A peaceful Sunday morning turned chaotic for Azizi as he was brought to the emergency room. He was in agony, bleeding, and had huge bite marks on him, mostly on his arms and legs. He claimed it was a Boerboel that attacked him, but the doctors doubted the validity of his story due to the size of the wounds.

Meanwhile, the police received an anonymous tip suggesting that a wild animal might be on the loose in the city after having bitten someone. The tipster provided the police with the address of an apartment in Langa, Cape Town. Upon arrival, the police heard a menacing growl coming from inside through the front door. Eager to investigate, they made their way to the apartment next door, grabbed a drill, and started making tiny holes in the wall to peek inside. To their shock, they were met with the unexpected sight of a 200-kilogram African lion lounging in the Langa apartment. The pressing question was: How on earth did the king of the jungle end up there?

Back to Azizi, a 31-year-old part-time driver for a ride-sharing company who had a strong love for animals. He went to the extent of illegally acquiring an infant Cape baboon and a lion cub from an exotic animal trainer in Cape Town and bringing them to live with him in his government-subsidised apartment in Langa. Azizi already had a ball python named Sly living with him in his apartment, and now he also has a Cape baboon and a lion. What could possibly go wrong?

When Azizi acquired the Cape baboon, it was unwell, leading to a short life span. Sadly, the baboon passed away shortly after, but the lion cub survived. Azizi named the cub Shiba and raised him in his apartment, providing him with his own room, a sandbox to play in, and transitioning him to solid food. Their bond grew strong, making them the best of friends.

After two and a half years had passed, Shiba had outgrown his cub days. He had transformed into a 200-kilograms king of the beasts, yet he still resided in that government-subsidised apartment with Azizi and Sly. Azizi supposedly fed him 8 to 10-kilograms of chicken daily, considering his massive size. Lions sure do have an appetite!

If you thought a man and a giant lion sharing an apartment was a recipe for disaster, you wouldn't be alone. However, against all odds, everything was actually going perfectly well.

It was a regular day until Azizi encountered a stray house cat lingering right outside his doorstep. Driven by his affection for animals, he welcomed the cat into his home, adopted him, and lovingly named him Shadow. To ensure Shadow's comfort, Azizi arranged a special room for him, away from Shiba.

After about three weeks, Azizi and Shiba were playfully wrestling, their usual way of playing together. Suddenly, Shadow emerged from his room, and Shiba, catching a glimpse of him, immediately switched into wild animal mode. He sprang into action, pursuing Shadow relentlessly around the place in an attempt to capture and eliminate him. Azizi quickly reacted by positioning himself between Shiba and Shadow, only to end up being tackled by Shiba. Azizi held onto him tightly to prevent him from going after Shadow, but that's when Shiba latched onto Azizi's neck, then his arm, and finally clamped down on his knee, refusing to release his grip.

Azizi found himself in a precarious situation when his knee ended up in the mouth of an African lion. The tense standoff lasted for two long minutes before Shiba decided to release him. Feeling remorseful, Shiba quickly sought refuge in the bathroom. In great pain, Azizi was forced to dial for paramedics, who quickly transported him to the hospital. It was then that he fabricated a story about a Boerboel attack, worried that they would uncover Shiba and take his lion away.

Back at the neighbour's place, the police officers gazed through the hole they had created in the wall and were startled to find a fully-grown lion lounging inside. "Yoh, yoh, yooh!" the officers exclaimed in disbelief. Now, they needed to brainstorm a strategy to safely remove this 200-kilograms beast without becoming its next meal.

A police officer rappelled down the building with a tranquillizer gun in hand. Upon reaching the apartment window, he glimpsed Shiba inside. Taking aim through the bars, he fired a dart, striking Shiba on the shoulder.

Shiba's reaction was clear: he was not happy with the situation, leading him to get angry and charge at the window, repeatedly slamming against it. Fortunately, Shiba eventually succumbed to the tranquillizer, and the police were able to safely remove both Shiba and Sly from Azizi's apartment before relocating them. As expected, Azizi was taken into custody.

Charged with reckless endangerment and keeping wild animals without the proper permit, he was convicted and handed a fifteen-month prison term after a court hearing.

Sly, the ball python, was rehoused in a snake sanctuary in Cape Town, and Shiba was moved to an animal sanctuary in Paarl, where he had the opportunity to run and play with other big cats, including lions.

