Mukololo excels at reciting poems

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Twenty-seven-year-old Khathutshelo Mudogwa, known as “Mudogwa Mukololo wa Africa”, is an aspiring young performance poet from Ha-Masia Tshikwarani village.

Mudogwa started reciting biblical verses, in the form of poetry, during item sessions at church, but at the annual Masia Day celebration in 2011, where she entertained hundreds of guests, her talents were fully recognised, and from that moment on she never looked back.

“I had read and listened to many other poets’ work, and loved it,” she said. “As an artist, I strive for authenticity in my own work; I want people to see me in my work.”

She writes about social issues, such as the challenges faced with service delivery and crime, but also love and happiness. “I believe that my talent is still growing, but one day it will take me around the world,” she said.

Mudogwa, who won the Best Poet award during the Vhavenda Acknowledgement Awards 2021 a fortnight ago, has some outstanding work to her name, including poems such as U mmbulahelani, N1, Nguvho ya tsiwana and Midzi yau. “U mmbulahelani refers to the cry of a baby,” she said. “Many childless couples long for a baby of their own, yet there are women who abort or kill their children. This is a part of the many social ills that break one’s heart.”

N1 was inspired by the many accidents along the N1 national road. While it expresses the pain of losing loved ones, it also takes the form of a prayer to God to always protect motorists along the N1. “I am totally against reckless and negligent driving, so in this poem I also warn those who don’t follow traffic rules to adhere,” she said.

Nguvho ya tsiwana tells the story of an orphan who lives with abusive relatives. The poet feels that relatives should change bad behaviour and start showing love to those they are entrusted with.

The poem Midzi yau urges the Vhavenda people to return to their African roots and speaks about a people’s culture and the need to embrace one’s traditions and norms.

Mudogwa looks forward to scooping up her second poetry award on 31 October, since she has been nominated for the African Print Authors & Poetry Awards in three different categories, namely Best Traditional Poet, Best Traditional Poem and Best Female Musical Poet.

She is available on Facebook (Precious Mudogwa) and can be reached on Tel 072 366 2000.

By: Tshifhiwa Mukwevho

Tshifhiwa Given Mukwevho was born in 1984 in Madombidzha village, not far from Louis Trichardt in the Limpopo Province. After submitting articles for roughly a year for Limpopo Mirror's youth supplement, Makoya, he started writing for the main newspaper. He is a prolific writer who published his first book, titled A Traumatic Revenge in 2011. It focusses on life on the street and how to survive amidst poverty. His second book titled The Violent Gestures of Life was published in 2014.