I hooked up with the creator of the Facebook Group, Buchule Jack, to find out why Xhosanostra exists and ja, it’s not just a group, iyarocka!

If you can read isiXhosa, trust me you will laugh your ass off just reading the posts over there… Yho, can you imagine all the qaqa, caca, xaxa, gqogqa, qweba,

Here’s how the chat with Buchule went………………..:

Buchule: Buchule is a good looking, charismatic, magnetic, devishly handsome, friendly guy. Lol. Well I was born in the Eastern Cape in a small town called Alice (Qonce).

We then moved to eZwelitsha and that is where I started my school career in an all black primary school. Finally when black students where allowed into white schools back in 1990/91 my parents sent me to Selborne Primary in East London.

I was at Selborne Primary till the end of Grade 7 back in 1996 when my father moved the whole family to Johannesburg. I started my High School career at Bryanston High School in 1997 and stayed there for 3 years. Missing the Eastern Cape I always wanted to go back to Selborne and finally did so in 2000. I finished my matric at Selborne College.

I then attended Wits University and graduated with a B.Com Economics & Managerial Accounting in 2005. I did a Post Grad Diploma in Investment Management at UNISA in 2006 whilst I was working at Rand Merchant Bank. When my father started his company, Pama Investment Holdings, he asked me to join him and help out.

Till this day I work there. I also own a small company called Pink Diamond Productions which I hope to grow in the next year. It has thrown alot of events, most of which were very successful.

Brown Shuga: Wow, quite an impressive CV you got there bro, are you dating anyone? LOL (just checking people, calm down)

Buchule: Single and ready to mingle!

Brown Shuga: Okay, my gals will be happy to hear that. So you started the Facebook group, Xhosanostra. Why?

Buchule: Yes I started a group called Xhosanostra back in February 2007. Facebook was new to alot of people including myself and all these exciting things were happening so fast. When I started Xhosanostra this is the description I gave it: “Just that, Xhosa peeps being Xhosa. Young Xhosa people speaking and discovering one another…”

Exciting topics are always being discussed right here on this group. Izani nizobona.” So that is exactly what I wanted to achieve, a platform for like minded people to get together and discuss topics that are relevant to their lives. I created a platform where people can express their discomforts and pleasures, where people can use their own language when and as they wish, where people can network and find each other and where people can just be.

Back at Wits University my brother and a couple of friends started a society called Xhosa Cultural Union of Students (XCUS) of which I headed in my last two years at Wits. In a society where we lose abit of ourselves to the western world we need more people to be proud of who they are and where they come from. Let us all have groups. Lets have a Zulunostra, Pedinostra, Sothonostra. Why not if not?

Brown Shuga: Given the range of interesting & very hot discussions that take place in that group, don’t you think calling it Xhosanostra is selfish? In the sense that Sothos, Tswanas etc would not join based on it being for “AmaXhosa” & would therefore lose out on the stuff that’s there?

Buchule: Well, I knew that creating a group for Xhosa’s would be seen as controversial. True, at first people of other ethnic groups sent me messages of discomfort and slated the group as an anti-other ethnic sort of group. I can see where they would be coming from BUT this group is a celebration of our culture and way of life.

We have interesting topics/discussions such as: “Celebs on FB & their status updates”; “Refugees in SA”; “I am going Sis Dolly on you, Call me dear Bhuti Khaya” and “Is there such a thing as a faithful guy?? seriously??” in which everybody can participate and comment BUT we also have discussions such as: “Best Xhosa Names”;

“The State of EC Schools”; “Certain Kingdoms are being killed in EC”, “Why amadoda amaXhosa ethanda kangaka ukuphikisana ngepolitics…ingba baziva ubukleva or bazenza kleva?”, “Why does everyone say bad things about Xhosa’s” and “Eastern Cape needs our help, lets go back home” in which only Xhosa people can or even want to comment. Its not a group that talks bad about other ethnic groups but a group that celebrates its Xhosa Heritage.

Brown Shuga: Makes sense and triple LOL at “Amadoda we Sixhosa and politics” I already have Bantu Holomisa in mind hehehe..

Now from talking about Rape, Bafana Bafana, Malema, Women as Bosses, muffing, on my last check there were 2244 topics discussed since the group’s inception with the last one I saw being “Ngomntu wam, ndingalwa ndibebomvu” LOL, is there anything you guys do not discuss in that group??

Buchule: Lol, this group has provided ample laughs for over 5,000 people. Everytime I log onto Xhosanostra I will definitely leave with a smile on my face. The members of the group are like-minded people who will discuss anything and everything. Serious topics are definitely not out of bounds. It’s a platform for people to speak out and occasionally mess around. Many a friendship and even romances have come from members meeting on the group. There have been outcries, topics i’ve had to delete, topics that make comebacks, topics about politics, sex, money, education, actors, sports and love. We talk about everything.

Brown Shuga: What were some of your best topics ever discussed there?

Buchule: “ITS OVER STIX” was one of the funniest topics ever. This girl broke up with “Stix” on the discussion board and he replied. Then everyone added their two cents and it all became one big joke. “Celebs on Facebook and their status updates…” was also hilarious, members made up statuses of certain celebs/politicians and these are some of them:

‘DJ Cleo is now in a relationship with Bricks’,

‘Kelly Khumalo’s status update : I envy Khanyi thats why I also want a reality show, so its true that a DIVA neva dies, lucky bitch!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!’,

‘JZ’s Relationship Status: Married, Married, Married, Engaged, It’s Complicated!’,

‘Mvume Dandala has left the group C.O.P.E!’,

‘JM status update :no longer prepared to kill 4 JZ anymore…’, ‘Taxi Owner status update: I hate B.R.T’ etc.

Brown Shuga: Besides groupies, what else have you gained from the group?

Buchule: Groupies??? Where where? I wish. I didn’t start Xhosanostra to make money or gain popularity. I started it for self fulfilment and I have achieved that. When I threw the Xhosanostra braai’s at Chesa Nyama last year so many people came up to me to thank me for creating the group as they have enjoyed it. I made some t-shirts aswell and i’m actually throwing a party on the 28^th of November 2009 for the members.

Let me put it this way, alot more people know me now than before I created the group and when I introduce myself they always say “The guy who started Xhosanostra?” which is kinda cool. I wouldn’t mind groupies though.

Brown Shuga: Is there a bigger plan for it? What happens if Facebook shuts down tomorrow? Would that be the end of Xhosanostra?

Buchule: Alot of people have comments and suggestions on what I must do with it. There are definitely plans to make it bigger and better. There will be more events, more t-shirts, more “branches” in other provinces etc. This is definitely not it at all for Xhosanostra. If facebook shuts down we will find other avenues such as a website or even a small newsletter.

Check out more of XHOSANOSTRA & hopefully you’ll be inspired to start YOUR NEXT BIG THING!

P.S. Ladies, Mr. BC is Twitter : @BuchuleJack *wink*<