Sizwe Sibiya
The South African parliament has been the centre of attention for all the wrong reasons in recent years, and has led one writer to wonder where on earth they get their wisdom from.
From a former president who could not read numbers to the most unnecessary of comedy stunts, the sheer quantity of mindless antics has led Vonisani Mabunda to question what books the president and his whole cabinet have been reading.
That is if they read anything at all.
“I want to know what the president is reading. I want to know what our ministers are reading,” said Mabunda, who is the author of ten books, which he published in his native language of TshiVenda.
Mabunda believes it’s high time that literature became in vogue again, then politicians might follow the trend and learn one or two things from a book themselves.
“We have seen all the challenges in this country. From dancing to bragging challenges, to fashion. Now it is time to brag about what you are reading,” Mabunda told Scrolla.Africa.
While Mabunda continues to publish books through his own company, Monde Media Agency Books, he leads a campaign to get the nation reading called What Are You Reading.
The 35-year-old from Limpopo – who is based in both Alexandra and Tembisa – spent the early years of his adulthood focusing “on the political world and social justice”.
He soon realised, however, that the best way to engage people with these issues was to first heal their family lives. He does this by writing positive poetry and prose about romance and relationships.
His books include Jackpot, It Will Grow and Purified.
When people do find time to read, Mabunda said: “It would be good if they read books from local authors.”
