By Selloane Ntshonyane
- Fikile Lekhuleni, 20, published her first short story in Writers Space Africa Magazine and wrote a book in isiSwati.
- Her book ‘Umbala Welutsandvo’ tells the story of royal drama and power struggles between two wives of a Swati king.
A young Mpumalanga writer is making a name for herself by writing about Swati culture and history.
Fikile Lekhuleni, just 20 years old, has already had her first short story, The Abattoir, published in the June 2025 edition of Writers Space Africa Magazine, a respected platform for new African voices.
But it’s her book Umbala Welutsandvo, meaning The Colour of Love, that’s really capturing hearts. The short story, written completely in isiSwati, was published in October 2024.
Lekhuleni said the story is a reimagined history of Matsulu, a chiefdom in Mpumalanga under the Mbombela Local Municipality in the Ehlanzeni District.
The young author explained that her story centres on the current Chief of Matsulu, Tikhontele Dlamini, and follows the lives of two women whose fates become tangled in royal drama.
“The story follows two women: a noble-born woman promised to the King from birth, and a commoner who rises to royalty after winning the King’s favour,” she said.
The drama unfolds when King Tikhontele abandons his childhood fiancée, LaDlamini, for LaNgwabe, sparking a chain of events that rocks the royal palace.
“King Tikhontele’s decision to abandon his childhood fiancée, LaDlamini, for LaNgwabe sparks a chain reaction of events. Accused of not being able to have children, the king is forced by the royal council and the Queen Mother, LaMatjeya, to take a second wife, as the pressure to produce an heir mounts.
“Surprisingly, the king chooses LaDlamini, his former fiancée, as his second wife. Her arrival in the royal palace sets off a power struggle between the two wives,” she explained.
Lekhuleni’s writing focuses on creative fiction and fantasy, drawing inspiration from isiSwati culture, historical fiction and current social issues.
The talented young woman shared her hopes to eventually get Umbala Welutsandvo translated into English and other South African languages to reach more readers.
Pictured above: Umbala Welutsandvo.
Image source: Supplied
