Lindokuhle

Sobekwa's

new

book

'I

Carry

Her

Photo

With

Me'

Lindokuhle Sobekwa’s ‘I Carry Her Photo With Me’ is a reflection on his sister Ziyanda, who disappeared when he was six years old. After a fight with her brother, Ziyanda ran off and never returned, leaving Sobekwa to recover from a car accident that had left him hospitalized. It would be 11 years before he saw her again, and when they reunited, she was living in a hostel, ill and distant. Their relationship remained strained, and Sobekwa’s only attempt to photograph her was met with resistance. When Ziyanda passed away shortly after, Sobekwa’s mother was left with just one image of her: a family photo from Christmas, which she cut to keep Ziyanda’s face close.

Sobekwa’s work traces the few things his sister left behind, offering a map of absences through his photography. It is a search for answers that doesn’t provide closure but highlights the painful and unresolved gaps in their shared history. Sobekwa reflects on how this project has opened up conversations within his family, helping them confront uncomfortable truths and walk a path of understanding together.