By Mzukona Mantshontsho
COVERED BY CHRIST’S COVENANT is a pressing assignment that had to be share with people young and old that when one is covered by Christ in covenant, your life is covered.
It came from an urge to address a question I come across frequently, how do I make the Bible applicable to my life now, how do I understand it, how come I have been praying or doing this, and it feels like I am not getting any movement. Are we under law or grace covers everything and there are no more commandments to follow. It was therefore to help people who are struggling, stagnant, frustrated and feeling stuck in their faith.
Meeting the spiritual seekers in their seeking on life’s deep matters to let them know that life is spiritual and is governed by spiritual laws.
The first thing to understand in Christianity is that the covenant with Christ—is a relationship. And in any relationship, there is an expected code of conduct on how the two involved relate. That is in essence what God seeks with everyone a deep intimate relationship where He loves on us and we love Him back by honouring His Word then He himself honours us and covers us. So, I wrote the book as a guide premised on my own life lessons to help everyone understand the spiritual laws that govern life to live a life of victory.
Tell us about your early life to your role today
I was raised in a fairly happy home with parents that made sure we lacked nothing. I grew up in a rough ghetto neighbourhood where futures seemed bleak— girls destined to teenage pregnancies, boys grew up to low level criminals or worked minimum wage jobs to get by.
My childhood overall was carefree full of joy and much love. I am blessed that my parents were determined to create a better future for us and open us up to opportunities. I appreciate my mom for always buying me books, she would get suitcase loads take me to bookstores and laid a desire to read the Bible early.
My early life however had vicious cycles; it had streaks of pain and the hands of the enemy beginning to make its play on my life. So, I always say this my disclaimer, “My experiences are unique to me but are universal in nature”. I grew up surrounded by violence in general, starting off with bullying in primary school, gender-based violence in the home, with some dysfunctional drama as part of the norm of daily living. It wasn’t a daily occurrence but when it happened it was rough. I was molested by a maid during playtime with others.
Then as a young adult at 19 one of my first serious relationships mirrored the Gender-Based-Violence (GBV) I witnessed growing up becoming my personal experience. It was like a gazelle trapped and transfixed, mesmerized by the lights of an oncoming car I made many ungodly choices which had far reaching consequences with the relationship with my parents and my spiritual growth.
So, early life was a maze of creeping things that tried to corrupt my future. When I was 20, I was held hostage at gun point and raped. These encounters all transpired between the first 2 decades ceasing at 22. These years are the formative years of self-discovery many things I experienced tried to shape the trajectory of my life and in hindsight, I sometimes wonder if I had mentorship, safe environments and spiritual guidance a stronger foundation for victorious living would have been laid.
A safe place that was a saving grace for me was school, so do appreciate every term. I enjoyed and loved school it was my happy place, the friends, playfulness, learning, and getting lost in books. I loved studying—yes, I was and still am a nerd and a bookworm. As the saying goes, high school days are the best days of one’s life.
I was an A student in the first class and became a prefect both in primary and high school. I studied afterwards shortly a degree in Social Work with UNISA which I stopped during the self-discovery process in trying to understand one’s purpose. At the time I wanted to be a combination of Oprah and Dr Phil.
Then I got my first job which led to others and discovering my passion for media and its importance. I went on to then do courses with QuickBooks accounting, studied bookkeeping and accounting with ICB and I was one of their top achievers in 2022, yay!
Now I am currently in the third semester to finish my Degree in Theology with Auckland Park Theological seminary because now I know what I am called to be and what my purpose is.
How long did it take to write the book, research and the final product?
Writing is a process indeed. It took me about a month; 29 days to be exact. I started the draft on 20 December 2023 and finished the manuscript 17 January 2024. The final product however has been a lesson in patience and persistence. Due to having to find the right publisher it took a year and six months also having to pray on the content, additional research and waiting on endorsements as well.
What are you hoping people will take away from the book?
My hope is that people will take away that they can confront vicious cycles and change them when they are covered by Christ and live victoriously. For everyone to know they can overcome anything and everything that is the hope of our riches in Christ. That is what my life experience has been. I went through what can break a person’s worth, shift your mental state you name it but there is a God who cleanses, who restores and rewrites stories. No matter your environment it does not determine your end.
To the young people to know that your choices have consequences, the friends you keep form your views on life, seek to grow a relationship with God early, detect the devil’s devises and understand life is spiritual. Learn to forgive, to speak up to keep hope alive most of all to love yourself and others right.
