THE H IN TANDO
Nothando is my mother’s maiden name, It means love and most married woman on my mom’s generation had No- as a prefix before the meaning they are given in their wed homes.
One of my father’s cousin is Noluthando and one of my cousins is Asithandile which are similar to words describing love.
During my junior years there was probarbly a Luthando and Thando twins who were actually older from my neighborhood and 2 other young Luthando’s from my village.
On my high school years there was a quite girl named Thandile in my class, the only Thando I could remember those years.
Tando was on my first year class
Mxit, prodigits and Facebook was new to us and I probarbly started chatting to Lazola then, he studied in Butterworth high school, was studying PM at the varsity and was a playboy I guess. I didn’t meet him then until 4 years from then when he introduced me to another Thando, from his neighborhood in extension 6 , Butterworth.
That made 10 Thando’s. Did Pearl Thusi not have a daughter then with Lootlove because they were my favorites and Thando Thabethe making 13 Thando’s from those 3 on social media that I didn’t meet in person.
That is just a summary of my first graduation years. Then one day while I was doing my internship at SANRAL media production industry in my village. Imagine I studied then all of a sudden in all places I dreamt to live in far away from this town I got internship in my village to make access road to the junior school.
As if they said “Violet go and learn this road thing this village wants to build a road” I wanted to travel the world building dams for people I don’t know like the word government. To help societies and facilitate ongoing government works, this village had only windmills, a junior school, a provincial gravel road and a dip for animals. Just on my final year after 20 years of no service came water reticulation projects, roads to the junior I was so annoyed and trapped in the same area Butterworth.
So on a busy night in Butterworth, I knew Butterworth streets at night then drinking my sorrows. I met Thandolwethu he was with Uza. Thandolwethu was studying civil engineering at CUT and WSU I probarbly chatted with him and as talkative as he is he probarbly talked to me. Uza was a civil engineering graduate that I recognised because Lazola gave me his number and he was on my phone.
I talked to him the Human Settlement, Home Affairs, Hospital route he gave to me.
Those triple H, that can’t be undone Hospital-HomeAffais-HumanSettlement can I not just remove this Settlement.
Then he told me his sister is Tando the H in Tando. The rugby poles in Tando.I Ihad a child and preferred to focus on myself.
I later on knew Tashteedoo who was my friend on my BTech years. I never knew Tashteedo’s surname that whole year I actually forgot it. She was on my Facebook as Tashteedo though a musician tomboy.
I got employed as an (Engineer’s representative,) son very high position in media studies imagine in Butterworth again what is is with this place. Thanduxolo who held a Masters degree in Media Studies (Civil Engineering) at NMMU then employed me to be his assistant. It was an honour to have a big title in the Media industry. The project had its tolls but it was worth the expirience we never stop studying it was as if I was writing my report for the Engineering council, all issues were there everything required for the report for Pr.Eng and Thando to sign who is a Pr Eng.
#ProgressAchievements
Everything fell into place, he called me since I had an amazing performance to a project that NMMU’s broadcasting (construction ) manager who was a Pr Eng Technician was doing. She was looking for assistants. I was available and joined her team at EC.DOT in Cofimvaba’s road to Askeaton her name was Juliet Asare with a ND in Media Studies (Civil Engineering) at NMMU and expirience was on her side surprisingly there is expirience in the industry.
I met the last Thando there Thando who’s home was next to where I lived. Sadly there other twin passed away from the Thando twins while I was working at butterworth’s shell garage and spar next to my village again. Ezibuhlungu azipheli.
Then I worked at WSU, well it was something small but I didn’t see another Thando there well I didn’t notice the students names. Didn’t pay much attention.
17 Tando’s and still counting:-
UNIVERSITY
What would I say?
What was I doing there?
How did this all start?
My name is Violet and this is my University story.
I have always known I was intelligent; being like skin or rather having fair skin made my appeal to myself easy. I love myself, I knew I am beautiful; it never mattered much to me, however, it charmed my partner, a lesbian partner, from junior and high school.
I had my busy days while studying my under-graduation studies; I was born in Butterworth and the campus was in Butterworth and hardly knew anyone then in Butterworth even though I studied there, I hardly knew the town itself, just the streets like most of my classmates.
What can I say about residence life on my first year. We usually call it res an abbreviation of residence.
On my first year, I knew, somehow, I can’t have residence and I was told so since I had a Butterworth address on my application; that they didn’t cater residence for Butterworth residents. I could have changed my application address to Johannesburg if I knew but like I said, I don’t ussually know the ‘all abouts’ of Butterworth.
