Themba Limba is an honourable man who respects the culture of his people - a man who is recognised for making a valuable contribution to society and held in high esteem by the entire community of Sekunjalo. But because the heart is a deceiver and eyes can be blinded by temptations, he turns his back on the cultural teachings and forgets that ‘a ripe fig is often full of worms inside’. His downfall is his simmering appetite for sexual conquests, where he finds himself chasing the skirts of Dolly, Thando and Nosipho. He loses his dignity; even birds laugh at him; he is downtrodden. Will shedding tears help him? If one takes into consideration all the strong partriarchal philosophies associated with the black traditional and modern society, it is normally expected that a man should never cry. This Xhosa 'translation' of When a Man Cries has been described as an excellent rendering of the story. Using simple language and a casual style, the story flows freely and reads very easily.
Siphiwo Mahala was born in Grahamstown and studied at the University of Fort Hare, Alice, where he obtained a degree in literature. He completed an MA degree at the University of the Witwatersrand. His short stories appear in different anthologies locally and internationally. His first novel, When a Man Cries (2007), received the Ernst van Heerden Creative Writing Award. He is currently the head of books and publishing at the national Department of Arts and Culture.