Ours Is To Document History, To Make Excellence The Bare Minimum.

It has been a long time coming—the road to where we are has not been an easy one, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Firstly, thank you to everyone who read, shared, and supported me during season one. We are still a staff of three if I’m one hundred with you, but growth is imminent. I can’t thank uMaShiburi and uNondaba enough. My Nonkululeko and Ayanda, Thank you to both of you for being there at every turn, carrying me through the disappointments, advising me to take a break from Urban Divinity, finishing my degree, and coming back with a refined vision.

Honestly, the pandemic we have been living through is one that I have wanted to avoid by all means. I didn’t want to fully digest the new normal. I wanted to stay in the twilight zone of pre-coivd content and do my best to live my introverted life, especially when going outside means wearing isfonyo. I hate masks. I bet cops are anxious right now; almost everyone looks like a half balaclava getting ready to walk in with guns and robbing banks. Finishing my degree in my room came with a lot, including broken windows. University is the pits of frustration, but hey, we made it dawg.

As I was juggling life, relationships, loss, growth, my spirituality, and my growth in terms of reading and writing, I came to a realization. When my colleagues urged me to keep this platform running and gave me the relevant pointers to grow, they did not forget to mention how important what I started is. They did not forget to mention how important it is that I do not let this one go. not because of my habit of letting things that don’t seem to work out go but because this is changing and will change lives. I was onto something I just needed time for this new talent in writing to get cured and for it to mature.

So I started, I toiled, tried to figure out what I can give in this season. I started looking for potential people to collaborate with, to bring new content, tried to take a different direction with how I direct the narrative of the content. This is sourced by the future being female. I credit my inspirations; Helen Herimbi, Nondumiso Khumalo, Luhle Shange-Khumalo, Siphokazi Khumalo, Zethembiso Zungu, Nokuthula Maphumulo, Mandisa Yolanda Ndlazi (spoiler alert, actually let me not), and Noma Gcabashe. I spent more time thinking of my responsibility as a writer, an archeologist, a storyteller, and an anthropologist of the arts. To document the story of our youth, the story of our time, that daunting chapter of COVID-19.

It has been a rather exciting journey, listening to this anthology of stories, sharing in the fear and pain, rejoice in the little wins, and being followed by this feeling that my ancestors have bestowed me with the responsibility to document history. Our history, our story as the youth, the children of the broken promise of democracy. The sons who are making their own way as we are left with little choice but fend for ourselves. God willing, we are to make history have a better predicate.

What you will find is us, the wild wild west of the internet, one on one chats with guests from season one, and introductions to new artists that will visit us not long from now, in a time where we all need to feel a little less alone. It is my pleasure to take the time out to thank you for being here, to welcome you to the first issue of the second season. I hope you make the most of your time here as I have to piece this body of work over a 4-month period. I appreciate you. I love you. Please take the time tonight to light a candle for all the loved ones we have lost, and we say a little prayer for this virus to pass so we can get back to living as best as we can.

Alone you go fast, together we go further. Igama uMalibongwe Sicelo Cedric Dladla. uMgabadeli, uMpembe, uVezi, uMhlophe, uNyandezulu ingane kaMamNcwabe ozalwa uMaKhumalo uMbulazi Omnyama, uMtungwa, akwande.

Article by: Malibongwe Dladla
Media Content Curator: Malibongwe Dladla
Social Media Details
Twitter: @kingcedric95
Instagram: @kingcedric95
Facebook: Malibongwe Dladla

©2021, Urban Divinity Media.