IN MEMORY OF REV MXOLISI SONTI

In Memory of Rev Mxolisi Sonti (4 January 1978–22 December 2020)

Rev Sonti was a dedicated member of ANFASA. He would venture, from the Eastern Cape Province, taking unreliable public transport, to attend the ANFASA AGM.

On one occasion he came to the ANFASA office seeking guidance on how to plan the Annual Zakes Mda Book Fair in Sterkspruit. The success of the Annual Zakes Mda Book Fair proved that Rev Sonti was an ambitious and enthusiastic leader. It was his aim to develop the Book Fair into a significant and memorable event to rekindle the love of books.

He managed the Arts and Craft Centre at Sterkspruit, working mostly with rural youth and on a shoestring budget. Despite all the hurdles in his endeavor to achieve his aim, he always saw light at the end of the tunnel.

At the time of his passng, Rev Sonti was on the threshold of accomplishing his dream of completing doctoral studies. The research was on tracking the movement of apartheid refugees from South Africa  through the Sterkspruit corridor into Lesotho. He had just completed his MA and was working on converting his thesis into a book on the history of Sterkspruit. Rev Sonti was one of the 2020 group of ANFASA writing grant winners and, tragically, had just received his grant when he passed away from Covid-related complications.

May his Soul Rest In Peace.