Nyiko Speaks...

The off white Maggie Sottero mermaid or trumpet  designer wedding gown made of raw silk or duchess satin fabric, three tier vanilla wedding cake: simple yet sophisticated, sounds of ululating in the background, Brenda Fassie's vulindlela blaring somewhere in the background, family and friends gathered together to celebrate... I know many ladies, some of them my friends and others acquaintances, that make it a point to buy wedding magazines every month, are always on top of the latest trends regarding weddings, never miss wedding expos, already know what kind of wedding dress they want, already have their three bridesmaids, already have their wedding cake flavor all figured out, already know the venue for their wedding and have already figured out their seating chart for the reception.  And oh how can I forget, they already have their wedding playlist, ( others even want Judith Sephuma, or Caiphus Semenya and Letta Mbulu to provide live entertainment at their reception)

Dear Rafiki I remember when my dad called to tell me that he had just bought me a puppy. A small, clever, naughty, mischievous, adventurous jack russel. It was 2009 and I was living in Pretoria at the time. I could not wait to come home that weekend to meet you. My dad gave me a task....an honourable one at that. He said I could name you! So I put aside my books (I had been working on an assignment) and set about trying to find you the perfect name! A name with meaning_ so the common Spotty, Blacky, Danger, Topsy were definitely out of the running! I finally decided on Rafiki- which means 'friend' in Swahili. Indeed Rafiki you were my four legged best friend! From the time you were small enough to fit in the palm of my hand until you grew into a valiant hero of a dog. Even though Jack Russels are mini dogs you had the heart and personality of a Greyhound or even a lion! I remember I would always remark at how you probably thought of yourself as a person, in the sense that you

Feelings don’t lie You can never tell the heart what to do. It has a mind of its own. It is your compass, forever guiding you, and forever shielding you. The heart has your best interests at heart, at most times anyway (lol). Feelings don't lie. At times the heart and the mind find themselves at loggerheads; on opposite ends of the unseen battlefield where the heart wants what it wants and the mind too wants what it wants. The mind likes to think of itself as rational, logical, pragmatic, prefers to take calculated decisions and operates from that which can be seen by the naked eye. Important as the mind may be, the heart however is the essence of who you are. It is your authentic self—the core of your being. It is where all your dreams, your desires, and your passions live. It is that part of you that connects with God and other people. Important as the mind may be, I, myself accord a higher premium to the role of the heart vis-a-vis that of the

This is a celebratory piece, and entry to celebrate the place I call home. When people ask me where I am from, I seemingly always have two answers (in no particular order of precedence): Joburg seems to be the most obvious (since I lived in Soweto from birth until I was ten and then we moved to another part of Joburg. The second answer which I give is Mpumalanga, Bushbuckridge. I must admit I think that it is this answer which I find more fitting to the question, even though I did not grow up there. Bushbuckridge, in the lush green, mountainous and scenic province of Mpumalanga is where my dad, Jimmy Magondzweni Khoza is from. As my father’s child, it would logically follow that my genesis too stems from this jewel of a place. This place is home, and I will proudly declare it and shout it from the rooftops!! As I write this entry, my mom sister, niece and I are in Bushbuckridge. As we were driving to this cultural heartland, seeing the beautiful greenery, the ca