omosoeye bolaji’s TEBOGO AND THE BACCHAE reviewed by Pule Lechesa
Book: Tebogo and the Bacchae (2012)
Author: Omoseye Bolaji
Publisher: Eselby Jnr Publications
Lay-out (including Book Cover) by Godmore Jnr (Godfrey) Mofokeng
The pertinent newspaper report displayed almost brazenly at the Guest House in Khayachow town apparently says it all:
“HORROR IN KHAYACHOW TOWNSHIP
…three brutally killed
By Rebaone Ntokozo
The community of Khayachow is still reeling after the horrific deaths of three people in the township, including a minor. The killings took place last weekend.
It was a night in which mob-justice held sway in the township. In the cold light of the day, the next morning, three people were dead: Mpho (Gift) Funani, 31, George Lebeko, 29, and Sidwell Takang, 19.
Khayachow News learnt that that the death of Sidwell Takang was the catalyst for the brutal murders of Mpho and George. Many residents, speaking on condition of anonymity, explained what happened that fateful night.
Apparently, Sidwell Takang was kidnapped in the darkness, sodomised, beaten up and left for dead in a ‘dung pit’, full of excrement. Somehow Sidwell crawled to the outskirts of the township, in pain, but soon gave up the ghost.
However, before breathing his last, Sidwell allegedly told a group of people – which soon became a mob – that his attackers had been Mpho (Gift) Funani, and George Lebeko. The mob went crazy, after the boy (Sidwell) died so agonisingly.
Like a pack of wolves, the mob made its way to where both men, Mpho, then George, stayed, rounded them up amidst screams of revenge and outrage; beat them to death, then set them on fire. It was only then that the mob could cool off a bit.
The police came to investigate and Khayachow News gathered that, some arrests were initially made. Such suspects however were soon released from detention in absence of any concrete evidence. Nobody was prepared to point fingers at others as being involved in the murders.
A teacher at Khayachow town who also spoke anonymously told this paper: “We don’t want such people in our midst – I mean animals who can rape an innocent boy, throw him in excrement and try to kill him. I don’t think any of us have sympathy for those two men who were killed by the mob. We have always prided ourselves on our peaceful society here, and we want it to continue like this,”
Meanwhile the police have issued a statement saying: “Members of the public should not take the law into their own hand. They should rather leave the police to investigate, or at worst hand suspects over to the police – without inflicting physical damage or ‘punishment’ on them,”
The police, reportedly, are still continuing their investigations…”
This was the popular newspaper report of the events of an ill-starred night in Khayachow town which sleuth Tebogo Mokoena has to investigate in this his eighth published adventure.
Readers would be surprised that this latest adventure is not written in the first person. This is more of a general story with the spotlight being intermittently shed on some other characters, what makes them tick, all contributing to the ambience of mystery. But of course Tebogo is still the central protagonist, even if he does not tell the story himself this time around.
Thanks to this Omniscient method of narration in Tebogo and the Bacchae, we can enter the minds of characters, major or peripheral, as we go through this work. An example occurs when the two cleaners, Nikiwe and Julia, converse in the Guest house. After Nikiwe’s phone rings, we read:
“I must take this outside,” (Nikiwe) said, quickly moving to the General Ladies nearby.
It’s a man, Julia thought. A boyfriend. Julia considered her own situation ruefully. She had not been happy with the recent behaviour of her man, Pule. When was he going to commit himself to her fully? After all, they shared a child together. Worse of all, it was almost certain Pule was after another woman…
Julia gulped uneasily. She had not wanted to, but had been impelled, or compelled to see a sangoma over Pule. She had put the esoteric medicine the sangoma had given her in Pule’s food. I hope all goes well, and he devotes himself fully to me soon. A girl has got to do what she has to do. It’s not easy being a woman…
And then there are a few unanswered questions, “loose ends” raised in this new work. Two examples here:
Tebogo found himself saying: “By the way, what happened to Lolita?”
“Never mind her for the moment. Let’s focus on the business in hand,” the flamboyant man said softy: but nevertheless, his tone and timbre somewhat constituted a whiplash.
Also, when Maria explains to Tebogo: “…We followed the men till they rounded the two men up and killed them. I was there.”
