Kamogelo Makgothoma (23) is a self-taught praise poet from Ngovhela village in Thohoyandou who recites his poetry in English and Sepedi. He believes that this talent will help people to deal better with emotional strain.
Born and bred in Bochum in Ga Maleboho, Makgothoma fell in love with poetry at the tender age of 11. “I started writing poetry through a buddies clubs and the Foundation for Learning Campaign. My former primary teachers Mr Sathekge, Mrs Phooko and Mrs Mathiba were the people who inspired my work. They believed in my talent and gave me various opportunities to recite poetry.”
Makgothoma sharpened his skills by performing for his classmates during arts and culture classes. He also attended various poetry competitions. He says that being a praise poet enables him to address burning issues. “I want to reveal the true feeling of the things that hurt people inside; the things people are afraid to speak about out loud. So, through my work, I am able to speak for the voiceless on issues like GBV, xenophobia, or alcohol and drug abuse.”
He uses his talent as a source of income. “Being a poet also helps me to put food on the table. I perform for people at weddings, parties and other events. I am one of the most booked local poets. I get booked every month,” he said. “Last year, I paid tribute to the late secretary-general of the SACP (South African Communist Party), Martin Thembisile (Chris) Hani in front of President Cyril Ramaphosa. In 2020, I travelled and performed in East London and I’m working on releasing a CD by the end of this month.”
His latest audio poem is titled Mmapaseka, and tells the story of a young couple who sacrifice everything for each other to make their relationship work. However, they break up eventually because of the challenges both of them are faced with during their relationship.
Makgothoma is busy with his bachelor of arts (development studies) degree at the University of Venda.