Until the age of nineteen years and four months, Shiba lived in that location, a significant lifespan in lion years. Sadly, he eventually passed away from natural causes.

Shadow was never seen again.

"Now that I knew fear, I also knew it was not permanent. As powerful as it was, its grip on me would loosen. It would pass."

Louise Erdrich, The Round House

Quick Reads

Love Is Blind
When Raymond, a lawyer with an eccentric flair, stumbled upon a breathtaking woman named Layla, he was instantly smitten. Her beauty left him spellbound, igniting an overwhelming desire to be with her more than anything.

He pulled out all the stops to win her heart. From lavish dinners to thoughtful gifts, he spared no expense. Every morning, he would wait outside her house, ready to drive her to work. His efforts paid off, and she finally relented, agreeing to give him a chance, leading to the start of their relationship.

Everything took a disastrous turn when they had been dating for about a year. One evening, during a seemingly normal date, Raymond dropped a shocking revelation: he was already married with children. This news shattered Layla, leaving her furious. Raymond attempted to reassure her, saying, "It's okay, I'm in the middle of a divorce," but Layla was far from convinced. In a desperate bid to regain her trust, Raymond even presented her with what he claimed were divorce papers. However, upon further investigation, Layla discovered that those papers were nothing more than a clever ruse. With a firm resolve, Layla ended her relationship with Raymond for good.

She took some time to gather herself and soon met a guy named Scott. They hit it off and began dating, with Scott proving to be a genuinely nice person. A few months later, Scott proposed, and they got engaged. When Raymond found out about their engagement, he was furious. Instead of accepting reality, he spiralled into obsession, determined to win his Layla back.

He reached out to her incessantly, showering her with letters, flowers, and gifts. In a desperate bid, he even turned to her friends, pleading with them to pass along his messages. Unfortunately for him, none of these efforts bore fruit, leading him to resort to a more sinister approach. He began to threaten her, hurling rocks at her window in an attempt to instill fear, claiming he would send people to harm her. However, his intimidation only pushed Layla further away.

Layla was resolute; she had no intention of returning to Raymond, and her commitment to Scott was still strong. This pushed Raymond into a dark place.

In a fit of jealousy, he plotted to ensure that if he couldn't possess Layla, he would make her undesirable to everyone else by hiring someone to mar her beauty.

On a seemingly typical morning, Layla was having breakfast when the doorbell interrupted her meal. She went to see who it was and found two men at the door, claiming to have a delivery for her. Suddenly, one of them hurled a jar of liquid at her face, and they bolted away as she screamed in agony, feeling the burning sensation of the liquid. An ambulance was called and quickly rushed her to the hospital, where she endured two and a half months of surgeries, leaving her with permanent blindness in one eye and partial blindness in the other.

Following her release from the hospital, she sat down for an extensive conversation with Scott, leading them to the difficult decision to end their engagement. They both felt that Raymond was too perilous and posed a significant threat and feared he might attempt to harm Scott next.

After four long months, the police finally managed to find the two men Raymond had enlisted to assault Layla. One of the suspects started singing like a canary, leading both men to confess to their involvement in the crime. They both claimed that Raymond was the mastermind behind the entire operation.

Raymond found himself in court, ultimately receiving a sentence of at least thirteen years behind bars. However, he faced a significant dilemma: his deep love for Layla remained unwavering, and he was resolute in his decision to fight for her love - even behind bars.

While serving his time, he found solace in writing letters to her, sharing his feelings of longing and his unwavering affection. Yet poor Layla was still facing her own battles. Though her attackers were behind bars, she was grappling with near blindness, financial difficulties, and the loneliness of living on her own. She began responding to him, and when Raymond discovered her financial struggles, he started sending her money. While in prison, he had taken on paralegal work, and he sent her whatever small amounts he earned. She relied on that support, which kept their communication steady. Over the course of twelve years, they maintained their connection, and eventually, the day came when Raymond completed his sentence and was released from prison.

After his release, Raymond reconnected with Layla, and he found himself in the spotlight once more. His past actions had made him a local figure of notoriety, particularly for hiring men to attack and blind his ex-girlfriend. This infamy led to an invitation for a live television interview. During the show, in a surprising twist, Raymond turned to the camera and proposed to Layla, capturing the attention of viewers everywhere. To everyone's astonishment, Layla accepted his proposal. Six months later, she married the man who had caused her so much pain, and they embarked on a new chapter together, seemingly living happily ever after.

