happens from the suppliers side of things so it becomes a challenge because sometimes you won’t deliver the Monday you said you would to a customer.”

Mafale says his brand doesn’t have a specific target market because they want to relate to all markets from newborns to the elderly. He says they have been fortunate to be able to do this so well.

“In terms of our prices, everything differs depending ranges

on but

the we

design start

and

from

also

R130

on

the

upwards”.

Having a clothing brand means a lot of marketing has to be involved. How does Mafale do this?

“I trust everyone who is in my team. From close friends, my immediate family and my customers. My

Socials:

customers play a very big role. They are part of the

Twitter: Malomekomkyk

team. It’s not just my brand but it’s the people’s brand.

Instagram: Malomekomkyk

I’m forever grateful for my customers because of their

Facebook: Malomekomkyk

suggestions and most of the times they share our

WhatsApp:

posts on their social media accounts or it could be

0719586303

word of mouth so already that’s like a whole marketing team. I value them so much but what I can say is we definitely working towards employing the team.”

Mafale says his customers are part of his team.

How ingenious is that? In a world where companies don’t take their customer’s suggestions and/or grievances into consideration, it’s beautiful to see how much Mafale encompasses his customers.

“I appreciate that the brand resonates with people and that they can relate to it because of the word 12 | THE016 JUNE ISSUE 2020

Our very own pizza with a Vaal twist

By Reitumetse Shebe

S

amuel Motloung is a young man from R75. I have 5 varieties so far and I am Sebokeng Zone 10 who started a pizza still working on a more flexible menu.”

making business which he currently oper- The challenges that come with operates from his home. Although his business ating any business can vary dependis still fairly new, Motloung is determined ing

on

the

needs

of

the

business.

to see his business come into fruition. “Super slow production caused by a Pizza is a dish of Italian origin. It is the Italian lack of the right equipment and opword for pie. It consists of a flat round base erational

space”,

Motloung

says.

of dough baked in an oven with a topping of “My day job as well. I can’t just quit because sauce/gravy, cheese and meat or vegetables. a lot is riding on my shoulders and the 9-5 is Lalazza’s

pizza

is

the

new

kid

on a necessity for now. Being able to afford a

the block who is going to leave its helping hand while attending to my day job, mark in the mouths of its customers. not forgetting Covid-19, which isn’t doing “It wasn’t supposed to be a pizza busi- me any favors. I appreciate the challenges ness to be honest. It was supposed to though; they force me out of my comfort zone.” be something like a close cousin to a piz- Motloung’s spirit is admirable. It reminds us to za. A lot of my customers started call- keep going despite any challenges we might ing my food pizza so I eventually gave face along the way. The reality is that many up and joined the party”, says Motloung. businesses shut their doors as soon as chalOne can imagine the admin that goes into lenges arise but what makes Lalazza’s pizza deciding which flavours to sell once a busi- different is that Motloung is still running it deness starts operating. Motloung’s current spite having a day job. Not many can master flavours are:

Hawaiian (Ham and pine- the skill of multitasking and keeping sane.

apple), The Tropics (Bacon and pineapple), Little Porky (BBQ base, ham and bacon), The Russian (Chutney base and caramelized onions) and El Mexicano (BBQ base, mince, onions and green peppers).

“For now the starting price is R65 up till THE016 JUNE ISSUE 2020 | 13

In such times one needs to do commending his team and all they can to stay motivated. how “I’ve always wanted to have “I

he

always

keeps remind

positive. myself

a food business but wasn’t that it’s only the beginning. looking to go the common I have a strong team that’s route and was pushed to keeping everything in check. take the first step by DJ Sbu’s I just try not to allow myvideo titled “Just start! With self to feel disheartened”. whatever little you got” that

Socials: trended. Also, a book called @merc_motloung on Instagram Rich Dad Poor Dad inspired Malefetsane Mercury Motloung my hunger for financial free- on Facebook dom. I have a lot of business ideas and this very business was one of them. I love what I do and I have an awesome support system. I love them all to bits”, says Motloung.

Motloung

concluded

14 | THE016 JUNE ISSUE 2020

by

THE016 JUNE ISSUE 2020 | 15

Finding the Lerato in you. A story about change I had a chat with Malefetsane Masitha who is thre Writer , Producer and Co director of a short film called ‘Has anything changed?’. changed?

Q- Tell me how the short film came about.

The love of creating and storytelling also looking around us and our daily struggles are almost the same in a sense. A lot of us inherit pain and poverty while others inherit wealth Q- Why is it important for people to learn about Lerato?

