Saphela isizungu kuZingi

Zingisa should be happy because everyone loves her but unfortunately she suffers from severe eczema.

Her mother has taken her to different doctors but she has been told that this condition is not easily treated. At school she can’t play with her schoolmates because of the painful swollen blisters covering her arms and legs. Sometimes she has to miss school while she waits for the sores to heal. One day she was alone at home. She had no one to talk to except her silent doll. Then she saw a stray dog and decided to save it.

This dog was more than a friend to her. He helped her heal and brought an end to her lonely days as the owner of the dog was a paediatrician. In the end her good deed of saving this poor dog saved her own life.

MML 2017 Literature Award Winner.