More than a decade passed, during which Raymond had been unfaithful to Layla with several women, as one might expect. One of these women eventually came forward, revealing that she and Raymond had been involved for four years. However, she claimed that he had recently begun to harass and threaten her with violence, reminiscent of his behaviour towards Layla. This led her to file charges against him, and the case made its way to court. Surprisingly, Layla chose to stand by Raymond and testified as a character witness, asserting that he would never hurt a fly. Thanks to Layla, Raymond was able to evade most of the charges but was convicted of second-degree harassment. The couple continued their marriage, but tragically, about five years after the trial, Layla passed away.

In a bizarre turn of events, many years later, when Raymond had reached the age of ninety-one, he fell victim to his much younger caretaker, who cunningly swindled him out of his 8 million rands worth of fortune just before he took his last breath.
Lost At Sea
As the elderly couple looked on, they witnessed a peculiar sight: a man crawling through the sand. He was naked, barely able to stand, clutching a knife, and shouting something in a language they couldn't comprehend.

Willem, a fearless fisherman who braved the dangers of the deep sea to reel in Geelbek and Cape Snoek along the cold Atlantic waters. One morning, he made the spontaneous decision to embark on a two-day fishing escapade. With his usual fishing buddy unavailable, he sought out a replacement. That's when a young and inexperienced angler named Ashley eagerly stepped up to the challenge. Together, Willem and Ashley set sail on the Atlantic waters.

Over the course of two days, they dedicated themselves to fishing and managed to accumulate a total of 500 kilograms of fish. This impressive catch would bring in a tidy profit once they returned home, equivalent to a week's earnings. Unfortunately, their journey back took an unexpected twist as they set sail homeward. Without warning, a massive storm descended upon them, filling the boat with water. Panicked, Ashley grabbed a bucket to scoop out the water while Willem fought to steer through the turbulent waves. Luckily, the storm eventually subsided, revealing land on the horizon.

They were approximately two hours from the shore when the boat's engine began to stutter and eventually stopped. Willem quickly grabbed a two-way radio and contacted his boss to inform him about the engine failure. His boss enquired about their location, but their GPS had malfunctioned. As if things couldn't get any worse, the storm began to gather strength, causing the boat to be violently tossed around by towering waves, lifting them up to 10 meters high before dropping them back down. Upon realising that the 500 kilograms of fish they had caught were making the boat unstable, Willem made the decision to dump it all out. They continued to throw overboard anything else that was not useful, such as extra ice and fuel, in order to lighten the load and restore stability to the boat.

When the two-way radio suddenly went silent, Willem and Ashley had already been working tirelessly to remove water from the boat for a couple of hours. Despite their best efforts, the engine remained stubbornly inactive. Willem's anger boiled over; he was seething with rage and completely lost control. He grabbed a club typically used for killing fish and violently smashed the boat's engine. In a fit of frustration, he tossed the dead GPS and radio into the water.

With nightfall and dropping temperatures, the two men had no choice but to huddle under an overturned cooler for warmth and shelter.

Meanwhile, back on land, a search party was organised to find the missing duo. However, the relentless storm continued to rage on, making visibility extremely poor. After three days of fruitless searching, the decision was made to call off the search.

Five more days dragged on before the storm ceased its fury. Willem and Ashley were left disoriented, realising they were in the middle of nowhere. Hunger gnawed at their stomachs, and there was no food or water left on the boat. With Willem's tools lost at sea, he had to improvise. He spent time honing his skills at catching fish with his bare hands. They had no choice but to eat their catch raw and drink their own urine to stay alive.

One fortunate day, a seabird landed on their boat, giving them a stroke of luck. Willem wasted no time in seizing the opportunity and swiftly took the bird's life. They managed to sustain themselves by consuming the bird for a couple of days until rain finally poured down, allowing them to gather water to drink. For approximately two months, they survived by eating raw fish and collecting rainwater whenever possible.

