Mbonisi Zikhali is a poet/spoken word artist and storyteller born in Makokoba,

Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, who has loved poetry since childhood. He won his first poetry

prize at age 8. His spoken-word/storytelling name is Zomkhonto, which is his bloodline’s

“totem.” He is also a trained journalist, youth mentor, qualified community services

worker, grassroots community organizer and mental wellness advocate. He considers

himself an “”afro-empath” driven to ensure that people find joy in the power of words