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<\/p>\nBy Siphesihle Dlamini
In the quiet intersection between art and social consciousness stands Mpumalanga Zwane, a poet whose words don\u2019t merely rhyme; they reason. They question, provoke, and ultimately heal.<\/p>\n
From an early fascination with the arts to her rise as one of Eswatini\u2019s thoughtful poetic voices, Zwane\u2019s journey both reflects and redefines how art can create meaning.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have always had an artistic side, and so have my siblings,\u201d she shared. In conversation, Zwane\u2019s words flow as rhythmically as her verses.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy eldest sister is a poet and writer; the second born did dance, sculpting, drawing, scrapbooks, and blogging; my brother produces beats.\u201d The Zwane household felt like a creative incubator, where cardboard became castles and scraps became stage sets.<\/p>\n
She laughed gently at the memory. \u201cWe\u2019d all make miniature houses out of cardboard and scraps around the house, put on shows for our parents, whether they liked it or not, and make up songs we\u2019d sing together at the top of our lungs.\u201d<\/p>\n
Growing up, Zwane\u2019s creativity found many outlets, drawing, writing, dancing, but poetry didn\u2019t immediately capture her full attention.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wrote a few poems here and there,\u201d she admitted, \u201cbut it wasn\u2019t something I was into until my brother introduced me to a show called Russell Simmons Presents Def Jam Poetry.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was so enthralling to see poetry being performed like that, the way the poets would make their pieces come alive through their voices and facial expressions. That was my first encounter with spoken word poetry, and I immediately fell in love,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
The very next day, she wrote her first poem meaning not to be read silently, but performed, alive and breathing. \u201cI started imagining how the emotions would progress, twist, and turn through the poem,\u201d Zwane explained.<\/p>\n
Initially, she wrote simply for the love of language, \u201cbeautiful poems that lacked meaning,\u201d as she put it, but that soon changed when she realised the power her words carried in performance.<\/p>\n
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\u201cWhen I performed, people would listen, and it began to concern me what type of messages I put out into the world.\u201d If the arts shaped Zwane\u2019s creative identity, displacement sharpened her perspective.<\/p>\n
\u201cPart of my turn towards more meaningful poetry,\u201d she explained, \u201cwas because, in the middle of Grade 11, I had to move to South Africa to complete my education.\u201d<\/p>\n
Born and raised in Eswatini, Zwane was used to cultural dominance, \u201cwhere we share one culture, language and history,\u201d she said. But suddenly, she found herself in a racially charged environment.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was strange. Different yet eye-opening.\u201d There were jokes about Eswatini, innocent on the surface but carrying undertones of ignorance.<\/p>\n
\u201cA few comments rubbed me the wrong way,\u201d she recalled. One day, a friend made a joke about Ethiopia, and she laughed until it hit her.<\/p>\n
\u201cI realised how hypocritical it was of me to be offended at jokes about my country yet so readily join in about another,\u201d she said. That moment of self-reflection marked a deep shift.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt made me wonder what it was about my education as a human that made me think so lowly about other African countries I had never seen or known much about,\u201d she continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt inspired me to write pro-African poetry. It also influenced my choice to pursue a degree in Social Science at a pan-African institution and enter development work,\u201d she explained.<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom my poetry, I got to interrogate some of the narratives around identity that shape us as Africans, as women, and as humans overall.\u201d
For Zwane, poetry is more than performance; it\u2019s a purpose.<\/p>\n
\u201cPoetry taught me how to think more critically about the world around me and gave me purpose,\u201d she reflected. She believes her civic work and her poetry are intertwined.<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery job and opportunity I have pursued was very intentional and contributes to the causes that are dear to my heart,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Through her art, Zwane channels her activism, taking the \u201cwords\u201d from the stage and translating them into \u201cwork\u201d in communities. \u201cI can say poetry has inspired a lot of who I have become and given my life more meaning,\u201d she said earnestly.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am inspired to shape a better tomorrow where things like where I am from, my gender, my skin colour will not be a barrier to me becoming my most full self and helping others do the same.\u201d<\/p>\n
Zwane\u2019s artistic vocabulary is rich, drawn from both global and local voices. \u201cIt was more a collective of poets,\u201d she explained. \u201cDef Jam Poetry showcased a wide variety of both slam and spoken word poetry.<\/p>\n
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I watched a full six seasons in one day; I was so enamoured.\u201d Locally, she draws inspiration from a growing wave of Eswatini poets. \u201cI\u2019m inspired by poets like Mocats, Qibho, Siya Dlamini and Christian Maz.<\/p>\n
I love how they present themselves and turn their work into a full experience,\u201d she said. Her admiration also extends to emerging voices. \u201cI love Annazide\u2019s work, dynamite in a small package! I look forward to seeing how she evolves.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her own work, however, gravitates toward specific themes,\u201d Pan-African and feminist poetry,\u201d she said plainly. These twin pillars, continental pride and gender consciousness, anchor much of her writing.<\/p>\n
Describing her creative process, Zwane remarked, \u201cOften, my poems are born from a series of contemplations, things I observe, read, conversations I have. A line or a thought might linger in my mind a while longer,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s hard to describe. I\u2019ll almost feel the poem, the way it will sound on stage, and just allow myself to write.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her approach is deeply intuitive. \u201cAs I look back and read the poem aloud, I edit, see what might make more sense, what feels better,\u201d she explained.<\/p>\n