It’s important because it shows and highlights an ongoing cycle passed on from one generation to another and if we are to change and heal from our shared past traumas we first need to understand who we are and Lerato is a representation of not only young girls in Scelo but also in South Africa Q- How long did it take to shoot the entire film?

It took four months including pre-production stage Q- Who was on the team and what were each person’s roles?

-Lebogang Monakedi Executive producer plays Lerato - Mongezi Gongo- director and art director -Sizwe mahlaha- D.O.P -Nozi kunene - Camera Operator/assistant Editor -Rethabile Sekhonyana - Camera Operator 16 | THE016 JUNE ISSUE 2020

-Rodney Baloyi - Score Music /sound track -Naledi Kgasago - Actor/sound track -Lydia maaraganye - Actor/ plays nosipho -Mbaleni Dlamini- Art Dircetor -Moipone Thekiso - wardrobe manager -Njabulo Nqobo - technical team -Sihle - techincal team -Just another rapper /sound production Some unique individual S.U.I sound track Malefetsane masitha -- Writer producer and co director Q- What challenges did you face while shooting?

One challenge I could say stands out from many is the lockdown situation and not being able to move from one place to another Q- Where do you see the future of Vaal creatives?

Like we say Vaal is a country on its own some people from the north even labelled us third world country, so Vaal has something fresh and a whole culture to offer to the world. Take Cassper for example, he came to our country saw the country and he took it to the world next thing the only thing you saw on the internet was made in Vaal.

We are breath of fresh air and the future leaders of the game

Q- I like that the film will be aired on YouTube. What influenced this decision?

To be honest i come from a neighborhood filled with red tapes you know when they say charity begins at home yeah so we got used to red tapes we decided to avoid that long process that disturbs the creativity and narrative of the story Q- What was your writing process like for the writing of the film?

I have a very strange writing process I can’t even start describing it honestly speaking in a sense it took me months of writing before I could say it was ready for the world Q- What do you want the audience to take away from the film?

It’s an ongoing conversation if the audience could engage in the conversation then I believe we are one step closer in the right direction of change Q- What were your highlights while shooting?

Working with the team has been a vibe also the young kids in Scelo and the community at large has been the biggest highlight of the entire film

Q- How have people received the poster so far and what are you hoping to achieve with the film?

The response to the cover has been amazing everyone loves it i would like to think I am writing this because of the cover. I’m hoping to reach more creative. I’m trying to relate and change and start a culture in our communities and generations after us will benefit from Q- What lessons has the film taught you?

A lot about myself. I met my other creative side for the first time and that the our communities are hungry for opportunity and have love for the art.

Q- Should we expect more work from you in the near future?

Yes most definitely in fact the body of work is amazingly beautiful and freshly baked if i should say so *‘Has anything changed’ will be aired on June 16 on YouTube.

THE016 JUNE ISSUE 2020 | 17

Let’s do lunch and chat.

A new Vaal favourite

By Reitumetse Shebe

N

ombuyiselo Magcuntsuis a soft spoken woman born and raised in the Vaal Triangle Her biggest treasure is my family. I have a close knit loving family, with her mother, sister, niece and son. She hails from Zone 7b, Sebokeng.

She is a Conversationalist, a Feminist and lover of poetry and good books who also stress bakes. She regards herself as a student taking lessons from people’s lives and simply loving life.

Q- When and why did you start Let’s do lunch and chat?

Let’s do lunch and chat started 28 September, 2019.

The reason is to have raw, unfiltered conversations where women can learn from one another.

The conversation is hosted over a three course meal, besides sharing, I want women to have a good time and just unwind.

Q- What do you aim to achieve with the page?

To Inspire, motivate and build a community of open-minded women.

To show women the strength we all have, to share the victories of others and to simply show we all can pursue our dreams.

All I want to do is to be the voice that affirms that all that you want is valid. Put in the work, learn, fail, struggle, fall apart, rebuild and win.

There’s another woman who needs to see and hear about your life so she can find solace.

18 | THE016 JUNE ISSUE 2020

The page was started to supplement the events but due to the Corona Virus, it has since taken primary position as all events for the year are on hold.

Q- What have been your biggest lessons so far?

You only have yourself to lose.

To quieten the voices of your aspirations is to deny who you are.

To live life according to others is to destroy your soul.

It’s not supposed to be easy until you submit to learning and allowing yourself to grow so you can align with your destined purpose.

Q- You’re quiet intentional about the quality of so be the woman you’d like another to be for your content. Why is that? you.

