Writer from Leandra publishes first book

Johannes Mabapa (45) published his first book, which tells the story of an abuse victim who gets saved by a police officer and then falls in love with him.

This detective romance, called Tomorrow, has 272 pages and is available directly from Mabapa or on Amazon as an eBook.

“Tomorrow is a futuristic book that encourages the reader to think about what they went through yesterday and that they must work hard today because tomorrow is waiting for them,” said Mabapa.

He grew up in Phalaborwa, and his love for writing and reading began in high school.

“I loved writing essays and was also quite good at it,” said Mabapa.

After matriculating, he wanted to study further but could not afford to, so he moved to Mpumalanga for better work opportunities.

He worked at a supermarket in Leandra until he was retrenched last year. His journey as a writer began in 2018 when he wrote his first novel on his cellphone.

“I had to undergo a hand operation and was waiting at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital and decided to write using my phone,” said Mabapa.

He is already working on his next two books, a science fiction book called Treasures on the Moon and a book in his home language, Sepedi, called Bana Ba Kgosi, about the Seped culture and traditions.

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He also has a collection of unpublished short stories titled The Direction of the Sun, which he wrote over the years. Mabapa does not have a full-time job and saves money he gets from UIF to publish his books.

He recently entered some of his stories in the Commonwealth Creative Competition, an international competition, and is awaiting the outcome.

In his free time, he helps other writers improve their craft, especially through his Facebook page, Johannes Mabapa Foundation. He also volunteers as a grammar tutor and helps the children in his neighbourhood with their English.

Mabapa wants to encourage the youth to spend more time in libraries and less on the streets.

“I am passionate about teaching, and many of the children I helped passed their year,” said Mabapa.

He reads any book, including autobiographies, history books, the Bible and even children’s books in any language.

“If it is another language like Zulu or Afrikaans, I think I will eventually learn the language faster if I read books written in that language. I enjoy reading other writers’ books because I want to learn from them.”

A good teacher was behind Mabapa developing a love for the English language.

“In Grade Six, I hated English because my teacher was not passionate, but in Grade Seven, I had a very passionate teacher who made me excited to learn English.”

Mabapa’s dream is to write as many books as possible, but not just any books. He wants to write books that touch people’s lives and touch on social elements.

“I want to leave a legacy of reading. Books are like medicine and therapy. If you feel stressed or overwhelmed, open a book, newspaper or magazine, and you will feel healed after reading other people’s stories.”

Mabapa said the municipality must remember that writing is also part of arts and culture.

“It is difficult to be a writer, and writers face many challenges. The municipality can give us some recognition and help as well.”

It costs between R150 and R200 to buy Tomorrow, depending on the courier service. Contact him on 079 321 6816 or via WhatsApp on 060 549 9556 to order his printed book or visit https://mybook.to/JMabapa_Tomorrow to order the eBook.

Win a book

One lucky reader can win a copy of his book by answering this question: Where did Johannes Mabapa grow up?
Email your answer to janao@caxton.co.za

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