Ms Humbulani Tharaga, a talented poet from Davhana village in Vuwani, won first place in the Tshivenda category at the 2024 AVBOB Poetry Competition. The award ceremony took place on Wednesday, 18 September, at the Pretoria Country Club.

Tharaga received a trophy for her poem O fhola (She is Healed). She is among 11 winners, each representing one of South Africa’s official written languages. The competition is celebrating South Africa’s cultural diversity during Heritage Month.

With 42 poems published in the AVBOB Poetry Library, Tharaga considers the win a reward for her dedication. “Even though it came as a surprise, I knew I was destined for greatness, especially in poetry, because that’s where my passion lies. I put a lot of effort into crafting my content. I believe that my success will benefit the community and inspire aspiring poets to join the competition and build their writing confidence,” she said.

Tharaga’s love of poetry began in Grade 5 at Matamela Primary School, where she read the works of pioneering Tshivenda poet Dr Paul Ramudzuli Ngwana. Her high-school teacher, Mr Nditsheni Makwarela, encouraged her to pursue her dreams. After finishing school, she enrolled in a information management course at Pretoria Technical College in 2002. She currently works as an administrator for the South African Police Service.

“I see a lot of traumatic things in the dockets, and often death tells a terrible story. Poetry helps me deal with many painful experiences. I want to convey that death is real; it’s not just the rapture coming to take them away,” she said.

She views this achievement as a stepping stone and encourages all poets, especially young people, to value their languages. “It hurts to realise that we are rendering our ancestral languages invalid. Anyone who thinks our mother tongues are less important must think again. I wish to elevate my Venda language to another level,” she said.