With each passing day, Ashley underwent a transformation that deeply affected his demeanor. Sinking into a state of despair, he rejected any form of sustenance. The mere idea of consuming raw animals repulsed him to the point where he abandoned eating entirely. His condition worsened, prompting Willem and Ashley to fear the worst. In a desperate move, they made a pact: if Willem survives, he will reach out to Ashley's mother with a message intended exclusively for her. He reluctantly agreed to the plan.

One rainy morning, following over three months of being adrift at sea, Ashley succumbed to starvation. Willem was heartbroken to find himself alone. The bond they had formed during their harrowing ordeal was strong, leaving Willem feeling incredibly isolated. He found himself conversing with Ashley's lifeless body, unable to let go. After six days, he came to the realisation that it was not healthy to continue pretending the corpse was still alive.

He shoved Ashley's lifeless body into the ocean, then continued to survive on his boat adrift at sea. Another month passed, and Willem was still there, living off the land, catching fish, drinking rainwater, and talking to birds and dead fish.

Suddenly, Willem spotted a new type of bird - not the usual seabirds, but land birds. In the distance, he could make out a mountaintop, which turned out to be connected to an island. It was a glimmer of hope that maybe he could keep his word and deliver the message to Ashley's mother.

The island was approximately an hour away, and Willem steered his boat in its direction. As he neared, he plunged into the water and swam for dear life to the shore. Upon reaching it, he found himself too feeble to stand, completely unclothed, and armed with a knife for safety. He laboriously crawled onto the beach and into the jungle, where he came across a house occupied by an elderly couple. They saw him crawling around naked with a knife, shouting in Afrikaans. The elderly couple ended up helping him get to the hospital.

So what is this island that Willem finally landed on after being lost at sea for more than four months? Willem had drifted almost 2800 kilometres all the way from coastal Cape Town to the Tristan da Cunha island.

A month later, after being rescued and coming back to Cape Town, South Africa, he paid a visit to Ashley's mother and was able to pass along Ashley's last message to her.

His incredible story landed him a book deal, but then Ashley's family sued him for two million rands, claiming half of the book sales.

Africa Africa Africa!
Oh the once mighty and heroic Africa
Why has thou grown so cold?
Why has thou remained thus numb?

A fremd is here in thy enclave
Battling thy home without mercy
And battering thy all in thy all
Before thy very eyes, oh Africa!

Thy peace is stolen
And fear injected in thy veins
With thy activities all at halt
All by same unwelcome visitor.

Thy hands are caged
And thy mouth silenced with mask
While thy children die in numbers
Before thy very eyes, oh Africa!

Hunger is dire in the land
Yet thy children are home and docked
For the fear of the fremd
And thou dost nothing.

Thou keepest quite, oh Africa!
In the midst of all these
Waiting for the Whites to solve thy puzzle
And the world to come to your rescue.

When hast thou grown lazy, Africa?
Where are thy ecumenic powers?
Where are thy roots and thy foods?
What happened to thy herbs?

Why art thou dependent on the Whites?
Why hope on them for solution?
Why look akimbo, oh Africa?
Can't solution come from thee?

Are thy bushes there in vain?
Thy creatures and powers to create
Africa, recall thy deeeds in the past
And mights and beauty in the days of old.

Arise, oh Africa, to save the world
For a fremd has trapped the earth
And the key with the earth remains
Arise oh Africa, and find ye the key.

Arise, Africa, Arise
Leverage thy powers and flowers
The world is waiting for your
Arise, oh Africa, arise

Izunna Okafor

Bookshelf

"There is an enemy. There is an intelligent, active, malign force working against us. Step one is to recognise this. This recognition alone is enormously powerful. It saved my life, and it will save yours." -- Steven Pressfield

Steven Pressfield

Dive into this collection of poetry and prose inspired by modern dating and broken relationships, perfect for fans of Rupi Kaur and Orion Carloto.
"You'll Come Back to Yourself" examines issues of depression, infidelity, lost love, body image, and ultimately the ability of women to make their own decisions.

Michaela Angemeer

An assortment of Chinua Achebe's short fiction, composed north of twenty years and drawn from scholarly diaries and magazines.

Chinua Achebe

Vincent Chukwuemeka Ike, one of Nigeria's best writers, is concerned about the state of his country. In this book, he tells about the tragedy of the Biafran War. Fatima is escaping the hostile planes with her young child, and through her unfurling show, the peruser sees what the conflict was truly similar to through Biafran eyes.

