Nkandla, Keeper of My Soul, Holder of My Heart

Nkandla, Keeper of My Soul, Holder of my Heart, was penned as a love letter to Sikhumbuzo's birthplace and the backdrop against which he grew up, a place that gave him roots with which to anchor himself and wings with which to fly.

Tired of the negativity that has become synonymous with the name "Nkandla", Sikhumbuzo wanted to show South Africans - and the world at large - that his birthplace is so much more than what is portrayed in the mainstream media.

This is the story of a herd boy raised in abject poverty by a collection of family members spanning three generations. A boy who, like any other African child from a rural village, was brought up under traditional teachings, where herding of livestock was the predominant priority over education.   

Sikhumbuzo invites the reader to accompany him as he retraces the steps of his life in a sometimes light-hearted, often heart-wrenching journey of discovery. He shares his experience of growing up in a community where he was constantly surrounded by violence in the form of factional fights, balanced by the love and ubuntu of a caring community where every child belongs to the entire community.