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Litterati Pay Homage to Madiba and Dube

Litterati Pay Homage to Madiba and Dube

Date: 2019-05-03

A pilgrimage to the very spot where President Nelson Mandela cast his first vote on the morning of 27 April 1994 was the ideal venue at which to unveil the commemorative poetry collection, Twenty-Five Years of Freedom.

The poets, publishers and political activists who wound their way through the green hills of Inanda on Saturday first paid homage at the gravesite of Dr John Langalibalele Dube before entering his homestead at Ohlange Institute. Curator Mandla Nxumalo welcomed the group that included eThekwini Municipality head of international relations Eric Apelgren and publisher Anivesh Singh.

"I am so very happy that you have chosen this special place to homage to our leaders on this important day in our nation's history," said Nxumalo. He related frame by frame his encounter with Madiba on that hazy morning as he stepped out of the red Mercedes Benz "in size eleven black shoes" and tottered up the paved pathway in his familiar jiving step.

The car had been a gift from workers in the automotive industry in the Eastern Cape. The poignant moment was punctuated by poetic beauty as Rodney Ka Rosekruge read from his contribution to the book: "We need new freedoms, Freedoms that come with skeleton keys, for our locked minds."

Umhlanga's Baby Naidoo paid tribute to Madiba with: "In a world of players, you played your innings, You proved that you are the People's Champion." Richard Nzima reflected on his personal circumstances: "I lay under the stars not knowing the future, My fellow homeless people provided solace."

The book's editor Kiru Naidoo said that the collection will have a more formal launch at the next Durban Book Fair on Sunday, 5 May at Mitchell Park at 12.00. He hoped that more of the contributors would be there to read their work.