Vincent Chukwuemeka Ike

This poetry book is filled with all things sunshine without ignoring the storms. Pain is real. Anxiety is real. Depression is real. Hardships in life are real. I hope when you pick up this book you feel heard and comforted. Even if it doesn't seem like it right now, your sun will rise once again.

Jennae Cecelia

From the award-winning author of Kintu comes a stunning story of a feminist coming-of-age.

Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi

Experience a captivating narrative of love and jealousy in the enchanting coastal village of Hermanus, where the Whale Caller watches over the majestic creatures with reverence.

Zakes Mda

Within a larger scope, the author explores South Africa's history starting from the mid-17th century, examining themes such as slavery, colonial rule, the mineral revolution, industrial capitalism, and apartheid.

Ebrahim Harvey

An intriguing anthology that explores the rich fabric of Southern African tradition and culture. Readers will find a wealth of historical narratives presented in the oral storytelling style within its pages, providing insights into the experiences, customs, and beliefs of the region's diverse peoples.
Every tale offers a window into the rich tapestry of Southern African life, from the myths of great warriors to the counsel of ancestors. This collection honors the timeless value of storytelling and extends an invitation to discover Southern Africa's enduring legacy via the craft of narrative.

Stephen Apolima

When you let go, you live intuitively. You are no longer tied to things having to be a specific way, to being a certain person, or to always being correct, therefore everything flows. How nice it is. Ironically, when you feel stuck in any aspect of your life - be it relationships, work, finances, or health - you feel trapped. letting go can seem impossible - You cling on for dear life just when you need to take the leap.

John Purkiss

"If sharks were men," Mr. K. was asked by his landlady's little girl, "would they be nicer to the little fishes?"

"Certainly," he said. "If sharks were men, they would build enormous boxes in the ocean for the little fish, with all kinds of food inside, both vegetable and animal. They would take care that the boxes always had fresh water, and in general they would make all kinds of sanitary arrangements. If, for example, a little fish were to injure a fin, it would immediately be bandaged so that it would not die and be lost to the sharks before its time. So that the little fish would not become melancholy, there would be big water festivals from time to time because cheerful fish taste better than melancholy ones.

"There would, of course, also be schools in the big boxes. In these schools, the little fish would learn how to swim into the sharks' jaws. They would need to know geography, for example, so that they could find the big sharks, who lie idly around somewhere. The principal subject would, of course, be the moral education of the little fish. They would be taught that it would be the best and most beautiful thing in the world if a little fish sacrificed itself cheerfully and that they all had to believe the sharks, especially when the latter said they were providing for a beautiful future. The little fish would be taught that this future is assured only if they learnt obedience. The little fish had to beware of all base, materialist, egotistical, and Marxist inclinations, and if one of their number betrayed such inclinations, they had to report it to the sharks immediately.

"If sharks were men, they would, of course, also wage wars against one another in order to conquer other fish boxes and other little fish. The wars would be waged by their own little fish. They would teach their little fish that there was an enormous difference between themselves and the little fish belonging to the other sharks. Little fish, they would announce, are well known to be mute, but they are silent in quite different languages and hence find it impossible to understand one another. Each little fish that, in a war, killed a couple of other little fish, enemy ones, silent in their own language, would have a little order made of seaweed pinned to it and be awarded the title of hero.

"If sharks were men, there would, of course, also be art. There would be beautiful pictures in which the sharks' teeth would be portrayed in magnificent colours and their jaws as pure pleasure gardens, in which one could romp about splendidly. The theatres at the bottom of the sea would show heroic little fish swimming enthusiastically into the jaws of sharks, and the music would be so beautiful that to the accompaniment of its sounds, the orchestra leading the way, the little fish would stream dreamily into the sharks' jaws, lulled by the most agreeable thoughts.

"There would also be a religion if sharks were men. It would preach that little fish only really begin to live properly in the sharks' stomachs.

"Furthermore, if sharks were men, there would be an end to all little fish being equal, as is the case now. Some would be given important offices and be placed above the others. Those who were a little bigger would even be allowed to eat up the smaller ones. That would be altogether agreeable for the sharks, since they themselves would more often get bigger bites to eat. And the bigger little fish, occupying their posts, would ensure order among the little fish, become teachers, officers, engineers in box construction, etc.

