people of the townships reviewed by aryan kaganof
“The whole society is sick, I think. Everything is upside down. Modernity has taken a terrible toll on black society.”
This is the grim summation that John Lefuo, the protagonist of “People Of The Townships”, makes at the end of his perambulation through his ‘kasie one sunday afternoon. “Mr. John” tells us that he is not considered “normal” by his township brethren. During the two hours or so of his walk through the township we discover why. John is a thinker. A book reader. Not an alcoholic. Not a dagga roker. He does not steal. He keeps his word. He frowns upon sexual promiscuity. In short - he seems like a rather prissy, dour protagonist for a novel.
But “seems” is very much the operative word in my previous sentence. For Omoseye Bolaji has set us up for an extraordinary revelation that unfolds in the last six pages of this short (93 pages) somewhat breathless novel. I say “breathless” because the pace of the writing is so snappy and its “unputdownable” factor so high, that the reader is left as out of breath as I imagine protagonist John Lefuo must have been at the end of his last sunday walk as a free man.
The set-up that author Bolaji carefully constructs in this important work of South African fiction begins on page 4 when the first person narrator of the book, the afore-mentioned John Lefuo, describes himself thus: “I am not a criminal. I have not killed anybody, nor robbed anybody.” As readers we expect of our narrators that they be honest, that they tell us the truth - or at least, that they tell us their side of the truth.
Mr. Bolaji plays with these expectations in a sophisticated, almost wicked manner, that demands of the reader, once we have read the last 6 pages of the book, that we IMMEDIATELY return to the beginning of the book in order to carefully re-read it. For it is only on the second reading of the book that we can determine for ourselves to what extent John Lefuo really is “crazy”, and guage for ourselves the veracity of his statements about himself and his moralistic pontifications about all the no-goods, rubbishes, non-readers, demi-mondes, and low lifes that he numbers amongst his acquaintances.
I don’t want to give too much of the plot of this book away. It really is important to approach “People Of The Townships” fresh, without knowing the details of its rivetting and utterly unexpected denouement. I have to qualify that sentence. Upon reading the book for the second time it struck me that the shock ending was in fact carefully planned, and the walk through the township is literally “littered” with clues that might make an astute reader guess what is to come - if there are such readers who are prepared not to take a narrator’s narration at face value.
This is a relentlessly grim novel that is surprisingly funny along the way. There are some hilarious dialogues and John Lefuo’s opinions often reminded me of the kind of absurdity we all know so well in South Africa - the hypocrisy of politicians calling for “moral regeneration” whilst indulging in the pleasures of the flesh wherever, whenever, and with whomever they can.
I would suggest that Mr. Bolaji has created a morally ambiguous protagonist in order to test our own opinions and ethics. The truth is that judgements on the moral plane are extremely hard to make, both in life and, as John Lefuo amply demonstrates, in fiction. This picaresque tale is essential reading for all those interested in South African writing that comes from outside of the politically correct ghetto created by white-owned publishing houses who still determine the shape and content of so-called “black writing” thirteen years after the end of apartheid.
Long after reading the book for the second time John Lefuo’s tragic words rumbled through the township of my skull, “”The whole society is sick, I think. Everything is upside down. Modernity has taken a terrible toll on black society.”
May 22nd, 2007 at 3:50 pm
It’s great to see the guru himself, Mr Kaganof, reviewing this book. And a very fine review it is too. What’s demi-mondes? - hey, hey hey!
May 23rd, 2007 at 11:23 am
A brilliant review Mr Kaganof!You are right to point out that generally Bolaji’s fiction might not be easy to review as one can easily give the game away and spoil the fun for others
May 23rd, 2007 at 1:06 pm
This is a sophisticated, very impressive review. I am trying to remember - when the reviewer refers to “littered with clues” it reminds me of another article once published locally in the Free State which says as much.I hope to keep you posted…
May 23rd, 2007 at 4:12 pm
Among our dreams, as young black writers, was that some day important white writers/critics would take notice of whatever we write and comment on it…I suppose chief Bolaji is living such dreams now. A very good review indeed.
May 25th, 2007 at 9:31 am
Lechesa’s flight of fancy
By Peter Moroe
As a lover of literature, especially black literature in the Free State I was delighted to learn about the website for Free State black literature and I have read the articles there many times. One cannot but be impressed with the efforts of Bolaji, Lechesa and Qoopane in putting our literature on the map.