You can step into a victorious life Christ has already made available for you. I am happily married to a wonderful man a reflection of God’s love in human form. I am a mother, a businesswoman building a kingdom business, a pastor in the making and change maker started a movement Victory Life Transformer where I mentor and help other people through their challenges, to offer encouragement and empowerment that you can make it— things do and can turnaround.
What can we expect from you going forward since you started? when did you start the initiative exactly?
I founded Christian Royalty Magazine 10 years ago as a passion project, which I re-launched in 2024 as a space to celebrate Christians living victorious lives. Christian Royalty Magazine will grow and expand into other spaces creating gainful employment for the youth. I am also privileged to be a radio presenter starting a radio show titled Overcomer’s Victory on Kingdom Vision Radio in August do join in.
The next is a double launch of the magazine and the book on 18 October 2025. And continually building the movement as I mentioned Victory Life Transformer a place to offer support, encouragement, tools and resources for those seeking to walk in victory.
What are your words of advice for young people, particularly women to take that first step to write a book, start community projects or small businesses?
My words are simple we have heard them often START, BEGIN, do it afraid, do it unqualified in simple words DO NOT REASON too much. Just step out in faith. Do not add to the cemetery untapped potential, unfulfilled dreams, destinies derailed by fear step out, be bold and courageous God will provide His might. There is a God who turns the small feeble steps you take into giant echoes as the sound of a great army (read 2 Kings 7:6-7).
Trust what you are sensing to build, to share and pray that it aligns with God’s will—He then brings divine intervention for His glory. When you read the first words in Genesis 1:1 it reads, “In the beginning God… God began somewhere He placed elements then added on each day. So go and begin type those first few words, write them down on a paper and next you will have the sentence, then a paragraph then the book. The project plan is start small then scale it big. That business begins with the research, draft a plan, get one client, one item or product and focus on the low hanging fruits because the principle of multiplication is in place it will grow you will increase. Now go on and begin…
What is the legacy that you would want to leave when you retire?
I did my best to encourage someone to know the end is not in what you encountered be it your environment or negative experiences. The end is determined by Who you encounter. I want to make Godly living glamorous because in God there is so much glory that the world must know. The legacy is to have empowered someone to experience a victorious life to have released many from the clutches of captivity (be it depression, GBV, hopelessness, unworthy feelings etc) from those trenches to rise! When people think or say my name that someone can say I got up because I stood on her shoulders, another she gave me a leg up with her hands, another I stood on her back and one I literally stepped on her head. I want to pour myself out to the extent all of me is expended for another to find hope and courage to keep going and to get to the next high level. I want to be a crown fixer and polisher for all royalty to shine.
How do you see the book DIRECTLY contributing to the community?
The book is a conversation starter for communities. Many in the black community do not like talking about issues that cause pain, and trauma. The default setting is to ignore it, push it out of your mind, sweep it under the rug— we even have proverbs that encourage silencing pain. The book is thus a candid conversation starter for authentic and vulnerable healing talks. It will also cause one to self-introspect and the collective to hold each other accountable to how much an individual’s decision impacts the next person and the community. The community can also have a better understanding of what influences its makeup.
What have been your highs and lows when writing this book?
The highs were finishing the writing, the second was getting the endorsement from an international Amazon best-selling author and speaker from the Bahamas the positive aspects of global connection. The rest of the endorsements that came in and the impact of the book on those who first got a chance to read it on how it is impactful and enlightening. The lows were struggling with how much of my own journey to include in the book. Speaking on your own mistakes, your past, sharing yourself with vulnerability is not an easy feat as a black African woman, a daughter, a wife, a mother moreover as a pastor the fear of how people would receive the book. That they would start viewing you from things you already conquered since to them it is a fresh truth—the things you have overcome over years.
When you not at work, what do you get up to, and where can people follow the book online?
When I am not at my job, I am content being a wife to my amazing husband, a mom to my 2 children building a safe and happy home. At other times working on the charity programs, we run Hearty Meals Feeding the Homeless supporting Miracle Mission Children’s Home. I am also planning empowerment events for the women’s ministry at our church, Amazing Grace Centre. I go for prayer retreats in nature soak up the beauty and wonder of creation.
The book journey can be followed on www.victory.christianroyalty.co.za to order copies or join the movement or on all social media platforms;
Facebook: Victory With Christ-Nataski Manyika,
Instagram: nataskivlt and
TikTok: Nataski Manyika
