PVM’s oration at the funeral of late prolific author KTC Manganyi
The chairperson of Pfukani Vatsonga Machangana MR SMS gave an oration at the funeral service of the late author Khazamula Thomas Manganyi at the Assemblies of God Fellowship in Giyani Section E on Saturday 29 October 2022.
The Village Voice produces his speech in full:
I would like to thank the programme director and all the mourners who are here today. I further extend my greetings to my hero KTC Manganyi’s immediate family and the entire Magoda family.
I am Mr SMS Khosa from Msengi Blinkwater Village known by elders as Bringi. Today I am here to represent Pfukani Vatsonga Machangana, also known as PVM.
Some of the things we say emanate from what we hear from others.
The very same Xitsonga that we speak is an inheritance from our elders. By these words, I would like to quote from scientist Sir Isaac Newton.
If I have seen further, it is because I am standing on the shoulders of the giant. KTC was a giant and a hero. He has done many things to ensure this language is preserved for the future. This is one of PVM’s aims and objectives. When we were in search of Xitsonga writers to attend emerging TV script writers, we could not leave him behind.
I personally met him in this workshop on the 04th of December 2014 at the SABC in Polokwane. I remember one day when we met in Giyani he asked me a question, on what PVM was doing.
I answered him that we managed to fight for Xitsonga news on TV. Our second project was Xitsonga TV dramas and we are now busy with heritage sites.
If you look at the list of heritage sites, none belongs to us as Vatsonga. Heritage sites are linked to a nation‘s history.
A nation without history is like the nation has the status of a foreigner.
There is another saying that a lion is very famous and the king of the jungle.
It can tackle any animal without any fear.
A leopard is a respectable animal, but mostly in hiding places. The leopard is not much famous in the jungle when compared to a lion.
But when a leopard dies, it leaves a skin everyone wants to have.
KTC is that leopard has he has left behind many treasures.
I want to cite his book “Swa Yila”, meaning it is taboo, as one of the treasures he left behind.
In Xitsonga culture, there are things that are prohibited for certain age categories.
If those taboos are followed, people avoid certain dangers and live better lives.
I wish our youth to challenge KTC’s achievements and do better than he did.
I lastly thank KTC’s family, for allowing me to speak at this big event, the sending off of a giant.
SMS Khosa
Chairperson, PVM
