Young author set to fly Xitsonga culture high
17-year-old, Hazel Vutomi Khoza, has written two books thus far in her native Xitsonga.
POLOKWANE – Hazel, who stays in Ivy Park Extension 34, has written two books, which she says will provide knowledge on the Xitsonga culture.
Khoza is currently in Gr 12 at Capricorn High School and the young writer says she loves numbers and mathematics, but has always been a writer and creative at heart.
The first book that she wrote titled “Storms until happens” was inspired by her parents, Elizabeth Shalati Khoza and Chavane Khoza.
“My book, ‘Storms until happens’ talks about my mother and father’s life and also includes a mix of my own imaginative stories. It narrates a young girl, who has struggled, had a harsh child hood growing up but at the same time, she never gave up and still strived to succeed and be happy. She uses love to propel her inner strength and perseverance as she recovers from a bad relationship and chooses to engage and focus on one that changes her life for the better,” explains the young writer.
Khoza says she works with Flying Scroll, a publishing company that is based in Cape Town, and Rock Vision entertainment, who help her to promote and sell her book.
She also sells the books herself at R100 each.
Her second book is an an anthology of poetry and Xitsonga praises for different Xitsonga surnames as well as a combination of short stories. Titled Tswonga-Vulombe (which means “to suck honey”) is currently being edited and will be available soon.
The book is written in her mother tongue, Xitsonga, which she says is her way of prompting her culture and to encourage Xitsonga speaking people to be proud of their culture and embrace it.
The young writer plans to study medicine after she completes matric.
“After my Gr 12 I would like to study medicine as I know that with such a career, my future is and will be covered financially. I come from a family of doctors, there are 10 doctors in my family, so growing up in such a family motivated me to want also want to be a doctor,” she says.
She advises her peers to never give up on their dreams and to always strive to pursue goals that they set for themselves.
“Be like a bird that doesn’t depend on on the branches of the tree but on its owns wings,” she concludes.
