IHRAM Writer Mbizo Chirasha meets South African Poetry Maverick Nkululeko Zondi

MC: Who is Nkululeko Zondi  and  how many books has he written so far?
Nkululeko Zondi: Nkululeko Zondi is a writer and an avid reader of the written word. I was born in Durban and lived there in my early formative years before moving to Soweto, Johannesburg. My work is usually poetry and prose in both English and Zulu. I would say I excel writing in both languages as they come naturally to me. All my primary level schooling was conducted in English which is why I find it easy writing in the language. I only started learning Zulu in high school but it was never complicated for me as it is my home language. The language is simple because written Zulu and spoken Zulu are not that far apart compared to written and spoken English.
Although I have not written any book thus far in my career, I have been featured in many poetry anthologies. My work first appeared in the 'Dear South Africa' in 2014 published by Kwasukela Media. The poem was more of an ode to the late literary giant even before he passed, Don Mattera. I have also been featured in the 'Voice of Africa: A Call for Freedom' which was published by IHRAF. Lately, I was long listed for the 2023 'Sol Plaatje European Union Poetry Award and Anthology.'

MC: Have you ever participated in any international writing project?
Nkululeko Zondi: The only international writing project I have been a part of is the 'Voice of Africa: A Call for Freedom' which I mentioned earlier. This is still is my proudest moment as it proved to me that I am not a provincial writer but I can also connect with the international community and speak about matters that affect humanity in the broader spectrum. From time to time, I read the poem that was featured in this anthology like a Psalm from the Bible. I still struggle to believe that it was written by me. This is regardless of the years that have passed since it was published.

MC: What are your writing themes  ?
Nkululeko Zondi: My writing themes are general in nature. First, they are about the socio-political landscape of my country and the challenges thereof. South Africa is going through a lot as is. Corruption, misappropriation of state funds, embezzlement and unemployment are issues facing our country. We held our general elections some weeks ago and there was no outright winner. The incumbent president and his organisation have proposed a Government of National Unity (GNU) which most political parties have agreed to but with differing conditions.
Second, the theme I write about is the cycle of life: birth, growth, rites passages, and death. I am very preoccupied about death and I do not think I have an explanation to that. Lastly, my son and my late father are written about most in my poems. My father passed on the 19th of November 2009 on a Thursday while my son was born on the 19th of November 2020 on a Thursday. I do think there is a deeper meaning to this and my latest poems try to explore the connectivity of this.

MC: Have you ever written anything on social justice and human rights?
Nkululeko Zondi: Yes, almost all my ouevre is on social justice and human rights. My first published poem was on social justice as I urged Don Mattera not to go to his grave. This was a response to his poem 'Call at my grave' which was written during apartheid regime in South Africa and the poet was dreaming of freedom for the country. My opinion pieces to the 'Mail & Guardian' and the 'Star' newspapers about socio-political and human rights issues the country is going through. Many of my contemporaries call me a "protest poet" because they claim that my poems are political. I believe all life is political in one way or another as the politics influences almost all aspects of life. With that said, my poetry is merely a mirror image of the world around me.

MC: What are other artistic projects you are doing so far?
Nkululeko Zondi: I do play around with different themes and genres when writing. This is to explore and expand my horizons in the craft but right now I am busy with an anthology of poems. It does not have a title yet but the theme is immigration and immigrants within the South African context. I feel like the theme has not been explored enough in South African literature, especially in poetry. It has been exceptionally explored from a foreign lens by tremendous Zimbabwean writers like Sue Nyathi and Mercy Dhliwayo in the novel or short story form respectively.

