South Africa: 'South African People Should Read More South African and African Fiction Before Reading Anything Else'

analysis

The five-writer shortlist for the Caine Prize for African writing was announced recently. Young South African writer, LIDUDUDMALINGANI MQOMBOTHI is included on the list for his short story, Memories We Lost. It's a story about mental health, with other themes coming into play. He spoke to Mbali Phala about his name and writing.

The following day the entire village gathered outside our house for yet another ritual meant to cure my sister. She had been through all these rituals and church sermons and nothing had changed. Each time sangomas and pastors promised that she would be healed within days. There was once, at least according to the elders, a glimpse of these sangomas healing. The tobacco, meat and matches that had been put in the rondavel for the ancestors to take at night, in one of the many rituals, were not there by morning, leading them to believe that the ancestors had healed her. It was not long after that this thing came again, proving that the tobacco, meat and matches had simply been stolen by thieves.

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