“GXWALANI ZINTOMBI ZIKAMPONDO” writer Nobesuthu aspires to teach gender equality and change the perception of relationships between men and women so that little boys and girls can grow up in a healthy society that allows them to thrive without the burdens of misogyny and gender-based-violence.
Author Nobesuthu Moni started writing in 2015 when she published her writings on her blog and later got published in a varsity magazine and her first book got published in2021. “I have been more of a reader than a writer,” she recalls.
Gxwalani Zintombi zikaMpondo is a cry from women against gender-based violence, the book tells a story of a couple whose marriage ends in murder and violence through the eyes of women who have come across them at different stages of their lives. It details how violence runs rampant and a culture of violence is passed on through generations.
The book was inspired by the high rape cases in Lusikisiki and she wanted to shine the light on the issue at hand and educate people by telling stories that they can relate to, drawing her own experiences and the stories that she heard from other women. By writing this book she also wanted to encourage reading in isiXhosa in young people and to contribute to our culture of storytelling. “ Writing this book made me grow a lot, learning how to craft storylines and to tell stories authentically, finding my voice without violating the language,” she says.
“The title of my book is inspired by a Bible verse, Luke 23:28. As the book begins with the death of a woman, I warn them not to weep for the deceased but to weep for themselves and their children, for she has died and they are still suffering,” she explains. She adds that most women have had some experience with violence and every girl is a potential victim, mothers who have sons are raising potential perpetrators.
When asked what perspectives or beliefs have challenged her with her work she says:
- The idea is that it is alright for a boy to deceive a girl and force her into a situation where she has to agree to have sex because consent cannot be given under coercion.
- The idea that domestic violence happens is unknown, the community always knows.
- How we always focus on incidents that have already happened, holding a march then not following up on results, and not holding society accountable for cultures that encourage gender discrimination and give seed to gender-based violence.
Her process of writing is to draw from real-life experiences and events and then follow the natural flow of the story.
