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I am Zonwabele Blackie Tshayana, born in Cape Town and bred in Ngcobo, in the Eastern Cape. I am an aspiring poet whose work has not been published though I am in the process of finding ways to hook up with publishers. This is an enormous task in this province, since we have a few publishing houses. Currently, I am working in the HIV/AIDS sector, as a health promoter and as an ambassador for Positive Living. This gives me pleasure, for I can contribute positively in the fight against HIV, and while I'm doing that, share my personal experiences of living with the virus. "Itsho nagamazipho abhanya-bhanya nomlomo ingathi ngowesidumbu, andisathethi ngobuso, ingathi lixhegwazana likamamlambo elitshiswe ngumthombothi. Uxakekile ke usisi, uphethe iitasi eziliqela, xa ubuza ukuba ivela phi na imali yokuthenga konke oko, uve kusithiwa ngula tata uhamba ngala 'G-string' (BMW 3 Series) imthubi. Xa ujonga eli xhego, ufika kwinto enxiba ingathi kungona iziqondayo ukuba iyinkwenkw' endala. Kona kona, esi sethu isizwe sonakele."

My Generation: Kwenzekeni na lutsha? Zonwabele Tshayana Available as: Isizukulwana Sethu: Kwenzekeni na lutsha?

My piece is mainly about young people abusing their rights and neglecting their responsibilities. I try to encourage our youth to get on board the moral regeneration programme and to try and avoid activities that could lead them into destruction. I also try to warn them against the dangers of not listening to the elders, talking from my own experiences. For example, had I concentrated on my studies, as my parents advised, and not started drinking and doing drugs at a very young age, I wouldn't have got infected with HIV. So what I'm saying is that as much as we have rights, we also have a responsibility to ensure that we don't abuse those rights, and furthermore, that we do not fall victim to avoidable circumstances. I also try to highlight the fact that as this generation we are blessed with a lot of experienced people whose experience could be vital in our prolonged existence. Our democracy has taught us that living together as one nation and working together is the tonic we need to curb the social pandemics that we are faced with.

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LitNet: 24 November 2004

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