Mam Sibongile Malinga (63) is one of the senior citizens who recently wrote a book as part of literacy programme in Johannesburg. The book is titled CoJ Senior Citizens Write and is an anthology of short stories written by a group of senior citizens through a digital literacy programme offered by the City of Johannesburg Libraries Directorate in collaboration with the University of Johannesburg (UJ). For Mam Malinga, a member of Murray Park Library in Jeppestown, the book was her breakthrough and a form of therapy. In her short story, she discusses her upbringing and journey in Johannesburg, including how she became a victim of rape, how she lost friends and loved ones, and how she kept her head high.

It was the first time she wore her pain on her sleeve and told her story so publicly.

“So, in the journey of life as we pass through pleasures and pain. Sometimes there will be sunshine and rain, loss and gain, but we learn to smile again,” she writes.

Mam Malinga was born in Swaziland with 10 siblings and they were brought up with Christian values.

After a failed marriage in Piet Retief, she relocated to Johannesburg with hopes of greener pastures. She only had R12, a blanket and a bag of clothes to her name.

She stayed with a lady in Bedfordview. Pass laws were in effect at the time, making it difficult to travel freely and seek employment. Later, she found her first job and made R40 a month.

Malinga was later employed as a cleaner, but because of her inquisitive nature, the company discovered she could also operate a switchboard. This led to a promotion to a position as a secretary.

From there, she switched jobs, and through her hunger to learn, she joined retail and started working as a salesperson. She excelled, earning certificates and promotions.

Through her dedication, she landed an opportunity to travel internationally. During this trip to Dubai, she watched Formula One and saw Michael Schumacher, the former German race driver. She describes it as a holiday of a lifetime, which she will cherish forever.

But just as things were progressing well, there were also bad times. She was raped a few years after relocating to the city of gold and found herself in an abusive relationship. “I stayed with the pain but tried to pick up the pieces.”

In looking back, she says one thing remained constant: her love for reading. “The greatest tool for me as a woman who is computer illiterate is the library. The library has helped me a great deal and reading books has given me a lot of drive.”

She is grateful to the City of Johannesburg for the programme to write the book. As a result, she is now motivated to write her own book. To continue, she only needs a laptop.

Due to renovations at Murray Park Library, she says she misses her library a lot and hopes the renovations will be completed soon.

Written by Brümilda Swartbooi