"In short, if sharks were men, they would for the first time bring culture to the ocean."

Bertolt Brecht, Stories of Mr Keuner

Poems

Don't let your heart stay broken
Do not stay fixated on what could have been
Focus on all that was deep

Be thankful you smiled
Be thankful you cried
And be thankful you loved and were loved
Because no magician is strong enough to conjure the magic you've created

So don't let your heart stay broke
Don't focus on the darkness
Or things that did not last
Don't look back at your pas
When your future is that bright..

Robiin M

Africa Africa Africa!
Oh the once mighty and heroic Africa
Why has thou grown so cold?
Why has thou remained thus numb?

A fremd is here in thy enclave
Battling thy home without mercy
And battering thy all in thy all
Before thy very eyes, oh Africa!

Thy peace is stolen
And fear injected in thy veins
With thy activities all at halt
All by same unwelcome visitor.

Thy hands are caged
And thy mouth silenced with mask
While thy children die in numbers
Before thy very eyes, oh Africa!

Hunger is dire in the land
Yet thy children are home and docked
For the fear of the fremd
And thou dost nothing.

Thou keepest quite, oh Africa!
In the midst of all these
Waiting for the Whites to solve thy puzzle
And the world to come to your rescue.

When hast thou grown lazy, Africa?
Where are thy ecumenic powers?
Where are thy roots and thy foods?
What happened to thy herbs?

Why art thou dependent on the Whites?
Why hope on them for solution?
Why look akimbo, oh Africa?
Can't solution come from thee?

Are thy bushes there in vain?
Thy creatures and powers to create
Africa, recall thy deeeds in the past
And mights and beauty in the days of old.

Arise, oh Africa, to save the world
For a fremd has trapped the earth
And the key with the earth remains
Arise oh Africa, and find ye the key.

Arise, Africa, Arise
Leverage thy powers and flowers
The world is waiting for your
Arise, oh Africa, arise

Izunna Okafor

With promise of job,
he lured her into a cane field.
His gentleness a veil of sanity.
Lurking in his mind,
a perversion of sex instinct:
'Bind her! Torture her! Kill her! '

Deep within comfort zone
suddenly brandishing his bludgeon,
countenance wearing mercilessness -
sight of which imported terror into her spine.
Desperate plea for mercy fueling his excitement.
Menacingly, her clothes he demanded.

Hissing in agony like pine tree,
gnashing her teeth before the incubus, she stripped.
Her nudity assaulting his senses,
eyes flaming with lust,
he took stock of the bared flesh:
'Beautiful! Submissive! Horrified! '

Bound and gagged,
fantasy translating into reality,
all hell broke loose...
Urge gratified,
with her undergarment around her neck,
he sealed her fate.

Sixteenth victim of the unhinged mind:
Single mother of two horrendously maimed.
Not quite long,
no sooner had he got home
than long arm of the law tapped his shoulders:
DNA found on victims had matched his.

Karma forced to be lenient,
he lives albeit in confinement.
No Death Penalty In Mzansi.

Chinedu Dike

Mama Africa!
Welcome to Africa,
Mamaa! Mamaa!
Mama Africa my Homeland;
She is Mama Africa!
Welcome into the jungle,
Welcome into her jungle,
Welcome into my world so sweet with the muse of my mind!
Mama Africa's Identity,
My Homeland,
My identity,
With the muse of Africa!
North, south, east and west;
With the muse of Mama Africa.

She is Mama Africa!
Facing the world,
Her muse is for you and me!
The muse of Mama Africa;
Cried the Beloved Child!
Mamaa! Mamaa!
Cried the Beloved Child of Africa.

Hear my voice,
My choice is with my mind;
Hear the echoes of Mama Africa!
The cry of the jungles,
The cry of the streets!
Oh! What a beauty she beholds;
The beauty of Mama Africa.

Africa! Africa! Africa!
Mama Africa my Homeland;
Mamaa! Mamaa!
Oh! What a beauty she beholds;
Oh Mama Africa!
Riches and beauty,
Colours and Natural Resources!
Mama Africa we need you,
We need your sweet love,
Able to carry on our dreams.

The beauty of this continent,
Africa!
The beauty of your Name;
Mama Africa!
The colour of your skin and, the colours of your children;
Mama Africa!
We need your sweet love,
Able to carry on with our Talents.

