Celebrating the Enduring Legacy of Poet Nontsizi Mgqwetho

The University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) Library Services, through the Special Collections: Killie Campbell Collections, hosted a discussion on Nontsizi Mgqwetho: The Poet of the People (1919-1929).

The event explored the life, literary achievements and enduring legacy of Nontsizi Mgqwetho, one of South Africa’s pioneering Black women poets. The discussion highlighted her contribution to African literature and the importance of preserving the work of pioneering women writers who have shaped South Africa’s intellectual and cultural heritage.

The book’s author, Dr Thulani Mkhize, provided insights into Mgqwetho’s life and poetry, placing her work within the historical and political context of early twentieth-century South Africa. Writing between 1919 and 1929, Mgqwetho documented a period of profound social and political change. Her poetry emerged in the aftermath of the 1913 Natives Land Act, when African communities were experiencing widespread land dispossession, social upheaval and increasing political mobilisation. It was also a period in which the South African Native National Congress, which later became the African National Congress (ANC), was still in its formative years.

Dr Mphumeleli Ngidi contributed to the discussion by posing several questions that encouraged reflection on the book and Mgqwetho’s lasting significance. Among them was the question: “Nearly a century after her death, why should South Africans and the rest of the world still read Nontsizi Mgqwetho?”

Responding to this question, Mkhize explained that Mgqwetho wrote during a turbulent period when African leaders sought to represent the interests of Black South Africans while debating the most effective paths towards liberation and self-determination. He noted that her poetry did not merely reflect the political climate but actively engaged with it. Rather than accepting the dominant voices of her time, Mgqwetho critically questioned the leadership and political ideas emerging from African public figures, including those associated with the newly established ANC.

Mkhize emphasised that the questions Mgqwetho raised remain relevant today. Her writings challenged assumptions about who has the authority to speak on behalf of ordinary people and highlighted the importance of accountability among leaders. These themes continue to resonate in contemporary discussions about representation, democracy, social justice and the responsibilities of public leadership.

Throughout the session, Mkhize explored the themes in Mgqwetho’s poetry, including identity, justice, education, Christianity, African spirituality, gender and the everyday struggles faced by Black South Africans under colonial rule. Her poetry documented historical events while expressing the aspirations, frustrations, resilience and hopes of African communities during a period of significant political and social transformation.

The discussion further underscored Mgqwetho’s significance as one of the earliest Black women to publish extensively in isiXhosa newspapers and as an important voice in African intellectual history. Her work challenged gender expectations of the time by demonstrating that women could actively contribute to public debates on politics, religion, education and society. In doing so, she expanded the role of women within South Africa’s literary and political landscape.

The event also highlighted the role of archives and special collections in preserving indigenous literary heritage. Institutions such as the Killie Campbell Collections safeguard historical materials that enable researchers, students and the wider public to engage with the writings of figures such as Mgqwetho. Preserving these works enables future generations to better understand South Africa’s complex history through contemporary voices and perspectives.

Audience members participated in the discussion, posing questions and sharing reflections on Mgqwetho’s work and its relevance in contemporary South Africa. The interactive session facilitated an exchange of ideas among the author, academics, students and members of the public, further exploring Mgqwetho’s literary and historical significance.

Overall, the discussion celebrated Mgqwetho’s enduring literary legacy and highlighted the importance of recognising historically overlooked Black women writers. It also promoted continued scholarship on South Africa’s literary heritage and demonstrated the contemporary relevance of Mgqwetho’s engagement with questions of leadership, identity, justice and equality.

Words: Senzo Mkhize

Photograph: Supplied