And They Didn't Die

Who is MaBiyela from And They Didn't Die and what is their importance?

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MaBiyela is Jezile's mother-in-law. MaBiyela dislikes Jezile in the beginning of her marriage to Siyalo because it takes so long for Jezile to become pregnant that it appears she is barren. Having a barren daughter-in-law is disgraceful for a woman, causing MaBiyela to fear for her future and her place in the village. It never occurs to MaBiyela that this difficulty might not be Jezile's fault. In time, however, when Jezile finally becomes pregnant, she and MaBiyela forge a kind of relationship. They are not good friends, but they come to rely on one another. This changes when Jezile goes to jail for a political protest. MaBiyeal is left with Jezile's seven-month-old infant, but with no means to feed and care for the child. When Jezile returns five months later, she finds her child half-dead, suffering from malnutrition.