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Mthabisi Tshuma, Showbiz Correspondent 

PLUMTREE’S Toundtainment Events and South Africa based personality Yvonne Maphosa have empowered writers from the border town.

This was done through a writing competition bankrolled with over R3000 and books in prizes for all the participants which saw Jacqueline Nkomo emerging the victorious winner who bagged R1000 while she was followed by Patimile Nkomo and Thamsanqa Ncube who took position two and three. Buhle Mloyi was named number four while Nombuso Mpofu and Obey Gumbo were named position five and six.

With a thriller movie like style, the writing competition was held last Thursday evening on various social media platforms and lived up to billing in achieving its motion of getting youngsters off the streets.

Toundtainment founder Handsome Sibanda said, “The Plumtree Short Story writing competition is an initiative by Maphosa and I meant to help promote Plumtree local talent. It’s part of a bigger project meant to keep teenagers and young adults off the streets. Throughout 2020, several competitions have been held for Plumtree young adults.

“Competitions that have been successfully done are: dancing, deejaying, singing, art (drawing), art (sculpture) and poetry,” said Sibanda.

Speaking from her South African base, Maphosa said, “As an author, if I can get to inspire or encourage even one person to follow their writing dream, then I’ll be well pleased. I believe it is our responsibility to nurture young talent and encourage confidence in young people. Many people never finish writing books because they are afraid of not being good enough.

“This competition was my way of reminding aspiring writers that they are good enough! They are more than capable of finishing a story. There is no good or bad in writing, just different writing voices and a matter of one man’s meat being another man’s poison. I’m very impressed by the submissions we received. And I’m encouraged to do even more for young writers. My advice to anyone who wants to write is: WRITE!,” she said.

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