The panel discussion on Collecting Narratives – The Perspective and Agency of Black Women is part of the current exhibition entitled Abafa(ba)zi – Those Who Die Knowing.
The panel will delve into storytelling as a central theme of Abafa(ba)zi, exploring the ways narratives are collected, preserved, and shared within African and diasporic contexts. It will examine how artefacts, as integral elements of cultural heritage, act as vessels for safeguarding stories, and how Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) provide the framework for contextualising and deepening these narratives.
Additionally, the discussion will address the politics of representation, interrogating whose stories are prioritised, how they are framed, and the implications for cultural memory. At the heart of this dialogue is the agency of Black women, both as subjects and creators, in reclaiming, shaping, and sustaining these narratives to foster a more inclusive understanding of African histories and identities, as highlighted in Abafa(ba)zi's curatorial vision.
Moderator: Lweendo Hamukoma
As a Curator, she creates inclusive experiences that connect communities with technology's transformative power and creative expression. Her work bridges tech, creativity, and equity to foster access, representation, and innovation in public spaces. She integrates the arts and equity-centred design to build environments where diverse voices are valued and engaged.
With a public engagement, development, and storytelling background, she approaches each project with a curator’s insight and a technologist’s curiosity. She designs experiences that are intellectually stimulating and emotionally resonant, using equity and creative practices to nurture more thoughtful, inclusive communities. Through collaborative partnerships and hands-on programming, her goal is to inspire exploration, empower communities, and bridge divides in the digital age.
Panelist: Mbali Kgame
Mbali Kgame is a transdisciplinary emerging activist-scholar and a creative cultural writer who has widely contributed in digital platforms. In her studies and her writing she is dedicated in capturing the complexities that underpin human interaction with a focus in black existence in post-1994 South Africa. She is a children’s literature author of several stories. Her children’s stories, Hair Magic and the Djembe were featured on the Nal’ibali read for enjoyment radio campaign. Mbali’s lived experiences of being born and bred in the township of Soweto, Zola influence her work as well as her everyday praxis which includes learning and teaching in Black Consciousness-PanAfrikan community organisations, the BlackHouse Kollective and Ebukhosini Solutions.
Panelist: Vuyiswa Xekatwane
Vuyiswa Xekatwane, also known as Gogo Mahlodi, is a Johannesburg-based writer, cultural worker, and isangoma. Integrating her work as an arts writer with her practice as an isangoma, her work is concerned with themes of African spirituality, musical heritage, and knowledge preservation through songs, stories, and material culture.
In addition to hosting events such as Sgubhu Society and Brunch with Gogo Mahlodi, Vuyiswa facilitates workshops, curating experiences and spaces for knowledge sharing and connection.
The panel is curated by Thina Miya, the curator of Abafa(ba)zi.
Read more about the exhibition:
Abafabazi - House Of African Feminisms
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