However upon reading Pule Lechesa’s interesting review of Omoseye Bolaji’s book, People of the townships I felt uneasy at certain comments made by Lechesa. It is a bit worrying because many people might believe anything published on a website including this intellectually stimulating piece by Lechesa, is the absolute truth. I have read People of the Townships at least twice and with the best will in the world I can not but disagree with Lechesa on some aspects.
Lechesa starts for example, by placing a lot of credence on the cover of the book, allegedly showing a man smoking dagga. There is nothing in the book to suggest that the book is about dagga smoking, or that the protagonist, John Lefuo indulged in this; or he is a “Rastaman” and the like.
In fact, the evidence we see is that John actually abhorred smoking. A few quotations from the book (pages 17 to 18) will demonstrate this:
“Another guy arrives smelling strongly of dagga as usual. (Earlier) I had foolishly allowed him to persuade me to follow him one night to purchase dagga/marijuana….I regretted following him. It was an ordeal…the only thing on my mind as we went back to the townships was ‘never again’. Never,”
Also note that throughout the book, John never smokes even one cigarette nor wishes for any. If he ever smoked one cigarette in his life, considering the plight he was now in, this was the time for John to do so!
Most disturbingly, critic Lechesa tries to argue that the end of the book is unconvincing, that John could not have killed his “ex-girlfriend” (In his review Lechesa sometimes confuses ‘girlfriend’ ‘lover’, with ‘ex-wife’). A careful reading of the book shows that throughout even as he wandered through the townships, John was very much aware that he had committed a crime and had to pay for it. The beauty of the book is that it is at the very end that we find out the details.
The author gives us some pointers in the work. A few examples here:
“Have any news for me?” (A journalist asks John Lefuo)
“By tomorrow you will have juicy news involving me” (John replied), adding, pensively: He thinks I am joking. But I am not. (page 72)
“She (Maisy) is listening to the radio. I feel a bit uneasy. Can it be on the radio already? No,” (page 75)
“As I prepare to go to jail, I wish to pay tribute to the few remaining magnificent ladies…” (page 87)
And what about the emotional scene with Lupna (the ‘very good lady’) where John is in tears and can only say that he is in serious trouble?
It is strange that Lechesa wants to force readers to agree with him that John did not kill Alice. Yet John himself admits very clearly that in the last chapter that he killed her! If a narrator of a work tells us unambiguously that he has killed someone, how do we or any critic disagree with this?
These are the important portions at the end of the book, as told by John Lefuo himself: “I looked at her young corrupt degenerate self…I concentrated extraordinary power in my arms…my hands went to her throat and I squeezed. I meant to end her life and I did so…I took the law into my own hand and had to face the consequences” (pages 92 and 93)
Pule Lechesa no doubt has done well as a serious critic, with an eclectic use of quotations from all over the world being a feature of his writings. But my purpose here is to show that he is not infallible.
May 25th, 2007 at 9:35 am
As regards comment 5 above - which is an article published in 2005 - I have reproduced it here because as I indicated earlier, Mr kaganof’s review reminded me that I had read a piece earlier talking about “clues” culminating in the surprise ending of the book, People of the Townships. As we can see from the article (Comment 5), details and particulars are given. I searched and managed to find a copy of the article “Lechesa’s flight of fancy”
May 26th, 2007 at 4:57 pm
It is very true to say that modernity has taken a terrible toll on we modern black Africans. Nobody really cares about values or decency again, we are under tremendous pressure to “make it” by hook or crook, many continue to sell their souls to the devil. Most men are scared to approach women now as they know “love equates money” nowadays.Need I continue?
May 28th, 2007 at 12:37 pm
How I like the part of Mr Bolaji writing in a “sophisticated, almost wicked manner”. The “black African master of the unexpected” derserves the “whipping”!
May 30th, 2007 at 12:19 pm
An excellent review by Aryan Kaganof, top notch, economical without rambling, earnest and sincere.Hope this review will make it to the latest (2007) version of The growth of Free State Black Writing series
May 9th, 2008 at 12:44 pm
An excellent review indeed
April 13th, 2009 at 8:56 am
[…] Also note that Aryan Kaganof in his review of Bolaji’s book, People of the Townships writes: “I would suggest that Mr. Bolaji has created a morally ambiguous protagonist in order to test our own opinions and ethics. The truth is that judgements on the moral plane (sic, plain) are extremely hard to make, both in life and, as John Lefuo amply demonstrates, in fiction” […]