MC: Who are your role models in the area of creativity ,writing and literature?
Nkululeko Zondi: I am a qualified journalist and writing is my life. I write stories and opinion pieces from time to time but I consider myself a poet. Poetry and the beauty of imagery language is my obsession. My first love was William Shakespeare in high school. I can still recite 'Sonnet 116' of by heart to this day. With that said, the poets of his era or rather European poets did not resonate with me. I only started enjoying poetry after reading South Africans like Jeremy Cronin, Njabulo S Ndebele, Mongane Wally Serote an the late Don Mattera. The stubborn resistance with which they wrote during the dark times of apartheid consumes me. It really shows that language and poetry survives every situation.
Recently, I have been drawn towards Antjie Krog and the late Ingrid Jonker. Both are Afrikaans poets but have been translated into English. The simplicity and easiness with which they write their free verses transcends all and they have inspired many of my latest poems which are included in the anthology I am busy with. Jonker, like me, was fascinated and preoccupied with death. Maybe she is an influence to that.
Krog is a world renowned for her ethical and political stance against injustice. My contemporaries also inspire me to keep abreast of new developments in the poetry space. They include Koleka Putuma, Zama Madinana, Luleka Mhlanzi and the wonderful Busisiwe Mahlangu. I love Mahlangu's simple yet effective use of language.

MC: How is the book , writing and publishing industry in South Africa?
Nkululeko Zondi: Although I have never been published, the book industry in the country is a small one. South Africa is not a reading nation compared to countries like Kenya, Nigeria and Zimbabwe. Books do not sell that much in the country compared to these countries, not to mention books of poetry. 'Collective Amnesia', a debut poetry anthology by Koleka Putuma is the one that broke boundaries and became a bestseller even though the author said she was discouraged in many corners about trying to publish poetry in South Africa. The book has even been translated in German and other European languages. Some universities in the country have prescribed it for first year students.
Putuma being an exception, most poets go the self publishing route so as to cut costs of paying the middle person. These include Zama Madinana and Luleka Mhlanzi. Madina self published 'Water and Lights' and '94' while Luleka Mhlanzi self published 'Confiscated Identity'. I believe it is easier for them to go this route as they are also performance poets, Putuma included, and so can sell books where they perform where they already have a base.

MC: Do you have  any book fair , festivals and exhibition platforms in SA?
Nkululeko Zondi: We have innumerable book fairs and festivals in the country. Most were distracted during and in the aftermath of the pandemic but now it is all systems go. Poetry Africa 2024 hosted by the Centre for Creative Arts of University of KwaZulu-Natal in October for about two weeks. The event invites poets from the continent and the diaspora to partake an perform at the festival. During the event people can also buy albums and books from their favourite poets.
Another event we have is the Abantu Book Festival that is held annually where black readers and writers meet in Soweto for about two weeks to discuss all things concerning books by black writers. Notable people who attend are Fred Khumalo, Ndumiso Ngcobo and Niq Mhlongo just to mention a few.

MC: Does the SA government support writing and the book industry?
Nkululeko Zondi: Very few artists feel supported by the South African government in general and the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture in particular. One has to be politically connected to thrive through. This I because of the many challenges facing the country such as corruption. As Ismail Mohamed, Director for Centre of Creative Arts at University of KwaZulu-Natal, put it, artists feel like the department frustrates them "so that they cannot produce work that reflects, critiques and envisions the kind of nation that we aspired to be in 1994."
The more ministers change, the more the department stays the same. Organisations like Avbob the European Union in collaboration with Jacana Literary Foundation and are the ones at the forefront trying to promote and preserve the diverse languages in the country. They do so by inviting poets in all South African languages to submit their work for a chance to be published. 

Nkululeko Zondi is a Community Caregiver at Beehive Social Solutions in Soweto, Johannesburg. He is an anthropology and psychology graduate from the University of South Africa as well as a qualified journalist who writes poetry and prose in both isiZulu and English; and has been published in numerous online literary publications such as Poetry Potion, AVBOB Poetry, Kalahari Review, among others. He has also been featured in poetry anthologies like 'Dear South Africa' (2015), 'Between the Silence: Poetry for Human Rights' (2021), 'Calabash Literary Magazine Vol. 3' (2022), 'Voice of Africa: A Call for Freedom' (2022) and the 2022 'Sol Plaatje European Union' Poetry Anthology. His work has appeared on various South African newspapers such as the 'Mail & Guardian', the 'Star', 'Sowetan', the 'New Age', 'Citizen' and the 'Daily Maverick'. Zondi was a finalist in 'AVBOB Poetry’s Eco-poetry' mini-competition in April 2022 and again a finalist in 'AVBOB Poetry's Family First' mini-competition in May 2022. In 2023, he was long listed for the 'Sol Plaatje European Union Poetry Award and Anthology'.