B W Vilakazi

B W Vilakazi (1906-1947), full name Benedict Wallet Vilakazi, was a South African Zulu writer, poet and novelist. He is known for famous breakthrough works in Zulu and as first published poet in the language having western influence. He was a descendant of the Zulu royal family, and author of Romantic poetry in the Zulu language. Vilakazi was also a professor at the University of Witwatersrand, where he became the first Black South African to teach University classes to White South Africans. He co-authored the first English and Zulu dictionary with C M Doke.

Wisdom & Quotes

• This our fatherland today and yesterday

Is pillaged by the foreign conquerors
Grown rich out of the spoil of nation on nation
Yet I and this whole line of ours
Who are black are left with nothing of nothing...

• Thunder on, engines of the gold mines...

Roar on, only stop jarring on my ears,
I have served the white employers well
And now my soul weighs heavily on me...
Come, release my sleep, to rise far off
Far in the ancient birthplace of my race.
- On the Gold Mines

• Just because I smile and smile

And happiness is my coat...
You think that I'm gatepost
Numb to the stab of pain.

Just because of the laugh on my lips
And my eyes lowered in respect...
You think I'm like a stone
And don't know what it is to die.

Asaf Halet Celebi