Joy as Musa Aubrey Baloyi scoops a literary award

By Miyelani Anthonia Hlungwani

Musa Aubrey Baloyi has again won a Xitsonga category a literary award and it is clear the young man is on course for stardom in the literary scene.
This was in the annual Pearson’s Maskew Miller Longman (MML) Literature Awards through his youth fiction titled: ‘Nyimpi Ya Miehleketo’

In 2016, he won this competition for the first time through his teen fiction titled: Vutlhari bya Lunya’.
Baloyi on August 6 1981 at Mhinga is the first born of Masenyani Edison Baloyi and Tintswalo Agnes Khosa.

He attended his primary education at Sunduza Primary School, then went to Mhinga Senior Primary School and later went to Ripambeta High where he passed his grade 12 examinations.

He then got a Learnership in Boilermaker Trade Test from Genrec Engineering where he ended up being employed as a full-time Boilermaker.

In 2012, he joined East Rand Water Care Company as a Senior Boilermaker, then in 2016 he moved to Golden Pond Trading 67 (Pty) Ltd where he worked as a Maintenance Supervisor.
Musa boasts of different certificates in Engineering, Management, Safety, and a Diploma in Writing Short Stories.

But his passion of writing remains strong.
“I have earned different awards from different competitions and this motivates me a great deal,” he said.
He writes books in his home language of Xitsonga.
In 2009 he won a short story writing competition sponsored by National Heritage Council SA, published by Unisa Press, titled: ‘Matimba ya Ngwenya i Mati’.

In 2012 he received a 2nd Prize in Xitsonga Short Stories Literary Awards sponsored by Limpopo Department of Sports, Art and Culture, titled: ‘Magandlati Ya Ndzhope’.

In 2017 he received a PanSALB Language Award for the promotion and development of Xitsonga. In 2018 he won a 2nd Place award in the AVBOB Poetry competition, through his elegy poem titled: ‘U rhukane swikwembu’, which was published in the AVBOB anthology titled: ‘I WISH I’D SAID’.

‘Nyimpi Ya Miehleketo’ was edited by Dr Arnold Mushwana and proofread by Miyelani Anthonia Hlungwani.
The world seems an oyster for this burgeoning writer who is not short of ambition.