Netshikhudini wants her book to change lives

Didimalang Netshikhudini from Tshakhuma village is beaming with joy and she has good reason for doing so. Her dream to have her own book published has become a reality at last, and she can hardly contain her excitement.

Her 74-page novel, called Born Bold, focuses on the many challenges and stumbling blocks the youth of today face which, she says, may result from family, friends, drugs and alcohol, failures, poverty, unemployment, sin, or wrong decisions.

Her love of writing started to develop back in 2006, when she was in Grade 5. At that stage, she was a pupil at the Mariadze Primary School. Netshikhudini wrote her first novel, titled Valentine’s Day, a decade ago, but it was never published. She wrote many other imaginative pieces, which she gave to friends and family members to read for pleasure. “I have been telling stories since I can remember. In my primary school days, I used to tell some of these stories to the class when a teacher took an after-lunch nap.”

Netshikhudini said she wanted people to live their lives to the fullest, despite their backgrounds and circumstances. “I wrote this book because I want to motivate people to modify their lives by transforming their mentality. It will be a dream come true if this book can touch the lives of people who are struggling in life; struggling to move on and pick up the pieces of their lives,” she said.

In her opinion, the motivation behind writing a book should not be money but a means to relay a message to people. Her message to the readers is clear:  a good life is possible on the other side of poverty. She severely criticised people who write books only to sustain themselves and fill their own bellies, saying that people should write for the sake of knowledge.

The book is available at most of the local bookshops. For more information, Netshikhudini can be contacted on 076 040 0064. She is also available on Facebook (Didimalang Didie Netshikhudini), her Facebook page (A paper and a pen in Didie’s veins), Instagram (Didimalang Didie Netshikhudini), or email her at [email protected].

Entertainment - Date: 26 February 2022

Kaizer Nengovhela

Kaizer Nengovhela started writing stories for Limpopo Mirror in 2000. Prior to that he had a five year stint at Phala-Phala FM as sports presenter. In 2005 Kaizer received an award from the province's premier as Best Sports Presenter. The same year he was also nominated as Best Sports Reporter by the Makhado Municipality. Kaizer was awarded the Mathatha Tsedu award in 2014.

Email: [email protected]