Born and raised in Kagiso, Thabile Mange is taking the Book World by storm.
“I have been writing for quite some time, for about 15 to 20 years. People know me as a writer,” he explained to the news that he does not like to be boxed in one category, as he is active in many areas of his life.
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Thabile started out as a write and later would start writing for Mogale City Newsletter which, according to the writer, was an external letter and later Sunday Sun invited him to become their columnist to which he wrote for them for three years, “Then I was the columnist for News Time it was an online newspaper but it is no longer exists” he says, he has written letters for various newspaper publications including, the Sowetan and Krugersdorp News he explained.
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In 2017 he started writing books, “I have written six books in a space of six years, and this year I am going to produce two which will be a total of eight books.”
Thabile says that he sees himself as a social activist more than anything because he says he uses his writing to raise social issues, “Most people especially people of colour do not have a voice because I stay in the township of Kagiso and I see and observe what is happening, I use my writing to raise the issues that we see on a daily,” he says.
A happily married man with three children, a writer, social activist a business owner – Mange Publishers – and someone who works a 9 to 5 job, a highly educated man with two masters degrees in different fields; knowledge is definitely power to Thabile.
“I have published my books and other books as well,” he says.
Speaking to the News about his books, Thabile said ‘the first one is about religion which speaks about prosperity pastors’.
He further explains that his books are for every age, ‘except those who can’t read but one way or another they are all affected’.
His books vary from absent fathers, to women abuse, his books tell a story that has a direct impact on people, stories that are known as the face of poverty and violence.
“My books are written from what motivates me in that moment, with the first book it was the era of prosperity pastors who were taking money from the poor, lying to them by saying ‘if you give to us you get a lot of money’ which was what motivated me at that point in time,” he said.
His book regarding women abuse has changed lives, says Thabile.
“The few who have read the book have mastered the courage to leave the abusive relationships,” he says, and that is what the goal of the books are, ‘I want to change people’s lives’.
Thabile wants to use his writing and life story so it can motivate other young men that it can get better.