Edward Kofi Louis

Pot of love,
Dot with life!
Spot of peace,
Hot like the sun;
Love Brewed In The African Pot!
My identity,
My continent,
My Country,
My land,
Love Brewed In The African Pot!
Mama Africa,
Africa! Africa!
My identity,
The Colour of my Skin,
The muse of life,
The muse of my mind,
Africa! Africa!
Cultures and Traditions,
My continent,
My Country,
My land,
My identity,
Love Brewed In The African Pot!
Mama Africa,
The continent of my birth,
With the muse of my mind to the world so sweet!
Poetry,
Way of life;
Presenting my works to the world,
From Africa!
Being an African,
Born and raised in Ghana,
My identity,
My life,
Love and art!
Love and life,
Peace and joy!
Mama Africa,
Africa! Africa!
Mama Africa,
Love Brewed In The African Pot!
With the fragrance of life and the romance of nature;
The beauty of creation,
The Harmony of life,
Mama Africa,
The Symphony of the truth!
With righteous morals;
Africa! Africa!
Mama Africa,
The colours of life,
With the aroma of creation;
Love Brewed In The African Pot!

Edward Kofi Louis

Africa, Our Africa

Africa of Green and Black, of colors in between
Africa of people, of love and light, from within

Africa of ethnics and languages, of long told history
Africa of cultures and traditions, a rich tapestry.

Africa of strife and victory through colonial time
Africa of struggle through imperial crime

Africa of war, both tribal and civil
Africa of peace, condemning evil

Africa of hope, freedom and liberation
Africa of growth, of change and innovation

Africa of then: men, women - slaves to capture
Africa of now: men, women - reclaiming our valor!

Muna Zee

Don't cry for me Africa
Because I will never let you out of my mind
I hear your voices people of Africa
I hear your cries people of Africa
I see pain in your eyes people of Africa
It is hard to describe what you people of Africa are going through
Poverty strikes you all people of Africa
Don't cry for me Africa
Because I will keep you in my prayers people of Africa
Power to the people of Africa
People of Africa lift your spirit higher
Lord is the light and truth people of Africa
The Lord sends you a message from his heart to you people of Africa
He said because I love you
I will answer your prayers
I hear your prayers
Don't cry for me Africa
Because you have a friend that is the Lord
People of Africa continue doing the Lord's work
Make a wish people of Africa
The people of Africa are looking at the Lord face to face
Lord here is no paradise
We dream a little dream said the people of Africa to the Lord
The People of Africa Pray that the Lord will give each other strength every day
Don't cry for me Africa
Save the people of Africa
Strengthened the people of Africa each day
Because I'll be there in your dreams people of Africa
The people of Africa tells The Lord how much they love him
Don't cry for me Africa
Lord comes when you are ready people of Africa
Feelings you have for your Lord People of Africa
And I know you will never let it die
Nothing but flowers the people of Africa will plant in the sea shore for the Lord
Don't cry for me Africa
The people of Africa needs hope to heal there land
The Lord rose up on you people of Africa
Don't cry for me Africa
My heart will go on
Once I close this door of the ship I will sail across the Atlantic Sea

Aldo Kraas

One of the last (if not the last) of Africa's
tallest trees has fallen
Yes, Kofi Anan breathes no more
Death has stolen one of the last true sons of the soil
Death has stolen one of the last of Africa's favorite sons
Africa is weeping!
Africa is mourning!
Africa is weeping!
Africa is mourning!

One who was an embodiment of integrity is no more
Africa is mourning!
One who was Africa's pride and joy breathes no more
Africa is inconsolable!
One who was a compass of morality is late
Africa is weeping!

Oh Africa! Was Kofi your last born?
Is any of your favorite sons still alive?
Corruption is rampant
Integrity is not in any of our leaders vocabulary
Moral decay stinks up to the heavens
God and His angels must be closing their noses.

You join your fellow brothers
You join other favorite sons of Africa
You join Jomo Kenyatta
You join Patrice Lumumba
You join Julius Nyerere
You join Steve Biko
You join Nelson Mandela
One of Africa's tallest trees has fallen
Kofi Anan breathes no more.

Qiniso Mogale

No end of story has been told, several legends have been born; tiny runnels have wiped out into the Nile; massive water courses had gorged the Indian and the Atlantic.

