| W.K. Tamsanqa |
| Posthumous Literary Award |
| Witness Kholekile (W.K.) Tamsanqa was born on the 28/02/1928. His father was Dickson Jadezweni Tamsanqa and his mother was Miriam Scam. He was born in Dutywa. He started schooling at the age of 10yrs (in 1938), this was due to the herding of family stock (cattle & sheep). He passed STD 6 in 1947 and went to study at the Blythswood institution for a J.C, which he completed in the year 1950. In the three year period that he studied at Blythswood he occupied many leadership positions namely in the debating society, church groups and many others. It was on the second year of this period that he wrote his first book, titled “ Inzala kamlungisi” In 1951 he registered in the same institution (Blythswood) for a two year teachers course (NPH). After completing the teachers course, he decided to register for a matric at Tigerkloof ( school under London Missionary Society) in Vryburg. After looking for a teaching post for two years without success he decided to join coal mines- therons (Fereirrostown). In 1955 he was part of the people who gathered in kliptown to draft the “freedom charter” In 1960 he was voted to the Daveyton Local Authority. He got married on the same year to his wife, Nolusapho Tamsanqa (Gcinashe Nginda). In 1965 he decided to go back home to the Eastern Cape ( at Zazulwana Location, Butterworth) where he worked h worked for a news paper called “Imvo Zabantsundu” for a short while. He started a business under XDC (Transkei) for a long period of time operating a trading undertaking at “Ngunduza” location in Centane. In 1980 he was voted by the people of Butterworth as a member of parliament for the Transkei homeland representing Butterworth, until the military coup. The books he wrote during his life are as follows: Inzala kamlungisi, Buzani Kubawo(Botsang rre), Ukuba Ndandazile, Imithaa yelanga, Nyana wan Nyana wam, Ithemba Liyaphilisa, Kunye no Tamsanqa I gorha lokwenene. He died in 1998 living behind his wife Nolusapho and five children. “May his soul rest in peace” |
