I am African, not because of the color of my skin or my mother tongue
Kodwa ukhetho lwam lokwamkela incubeko yam, ukhetho lwam lokuthetha kakhulu nangocuzinca ngabantu bam
Ligazi elaphalazwa ngookhokho bam, notata bam, imizabalazo ababehamba kuyo ukuze bandinike ithuba lokuthetha ulwimi lwam lweenkobe, nokufundisa abanye, nokufunda ulwimi lwabo
Kukunyamezela kwabo okwandinika ithuba lokuthetha iilwimi ekusonkwenzeka ukuba zingaqhelekangaka kubo illwimi ezithathwa “njengezamkelekileyo” iilwimi ezindinika ithuba lokuqhubela phambii nokupumelela
Kungenxa yabo ukuba ndikwazi ukuma phambi kwenu nonke ndithi ndingum’Africa kwaye ndingatsho negbhongo ukuba ndiguMitha Likho Kamhanda, Umadosini, Ucengeba,Umqogana,Uphagelilanga, Uthebethebana, Ummcgina, Umamqwathi.
Kwaye ngebhongo ndithi ndingum’Africa
I am African not because of the colour of my skin or my mother tongue
But because of my choice to embrace my culture, my choice to speak highly and proudly of my people
It is the blood shed by my ancestors and my forefathers, the struggles they went through to give me the opportunity to speak my mother tongue and educate others and learn their language
It is their endurance that gave me an opportunity to learn languages possibly foreign to them, languages deemed as acceptable, languages that give me an opportunity to progress and be successful
It is because of them that I am able to stand infront of you all and say that I am African, that I can say proudly that
I am Mitha Kamhanda, Umadosini, Ucengeba,Um’qgogana,Upahngeli’langa, Utebetabana, Umam’Cgina, Umam’qwathi
And I can proudly say that I AM AFRICAN!