Africa is the native land of all mankind species, our cherished fatherland is the continent of Africa; you are always welcome to Africa.

Jewels are found in the stain atop, pure beauty is found in our hearts; giving hope with full-blown vision.

For many people of the world, Africa is time and again seen through a spare monocle, purified curtain abodes of indigence, deprivation, illness, dearth, and blues.

Yes, we have our threat, it's true, but we are a people of physiques, resilience and faith; African elevation comes alive as a cloud nine.

Africa is a continent of countries, clans, of peoples; each with its olden days, its voice, its rainbows; its bounty of rituals, the diversity of its arts; and the charm of its civilization.

Africa is a nook of titanic conceivable of chow that is appetizing, fervent and sweet; Africa is not a spot of shadows, but a distance of light of a nightmare and opportunity; Africa is not a hole of pity, but a place of influence and self-respect.

We are the offshoot of a proud continent, Africa is where the sun steps up and bents with a scorching effulgence; making it a place where every day is a sunny season.

Yousif Ibrahim Abubaker Abdalla

We are the miracles that God made
To taste the bitter fruit of Time.
We are precious.
And one day our suffering
Will turn into the wonders of the earth.

There are things that burn me now
Which turn golden when I am happy.
Do you see the mystery of our pain?
That we bear poverty
And are able to sing and dream sweet things

And that we never curse the air when it is warm
Or the fruit when it tastes so good
Or the lights that bounce gently on the waters?
We bless things even in our pain.
We bless them in silence.

That is why our music is so sweet.
It makes the air remember.
There are secret miracles at work
That only Time will bring forth.
I too have heard the dead singing.

And they tell me that
This life is good
They tell me to live it gently
With fire, and always with hope.
There is wonder here

And there is surprise
In everything the unseen moves.
The ocean is full of songs.
The sky is not an enemy.
Destiny is our friend.

Ben Okri

Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body. The more you read, the more things you will know. The more you learn, The more places you will go.

What To Read Next?

Story of an African Farm

The Story of an African Farm is an 1883 novel by a South African political activist and writer, Olive Schreiner. This novel, which explores feminism, atheism, and the impact of British imperialism on South African peoples, is acknowledged as a groundbreaking piece of philosophical fiction and Bildungsroman.

Olive Schreiner

Women Who Love Too Much

This bestselling relationship self-help book investigates and reveals how powerfully addictive unhealthy relationships can be - but also gives a very specific programme for recovery from the disease of loving too much, a problem that plagues women everywhere.

Robin Norwood

The Beauty Queen of Bonthe and Other Stories of West Africa

The seven tales included in this anthology are all set in the vibrant early 1960s, when colonial control gave way to independence. In addition to the beautiful young Sierra Leonean who alarms her community with her drastic action, they also depict the complex lives of a diverse population, including a leper who survives another day of beggary, an expatriate couple facing a headless staircase and their own existential crises, a villager who has fallen on hard times and laments how he feeds his family, a British colonial officer and a traditional chief who fear a diminished status as they confront a dramatic change in their chiefdom, and so on.

Gregory A. Barnes

Our Lady of Benoni

Bra Zakes illustrates the outcomes of crossing boundaries: elements that are viewed as unclean and detrimental to the harmony and sanctity of a group, society, and culture are examined; forbidden topics, irrational beliefs, traditions, and ethical principles are scrutinized and occasionally parodied.

Zakes Mda

African Short Stories

"The International Society of Literary Fellows (Lsi) is the society of creative writers and scholars from African and the world with a critical interest in current developments around modern cultures of indigenous and foreign language expressions. In partnership with Progeny international, the Lsi aims to assess and promote the emergence of works of visionary creative impetus in the genres of modern African fiction, non-fiction and visual arts. 38 stories are included in this anthology."

Chin Ce (Editor)
“

A year from now you may wish you had started today.

Karen Lamb

"One of the sayings in our country is Ubuntu - the essence of being human. Ubuntu speaks particularly about the fact that you can't exist as a human being in isolation. It speaks about our interconnectedness. You can't be human all by yourself, and when you have this quality - Ubuntu - you are known for your generosity. We think of ourselves far too frequently as just individuals, separated from one another, whereas you are connected and what you do affects the whole world. When you do well, it spreads out; it is for the whole of humanity."

Desmond Tutu
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