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UFS Student Publishes Book on Love and Life in the African Context

12 April 2022 | Story Anthony Mthembu | Photo Supplied

“The reason I write is because I know that there will be a time when people such as my grandmother and her peers will not be around to tell us stories by word of mouth, hence we need to preserve the stories they tell us in black and white,” said Siphilangenkosi Dlamini.

The fourth-year Governance and Political Transformation student at the University of the Free State (UFS) is the author of a book, titled Magic and Other Authentic Experiences. The book is a compilation of 13 short stories that follow the lives of a vast pool of characters as they experience chaos, love, and tragedy, among other things.

Some of the stories highlighted in the book

The chapter ‘The House on Marloth Street’ delineates the story of a young woman named Gracious, who is forced into prostitution to earn her keep by an elder in her life. The book also sheds light on the intricacies of young love through a story titled ‘The Suicide Note’. This story follows the lives of two characters named Menzi and Lulu, whose lives reach a devastating end because of secrets, deceit, and forbidden love. However, one of Dlamini’s favourite stories in the book is titled ‘Girl on the Bus’, which is based on a real-life occurrence. “It was one of those rare experiences where you meet someone and they are full of life,” he stated.

The book is ultimately a manifestation of Dlamini’s love of literature. In fact, he argues that “these stories are a portrayal of different experiences of young people stepping into the world and trying to navigate life, love, and relationships”. This can be seen in the first story in the book, titled ‘Magic on Campus’, which is an account of Dlamini trying to pursue a young woman he met on campus, and highlighting how she made him feel.

Making strides through literature

Dlamini’s authentic storytelling led to three of his stories being selected as part of the curriculum for the English Academic Literature module, which is included in most faculties at the UFS. As many of the students at the UFS are exposed to this work, he states that, “I would love this book to symbolise the importance of telling African stories”. Although Dlamini is making strides with this book, he is still working on expanding the book’s reach. “I’m emailing bookstores every day, trying to get the book into bookstores,” he said.

Future endeavours for the young author

As someone who strongly believes in the preservation of African literature and the portrayal of African love stories in their most authentic context, Dlamini is currently working on his next project. The project would count as his first novel and is a sequel to the stories from Magic and Other Authentic Experiences. In this novel, Dlamini explores a world in which the various characters are placed in a similar setting, and the experiences they would have if their lives were to intersect.

The book is currently available for purchasing at R100 per copy. Those interested in purchasing a copy may contact Siphilangenkosi Dlamini on +27 84 374 0032 or 2018245304@ufs4life.ac.za.

Magic and Other Authentic Experiences book cover

News Archive

Wayde, Karla crowned as KovsieSport’s best

2015-10-21

The pride of KovsieSport. From the left, are: Ox Nche
(UFS Junior Sportman of the Year), Karla Mostert
(Senior Sportswoman of the Year), Wayde van Niekerk
(Senior Sportsman of the Year), and Brett Walraven
(on behalf of his sister, Nicole Walraven – Junior Sportswoman of the Year).
Photo: Hannes Naude

The journey does not belong to him alone, but to everyone at KovsieSport.

These were the words of University of the Free State’s (UFS) Wayde van Niekerk, after being named as KovsieSport’s Senior Sportsman of the Year on Wednesday 21 October 2015.

The South African sports star walked away with the award for the third consecutive year, while the Protea netball defender, Karla Mostert, was crowned Senior Sportswoman for the first time.

The Junior Bok, Ox Nche, and the Protea hockey player, Nicole Walraven, were named as Junior Sportsman and Junior Sportswoman of the Year respectively.

Nche represented South Africa’s U20 rugby team this year at the Junior World Championships, played for the Shimlas, and was named the UFS Rugby Club’s best junior player.

Walraven made her debut for South Africa in 2015. She was crowned jointly as the best player at the Provincial U21 tournament, and was also Hockey South Africa’s U21 Player of the Year.

Van Niekerk won gold in the 400 metres at the World Championships in Beijing, becoming only the fourth athlete in history to run the 400 m in less than 44 seconds, and the 200 metres in less than 20 seconds.

“This is precious, and something I will cherish as an athlete: being part of KovsieSport,” he said.

“I arrived at the UFS as a high school boy, started as a junior, and was accepted immediately.”

“I really appreciate everybody who played such a huge part in my life.”

Mostert was named as Player of the Series in the Brutal Fruit series, as well as the Varsity series this year. She was also a star for the Proteas at the World Cup.

“This (the award) is definitely a good way to end my time at Kovsies. This is something one is trying to achieve for years, so it really is a highlight.”

She said it was difficult to describe how much KovsieSport is doing for its athletes, and this was the reason why the UFS achieves so many successes in sport.

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