POLOKWANE – Polokwane-based Sepedi poet and author Moses Seletisha, was one of the 11 winners in the prestigious 2024 Avbob Poetry Competition, representing South Africa’s official written languages.
This year’s winners were honoured at the Avbob Poetry Gala dinner last Wednesday, held at the Pretoria Country Club. The event celebrated South Africa’s rich cultural diversity and highlighted Avbob’s commitment to preserving linguistic heritage through poetry.
Seletisha claimed top spot in the Sepedi category with his poem, ‘Lerato la morapedi’.
Avbob CEO Carl van der Riet, in his keynote address, stressed the power of poetry in helping individuals make sense of deep emotional experiences.
“Poetry offers individuals and communities the freedom to express their innermost thoughts, bypassing logic, and inviting us to listen with our hearts, he said.
During the event, Van der Riet introduced a new category for the competition called ‘New Beginnings’, adding to the existing themes of Birth, Hope, Death and Love.
This new theme encourages poets to explore fresh starts and new journeys through poetry.
Seletisha expressed his pride and gratitude on his win, saying, “It feels good to represent my province and win among so many talented artists. I’m humbled and honoured”.
Each language category winner received a R10 000 cash prize, a R2 500 book voucher, and a trophy.