I aim to inspire and motivate others through Q- What is the importance of having meaningful profiling women. I’d like to show that we are and inspirational conversations? phenomenal beings capable of amazing feats.

There’s a saying by Marian Wright Edelman, Life is a lot but the lot also depends on how you view you cannot become what you can’t see. it. There are fewer stories about our wins than there are about being victims of some injustice. We need to see real tangible stories of how women life so we’ll be able to carve out our Q- Why do you think it’s important for women own definitions and live our lives with intention. have a platform like yours?

Socials: We need to get real. We’re so good at putting Monbuyiselo Magcuntsu on Facebook faces on that it’s easy to get lost and forget who Pages we are. We also need to build the confidence Letsdolunch_chat on Facebook to life according to our own individual accord @ldlnc on Instagram whilst drawing inspiration from others.

As much as I appreciate aspects of social media, I feel it creates a false divide of us and them. The women who seem to have it together versus the woman aspiring to become.

I want us to be able to share the processes of how to “make it” or “make it out”. Not just the before and after picture the gems are in the struggles in the process.

Q- What do you want women from the Vaal to take away from what you do?

Live your best life!

Trust your own voice and be the best version of you, . Be proud of who you are, what your story is and where you’re headed. Take full ownership of your life, know you can and just go for it.

Be teachable, be willing to learn and get challenged.

No woman is an island. We need each other, THE016 JUNE ISSUE 2020 | 19

Justice for Tumelo!

Opinion piece by Reitumetse Shebe

I

t was the 7th of April 2020. News about the Corona virus were spreading faster than the virus itself. Zone 12 Sebokeng was the chosen destination for the soldiers that were deployed to rescue us from an unseen virus. They made sure their presence was felt.

I heard screams from streets away. People started running into their homes. Children who were playing in the road with kites and scooters left them right there and rushed home.

Mothers screamed for their children’s safe return in deep worries that they (parents) would be punished for not keeping their children indoors.

The skhambane shop that was secretly operating suddenly closed its doors. 4 military cars ambushed the Pakistani shop in our street.

Multiple soldiers flocked to the door of the shop.

Anxious residents watched in silence, waiting to see what was going to happen next. The owner of the shop was seen cuffed being thrown into the back of the police van.

In what seemed to be a “Look at what we are capable of doing” or some sort of way to finish what they started”, they solders then marqueed onto our street forcing people to go back indoors. As if them telling us that was going to make us unsee how they handled the shop owner.

Fast forward to a few minutes later, a young man by the name of Tumelo was caught on camera being assaulted by the soldiers.

This video was brutal to say the least.

Tumelo had been sent to the shop by his mother to purchase a bottle of Coke. After he had bought his drink, he was met by an overwhelming presence of soldiers who did not ask him where he was going, why he was outside or where he lived. Instead, they attacked him and left him there injured. He was left helpless.

People were to scared to help him. He had to pick himself up and head to the nearest place

20 | THE016 JUNE ISSUE 2020

of safety. Earlier I mentioned that all this was caught on video. Two girls in my street were recording the passing soldier cars to post that our long awaited visitors had finally arrived. Little did they know that they would hold the single piece of evidence that would change how we see these so called protectors.

The girl posted the video and it quickly went viral. Next thing, the soldiers were back again for round two. They were looking for something this time. It was seen in the way they pointed from one house to another. They had seen themselves trending and they were eager to find where the video had been taken from. They eventually found the home. They raided the girls’ home and assaulted them. This wasn’t anything new from them. Assault was how they talked to people as demonstrated earlier. They girls were dragged to the police station and were said to be charged with “interfering with state regulations”. They were released the next day on R500 bail each and had to be taken to a place of safety.

I got a chance to speak to Tumelo. He was wearing an oversized hoodie which was a clear indication that he did not want to be seen. He was in pain and couldn’t stand for too long. My heart broke. He said he was going home from the shops when he saw cars approaching him.

The men in the first car told him to run while the rest of the cars assumed he was running away from them. Next thing he knew, he was being beaten. No questioned asked. His mother expressed deep hurt and disgust at what misfortune had befallen her son.

Tumelo was also moved to a place of safety.

Was there justice for Tumelo? What happened to him after the whole incident? How is his family doing? While the rest of us move on with our lives, did he ever move on with his?

The day was the 7th of April 202. A day to remember.

...

