South African poet, writer and political activist, Mafika Pascal Gwala is born in Durban.

Mafika Pascal Gwala was born on 5 October 1946 in Verulam, north of Durban, KwaZulu-Natal. He is the second child of five children of his parents. He matriculated in Inkamana High School in KwaZulu-Natal. Gwala spent his adult life in Mpumalanga province, working as a clerk in a factory. He was a South African poet and editor, writing in both English and Zulu. Gwala studied at the University of Natal (now University of KwaZulu-Natal), where he completed his MPhil in Politics. He started poetry in his early twenties. Gwala published his poems, essays and short stories in various local and international journals. He was involved in politics dating back to the 1960s.  He was detained in 1977, the same year as Steve Biko. He used his writings to speak out against the injustice of apartheid. He served in the Black consciousness Movement (BCM) and he was a member of Black South African Student Organisation, as well as Black Community Projects in Durban. His first story was published in The Classic magazine. Apart from writing, he was also a high school teacher, and a guest University lecturer. In 1973, he contributed to several literary journals, including working as the editor of The Black Review journal. Gwala authored two volumes of ‘Jol’iinkomo’, meaning ‘Bringing the cattle’s home to the Kraal’ which was later performed by the Jazz singer Miriam Makeba. One of his best known poems was “The Children of Nonti” which was published in 1977. He passed away on 7 September 2014. Gwala influenced a number of contemporary poets in South Africa.