kagablog

By Paul Lothane

In her book (a critique), TEBOGO ON THE PROWL Petro Schonfeld acknowledges that Omoseye Bolaji who created the Tebogo Mystery series sometimes touches on moral issues; however she does not seem to appreciate the import of such complex moral issues; indeed she perhaps comes across as being sarcastic. But these are very important issues affecting the very fibre of the society, moreso in the townships where there are millions of black people. Why for instance do many look up to worthless people as their role models, like flashy crooks, criminals and brigands? Why do so many ladies prefer to fall into the arms of tsotsis, skelms, rather than much more decent people? When society is skewed, the result is the sort of atrocities, and diseases we witness daily.

Through the “Tebogo mystery series” Omoseye Bolaji considers some of these issues; in Ask Tebogo identifying many of them through “Dave’s essays” . Petro is right that to a certain extent Bolaji presents a number of young men striving to be good, for example Bareng (in Tebogo Fails), Dave (in Ask Tebogo) and of course investigator Tebogo Mokoena is humane himself. (Also note that “good women” are always praised in Bolaji’s books) A closer study of the “Tebogo books” will show that the protagonists themselves are very much aware of their own weaknesses, but on a realistic level they all come across – and are largely acknowledged - as “good people”. Tebogo Mokoena himself proves to be against physical violence towards women, almost at the cost of his own life (see the end of Tebogo’s spot of bother)

When “Aunt Maggy” says to Tebogo in Tebogo Fails: “You see (Tebogo), Bareng is well known as the complete gentleman in this area. A bit boring perhaps, but a very honest, decent person. Why, he is even more upright than you!” (page 10, Tebogo Fails) we are again reminded that largely, those who strive to be decent are admired by many; it is however another thing entirely to expect such people to be “perfect”, as such a thing does not exist. By highlighting the occasional short comings of such “good people” Bolaji in fact emphasizes the inevitability and fallibility of human beings, in a world where even many “men of God” intermittently succumb to “scandals”, weaknesses of the flesh etc.

Apart from the Tebogo mystery series, in People of the Townships (also written by Omoseye Bolaji) the protagonist, John Lefuo tells us bluntly: “What am I thinking? That ultimately most of us are garbage. People like me even lead the way…No matter how much we try, we fail…” (People of the Townships, page 64)

Tebogo Mokoena, generally considered as fairly decent under the circumstances, realizes only too well that “saintly Dave”, being a mere human being must have had his own weaknesses. As he muses in Ask Tebogo: “No matter how ‘good or nice’ a guy was, his weakness usually involved alcohol allied to women” (Ask Tebogo, page 31)

It must also be pointed out that Dave himself whist alive was aware that he could succumb to earthly pressures or weaknesses too. In his “essay” titled “LUST” in Ask Tebogo, Dave writes: “A man is seriously handicapped vis a vis a woman (as) he is controlled by overwhelming natural and physical urges – I prefer to call them weaknesses – when it comes to women,”

The Tebogo Mystery series imaginatively touches on complex moral issues, with pragmatic, convincing, realistic analyses that should be appreciated; rather than embarking on a futile, unrealistic search for “perfect gentlemen” or women.
Paul Lothane wrote the formal Introduction to TEBOGO ON THE PROWL, by Petro Schonfeld