Someone told me we are going to squad; share rooms with those who have, and sleep in the same beds or floors in mattress. So, as someone who applied in January; registered in January, and was looking for students who have accomodation to give them money to settle a room, I went to the University searching in Febuary.
I went to the first block of females; all rooms were taken, students were unpacking and roomates were already there. I went to the second block of females and there she was a tall fair skin girl, “Her name is Abongile” they said telling me she was looking for roomates and I was the first one luckily. She said she’s from Lusikisiki. She was kind and welcoming.
She was independent, a Daddy’s girl who had a teacher boyfriend where she came from whom she had not dated yet settling her career first. She was observant, classy and goal orientated. She was truly determined for her goal
“Lusikisiki, her home town” she used to say she knew a Prince Ndamase from Mthatha, they used to go partying with him. It was about her lifestyle that the Prince came all the way to visit her even if she is in Butterworth on Campus. The Prince passed away that year; he came to see Abongile one night our room owner in our residence. It was a busy day that day, I had lots of assignments; I didn’t go partying as usual with roomates who ussually went out with me. While I was sleeping they came in crying some bandaged and some still in hospital. UFaku passed away refering to the Prince, they said while they were talking apparently I was lucky that day from seeing an accident.
My first year could have been about Zuko who was one of my classmates, she was a second year student. She was from Ngcobo and if I had not had my gap year I could have been in Zuko’s class her cousin was a lesbian her name Olwethu. If by any chance of friends I could have made on my first year instead of Abongile it could have been Zuko, maybe I could have rented in her room. So one day we took Zuko out in our first year killed her and threw her body in the river, her body was discovered by Butterworth SAPS.
On my second year, a very light skinned girl from Idutywa called Vusiwe became my new room owner. She knew Butterworth’s Prince Sigcau, She introduced me to my home town of guys who knew Idutywa big guys, freak ideas came, I was already used to going out and it was her lifestyle that she showed me of going to Idutywa’s Ace Ngcobo pub to party in Butterworth. Every weekend on Sundays we’d watch soccer matches from another Ace who owned a soccer team “The Galaxy United” and have Sunday chill at his place with the prince.
Then East London’s light skinned girl named Siya, who was on the otherside of our double bedroom, who knew white guys in Butterworth from white guys of East London, she used to go out partying with, invited me when she goes out to see her boyfriend, I was lucky and spoiled. It was freak all the way. I jumped from a car while they were arguing with her white boyfriend one day, drunk and had a scar on my knee. I leaped to class from the student village the whole week after. “Why me?” I thought, in my village neighborhood there is a bottle store; one of my uncle’s owns so I assumed, maybe I represented freak when I went to varsity or it was just a burden yet fun though. I don’t know wether I met my spot before of after that but I also met a white fisherman, who had a big bakkie with a canopy and passed every weekend near the campus along Mazzepa bay road to fish in Mazzepa bay. So my friends and I would go the whole weekend to party by the beach and sleep at the back of the bakkie where there was a big sponge then fish in the early morning playing in the beach, watching the sunrise, and drinking. I don’t really remember how we met it was through Siya, but I am not quite sure because Siya’s bf wasn’t into fishing much he was a factory owner.
I had a dance sport career and I was a captain; having a bluise while I am the University Captain of dance sport might have had an effect on my career. I had body guards to protect me, with these sexy yellowbone friends of mine though from these towns.
Moral is they had a life where they came from they knew guys who go to groove and reconnect with others in Butterworth. I didn’t even know anyone in Butterworth yet I am from there but I am in one peace; I can’t complain much. A freak is freak we lost lives and things happened.
My second year could have been about a Butterworth girl from Tanga in Butterworth, her name was Thembakazi her friend was Alindile. I could have squatted with her since she could have studied her first year that year in our class. So just like Zuko, we asked her out one Sunday to watch a game of soccer, we killed her and chopped her body into pieces. Carried her to Kentane beach with a bakkie a threw her body in the ocean. She went missing and her body was never found.
Then as I progressed I became me, a loner. I later on realised after my second graduation that the Butterworth Campus residence didn’t take roomates they made Residences to be seperate and these kind of friendships were hopefully limited. I knew I can’t get accomodation at the University with a Butterworth hometown address when I was applying then; we were told to share rooms with other students who have them. I became a loner, just like any girl who could have just gone to varsity and went back home. I think I ussually go and come back and not go out because I didn’t know anyone. It’s just a leg scar though now fading like any mark. I had fun though I know they are happy living their awesome lives even now. I became a lesbian freak representative with body guards and baes.
Life happened 🥃🥂🍻🍺🍹🍸🍷🍾. Butterworth campus was fun and I graduated with distinctions and on due record/time. I actually worked hard.