BY NONCEDO SHABANGU
MBABANE – Writer Dumsani Hlophe from LaMgabhi is inviting Emaswati to take part in a national reflection on humanity (buntfu) the spirit that defines how people live, relate, and respond to one another.
His firstcoming book, Umtfombo webuntfu, though not yet published, is already sparking deep conversations about how families, communities, and institutions can restore the essence of humanity in their daily lives.
At the heart of Hlophe’s developing work is what he calls the Family Humanity Check, a process of self-examination within families. The project confronts painful realities such as domestic tension, broken relationships, and even cases where relatives harm one another. It asks whether Emaswati are ready to face these wounds and find healing through humanity, understanding, and compassion.
To shape this project, Hlophe has released a public questionnaire running from October 29 to December 31, 2025, inviting readers to share their views and experiences on how humanity can be rebuilt where it has been lost.
The questionnaire explores several key themes raised in the manuscript:
- The importance of documenting humanity in writing and passing it on to future generations.
- Identifying who needs this message the most young people, professionals, or leaders and how it can influence their values.
- Understanding how humanity can help families handle painful and sensitive situations with empathy rather than bitterness.
Hlophe’s questions go beyond abstract theory. He uses real life examples to test the nation’s moral and emotional strength. One question examines the role of a lawyer in a case where a family member kills another. Can legal intervention alone heal the pain, or must it be guided by humanity as well? Another explores the role of traditional healers (tinyanga) in moments of family distress asking whether their involvement restores or diminishes humanity.
“The goal,” Hlophe writes through his reflections, “is not to discredit any profession or tradition, but to understand whether our ways of responding to pain, conflict, and loss still reflect humanity.”
Beyond the family, Um tfombo webuntfu calls for a broader examination of culture, tradition, and law. It invites Africans and especially emaSwati to look at their customs and national laws with a humane lens: do they respect and nurture humanity, or do they destroy it? Hlophe challenges readers to reimagine a world rooted in humanity, a world where compassion and justice guide every action.
He further encourages readers to picture this world of restored humanity. What would life in such a place look like? How would people treat one another, lead, and resolve conflict? And most importantly, are we as a people ready to take the long journey toward that world we say we desire?
Though Umtfombo webuntfu is still in development, it already functions as a living project, one that grows through public participation. The responses gathered during the current engagement period will shape the final publication, ensuring that the book reflects the collective wisdom and conscience of Emaswati.
Through this work, Dumsani Hlophe is not only writing a book; he is opening a national dialogue about healing, empathy, and identity. Umtfombo webuntfu is both a mirror and a map urging people to rediscover humanity as the foundation of family, culture, and nationhood.
The first public launch and engagement for Umtfombo webuntfu will take place on 29 October 2025 at SAGM Primary school in Mbabane (Southern African General Mission), starting at 1:00 pm. Readers interested in contributing their perspectives to Um tfombo webuntfu are invited to complete the ongoing questionnaire by December 31, 2025. For further information, please contact 7983 3699.
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Courtesy Pic)
