My name is Tholakele Antamu. I was born into a life, a country and a world that was not quite ready for me and I knew it from my very first moment of consciousness. I was born in a place I did not know, can not recognise and have not yet been back to. I was given the name Lindiwe, surnameless, mother and fatherless I lay waiting for my new life to find me.
The name Lindiwe, is the female name derived from the Zulu word ‘ukulinda’, which means ‘to wait’. My name is now Thola, (Tholakele) which means ‘to be found’, (the found one). This is the name I was given by my two white South African parents in early January of 1989. My name is my crown and I wear it with pride like a gold wreath upon my dark chocolate face. My name, Tholakele Antamu Catherine van Speyk Hulbert, tells my whole story. It tells a story of a powerful, stong, elegant woman who was found on the top of a high peak. No one knew how she got there or why she was there but people would always find themselves wanting and wishing that they could join her.
I am Thola Antamu.