Nkosi Jongumsobomvu Maqoma’s descendants in Centane have appealed to Irish authorities to help facilitate the return of the Xhosa warrior’s sacred stick to SA, which has been kept at a museum in Ireland for about 150 years. Born in 1798 in the Keiskammahoek area, Maqoma died in captivity on Robben Island in September 1873.
It’s almost 20 years since the first IMRAM festival and it’s back with a wildly diverse celebration of the Irish language in literature, including music and translations