EVERYDAY, when daily duties have been seen to, Sibusiso Shange, a soldier by profession, trades his rifle in for a pen.
Aspiring to leave a legacy synonymous with everything that entails writing, he proves that a pen is indeed mightier than a sword. Having authored 40 books to date with more still in the pipeline, there are no limits to his creativity and in his own words, “Stories are all around us and in me, there are still plenty more stories to tell.”
His love affair with words started in high school when he favoured his book and pen, over leisure time at break, scribbling a few poems with no intention of keeping record of them. “Writing came naturally to me, but I never really thought much of my writing. I’d mostly write with the intention of giving it to somebody,” said the father of three.
“In 1990, I started earnestly writing poems, after having written a few of them, my principal got a hold of them. This was before the era of cell phones, we used to propose love to girls through the dying art of letter writing. It was during break time and the principal had thought that I was writing something for a girl, but I was writing a poem about my fellow learners as they were playing and enjoying their break. He was curious as to what I was drafting and asked to see my scribbles,” he fondly recalled.
He said his poem was read out in the staff room and his principal was so impressed, he gave him R5 and encouraged him to never stop writing.
“I was so elated, I also bought igwinya (fat cake) with some of that money,” he laughed.
“I matriculated in 1994 and I worked in the agriculture industry for two years, where, during my free time, I’d write. In 1996, I joined the army, but my biggest challenge there was that my superiors did not necessarily understand where I was going with this and so I had to stop. After about six months in training in Kimberly, I continued with my writing, as I was now accustomed to how things worked and how to fit my writing into my schedule.”
Sibusiso has built a name for himself locally in the field of creative arts, he is most noted for his novels and plays which include Azibuye eSezadlula (return the past) which was picked up by renowned playwright, Mbongeni Ngema, and performed at the Stable Theatre and at the Playhouse in Durban in 2005.
His writing is influenced by his immediate reality, his own struggles and all else around him including current affairs. His passion led him to starting a reading and writing club in Isipingo and eZingolweni where he found like-minded people who aspire to write and publish as much as he has.
He is also an actor and script writer and his latest film, Babezala and the Genuine Tears of Love, is scheduled to be showcased on Mzansi Magic on DSTV.
And his words of encouragement to budding writers? “Never ever write when you’re angry. You are writing for an audience and you should always be wary of giving out such energies, especially on paper. If you’d like to reach a certain point, keep calm and relax, to ensure that you give yourself breathing room, as to not wear yourself out.”
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