Poetry

...

corner

THE016 JUNE ISSUE 2020 | 21

Message to Poetry This feeling is not the same I have been with you since the last time I felt your pain I still feel you in my heart like I’m near you But to be honest I can’t find you in my pages anymore I pick up my pen and then my mind starts to drift away Hoping you would come running back to me like the ending of a fairytale But how can you when I’m the one that pushed you away and made you cry all day Infact you blame me for all the bad energies iv made and mostly everything I didnt say It’s like i pretended like you were never the best part of me I remember standing on stage but it wasn’t the same It was like the feeling of seeing a naked woman but my penis didn’t want to stand up striaght I listen to my friends and they tell me buddy everything is going to be okay But every time it gets dark again and the clouds get covered with rain This feeling is not the same It feels like I lost you forever and ever And infinity was a lie that I tatted on your skin and left you with a permanent ink that was drew with a pencil pin I try to find comfort in the old conversations we played And go around telling people that we inseparable like ink and page.

Funny enough they still believed me And tell me how beautiful we be But sadly The feeling is not the same Its like I lost hope in faith and love wasn’t the there anymore But I have no doubt that you are the greatest creation paved with pure art and a mind that’s curved with literature I pray to God that he gives you someone who won’t take you for granted like I did Someone who’s ready to give you the family of your dreams and who will marry you in front of the beach for the whole ocean to see I mean I don’t even have punchline to describe you like before But hey I’m just glad God showed me the Sun again and to be honoured to write this letter in your name.

P.S Roses are red, violets are blue Poetry is me, and I will forever yours truly

22 | THE016 JUNE ISSUE 2020

Bounded feelings My heart remained scorched with the ambience of my past setting me to the last drop of your dance, I could only transport the one side of my oath to be seen by your means but I guess i owe you an apology for coming late to your party.

I never knew you where one of the few to blind my heart with your smoke while I was peddling down my woes coz my story always seemed to find me shifting gears and breaking spheres But tell me, how would a normal mind consolidate my high when all they seem to find is money to validate their pride.

Let me step a side, because iv been known with a killer’s drive so today I ride home with no intentions of these negative vibes, becAuse iv cleaned the dirt on my eyes with the love of my nemesis lies and took no evidence to the rivers avalanche that dropped my camera lens just to post on Instagram.

See when I met you my friends told me a queen is born of soul that can touch worlds with a piece of a poem but the only real side iv seen when I appeared in your review mirrow was scary one so I dropped my bagage in the sun and got freed from the heat listening to you inspire me to be a better fella, so I resonated with your jazz and find nothing better.

Truth be told my spirit was yarning to be freed from the deluded implications of these musical genocides trying to find you in me as I continue to shake of my mind from bounded feelings my heart resides

This month’s featured poet is Thabo Makhoana also known as Hazer. He is a renowned poet from the Vaal. He bring us closer to his craft with two poems this month.

Socials: @hazer_za on Instagram Thabo Hazer Makhoana on Facebook

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Omang?

This new feature was created in an effort to create awareness about creatives in the Vaal.

Fanah Gugushe Brief description: description Fanah is a writer from Sebokeng Zone 7. He has a blog where he writes artistic material in the form of short erotic stories. The purpose of his writing is to enhance sexual spark in relationships as well as sexual openness among couples.

Name of blog: blog Fantasies World Link: https://fantasiesworld.wordpress.com Link Socials: FB- Fanah Theecapitalist Gugushe Insta- @fanahtheecapitalistgugushe LinkedIn- Fanah Gugushe

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Bongani Nhlapo Brief description: description Bongani is an upcoming producer/ DJ/ beat maker and songwriter known as Shushabongz from Sebokeng Zone 11.

Link: https://tubidy.mobi/watch/_2B_2Bd9TP_2BKW_2FPFuPuLyBjHYw/3gp-mobile/?wa Link Stream share: share http://Youtube.com/SHUSHABONGZ https://youtu.be/sY0NlIJy57I http://Tubidy.mobi/SHUSHABONGZ Socials: Socials FB- Bongani shushabongz Nhlapo Insta- @shushabongz1 Gmail- BnbonganiNhlapo@gmail,com

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Andre Lefu Brief description: Andre is a writer who seeks to illuminate the thoughts of his readers with enlightenment. He doesn’t seek knowledge but wisdom. His greatest weapon is curiosity. His blog is for those who do not just accept societal norms and always question the status quo. It is for the free and open minded.

He encourages his readers to always question the narrative.

Name of blog: blog I’m That Artist Link: https://wp.me/p8KXuG-68 Link Socials: Socials FB- Andre Lefu Insta- @AndreLefu Twitter- @AndreLefu

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