\u201cOther times, I write because I wonder what it would look like to write about a particular thing, but in a new way. I\u2019ll play with that thought a bit, then just start writing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Though her roots are deeply Swazi, Zwane\u2019s poetry is predominantly in English. \u201cThat is something I have not really done yet,\u201d she admitted when asked about writing in SiSwati. \u201cI find I think better in English, so my words flow more easily that way.<\/p>\n
\u201d Yet she acknowledges the potential of local languages in artistic expression, seeing in them a future she may one day explore. When asked about being a female poet in Eswatini, Zwane offered a nuanced reflection.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a bit of a paradox because I do not necessarily think of myself as a \u2018woman writer,\u2019 but a writer,\u201d she said. \u201cYet I understand very intimately how being a woman has an impact on how I am experienced and some of the perspectives I, and others, may have around gender norms.\u201d<\/p>\n
She is optimistic about the local poetry scene. \u201cAs poetry evolves in the country, I\u2019m seeing more bold, young voices come up and greater use of social media to spread our art,\u201d she observed.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe variety of poetry shows and open mics is growing, it\u2019s a really interesting space.\u201d Zwane praised several initiatives creating platforms for poets and creatives. \u201cArtists in Eswatini have done well to start curating spaces for ourselves,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI applaud the great work Yini Loku has been doing to carve out space for artists in the country.\u201d<\/p>\n
She also highlighted collaborations that have rejuvenated the local arts scene. \u201cWe also see how some came together to reclaim the Theatre Club and really promote the interests of artists,\u201d she noted.<\/p>\n
And in a nod to international partnerships, Zwane expressed gratitude for the American Embassy\u2019s creative studio initiative. \u201cIt\u2019s free, it\u2019s got amazing equipment, and it\u2019s available to all who want to produce high-quality work,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Zwane\u2019s work has already crossed borders. \u201cInternationally, that\u2019s where knowing who one is and a great work ethic come into play,\u201d she advised. \u201cThere is space for Eswatini art on a global stage, we just need to bet on ourselves.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her first international project came through digital collaboration. \u201cThrough following other writers online and engaging with their work, I produced my very first video production for my poem Blxck, which was produced by a team in Rwanda,\u201d she shared proudly.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe did all that remotely. It was a fun project that I am still proud of to this day.\u201d<\/p>\n
Among her many performances, one stands out. \u201cI once performed my poem I Love My Hips,\u201d she recounted. \u201cThere was a young woman in the audience who was bulimic. She later told me that the poem gave her the courage to love herself.<\/p>\n
Whenever she had the urge to throw up, she would think of those words and talk herself off the ledge.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThere have been quite a few moments like that, but this one stands out,\u201d she said. When asked about her future, Zwane\u2019s eyes sparkled with both confidence and curiosity.<\/p>\n
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\u201cIn the next few years, I look to dig deeper into my own voice as an artist, literally and figuratively,\u201d she said. She is also exploring a fusion of her two passions.<\/p>\n
I am figuring out how to merge my love for abstract art and drawing, which was my first love, with my love for poetry.\u201d<\/p>\n
To Zwane, art is not mere entertainment, it is preservation. \u201cLiterary work and art play a vital role in elevating any culture,\u201d she asserted. \u201cIt gives the culture dignity, form, and allows it to transcend time.<\/p>\n
\u201d She believes that every poem, story, and song carries within it a lesson, a memory, a value. \u201cWe pass down so much knowledge through art, in our stories, songs, and poems, they carry forward our values and ways of being as a people,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe more artists differentiate themselves, the more we get to experience the full breadth of what it means to be Swazi.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her message to young women writers is both practical and profound. \u201cMove beyond being inspired by a particular artist and discover your own voice,\u201d she advised.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s okay to imitate others, but only to a certain degree. It\u2019s in discovering your own voice that you can truly find your own space in this growing industry.\u201d She also urged them to explore different forms of poetry.<\/p>\n
\u201cNot all poetry is created to be performed,\u201d she reminded. \u201cThere is a lot of opportunity in the written word as well, possibly even more profitable opportunities.\u201d<\/p>\n
As for what\u2019s next, Zwane teased that there is more to come. \u201cI\u2019m still trying to figure out how to execute it,\u201d she said with a smile, \u201cbut emaSwati can look forward to a bit more work from my side.\u201d<\/p>\n
Through her reflective tone and powerful storytelling, Mpumalanga Zwane reminds us that poetry is not just the art of words, it is the art of understanding.<\/p>\n
She writes not to escape the world, but to reshape it, one poem at a time. In her own words, \u201cI am inspired to shape a better tomorrow where things like where I am from, my gender, my skin colour will not be a barrier to me becoming my most full self.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"By Siphesihle Dlamini In the quiet intersection between art and social consciousness stands Mpumalanga Zwane, a poet whose…","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5471,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"iawp_total_views":0,"csco_display_header_overlay":false,"csco_singular_sidebar":"","csco_page_header_type":"","csco_page_load_nextpost":"","csco_post_video_location":[],"csco_post_video_location_hash":"","csco_post_video_url":"","csco_post_video_bg_start_time":0,"csco_post_video_bg_end_time":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[35,36,25],"tags":[46,39,73,48,41,58],"class_list":["post-5466","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-entertainment","category-lifestyle","category-national","tag-africa","tag-entertainment","tag-eswatini","tag-feature","tag-music","tag-national","cs-entry","cs-video-wrap"],"yoast_head":"\n