“So you know the real killers?” (Tebogo asked)
Maria’s eyes shifted. “It was mob justice – nobody can really be blamed.” she said
Yet the fact that the author raises these questions in the text – without them really being answered – shows he’s still on top of his game. Can they be called “loose ends” when they are specifically raised though glossed over? Is the reader not expected to perhaps try to answer such posers themselves? Or perhaps they are trifles?
This is a well thought-out, intricate work, but of course not above criticism. For example, are we really to believe that in these days of advanced forensics nobody could be successfully arrested and prosecuted for the killings of Mpho and George? Bloodied apparel, instruments, footprints, for example? A few eyewitnesses brave enough to speak out?…
January 19th, 2012 at 4:14 pm
Congratulations ntate Bolaji – this is a magnificent book. I am so happy for you.
January 19th, 2012 at 4:19 pm
Thanks for the link. I’ll comment better later. This merits more than congratulations!!!!
January 19th, 2012 at 4:33 pm
Very heart-warming. It is interesting that the reviewer and critic, Pule Lechesa only mildly criticises the author here. We know Ntate Lechesa can be a ruthless critic, but it is clear he also has the greatest respect for his main mentor, ntate Bolaji (laugh)
January 19th, 2012 at 4:43 pm
Congratulations!!!!!!!!!!!!! Mr Bolaji shows once again that he’s a born writer
January 19th, 2012 at 5:13 pm
Congratulations uncle B,
This 31st publication means that one can read all your books at a rate of each book per day. You are the great chief!!!! We all look up to you.
Tebogo has seen it all, even The Bacchantes…..
This makes me remember your book titled “ Tebogo investigates”
When are you introducing us to your 12 disciples?
or shall we expect another book ” Tebogo & the disciples”? . I am hoping that This year you will work on “tebogo and the centenary” .
PS: How does one become part of the Khayachow community, where chowing is the main activity. It’s a chow baba!!! and Kaya must chow and Shasha must die…
January 19th, 2012 at 6:12 pm
Congrats to a big brother, a great ambassador of Nigeria and representative of Great Ife (University of Ife)
January 19th, 2012 at 7:25 pm
Congratulations sir, you never cease to amaze me, congrats on your new book sir, you still have a lot to offer, congratulations!!!! May God bless u even further
January 19th, 2012 at 7:26 pm
congrats sir, you never cease to amaze me sir, congratulations sir, you still have alot to offer
January 19th, 2012 at 7:26 pm
congrats sir
January 20th, 2012 at 8:58 am
I almost cried, choked with joy as I saw this. It is so exciting that a new work in the Tebogo series is out. Yes I read elsewhere early this year that Mr Bolaji will be publishing a book soon but I never imagined it would be so early, or that it would be about Tebogo the detective
January 20th, 2012 at 8:59 am
I suppose this is not really a surprise. No matter what his persona travails might be, one would always expect Bolaji to be creative as a writer so long as he lives – after all, this is what he was born to do; and done all his life. Congratulations, anyway
January 20th, 2012 at 9:23 am
I am happy to say that I read this book (via email) even before it was formally published – I was one of those who told the author that it’s a great story and should be published immediately. I can’t wait to get my copy.
January 20th, 2012 at 11:53 am
So Mr Bolaji has done it again! The right thing to do is to get a copy soonest; from the 2, 3 reviews of this new book I have read it is clear this is another great imaginative effort
January 20th, 2012 at 11:56 am
To read the ‘newspaper report’ above is to almost swear that this really happened, or that Khayatown really exists. Good work, my good friend of many years now!
January 20th, 2012 at 12:00 pm
mr bolaji i admire your graft sir
January 20th, 2012 at 12:19 pm
Great to see another new work of fiction by Bolaji. I never believed he was “finished” anyway. Congratulations.
January 20th, 2012 at 2:34 pm
The 8th adventure! To think that when the Tebogo Mystery series began I was struggling in secondary school. God bless our creative writers who have shown Africa can do it too, even in brainwork
January 20th, 2012 at 2:52 pm
Very interesting, Congrats Chief
January 20th, 2012 at 2:54 pm
Congratulations
January 20th, 2012 at 3:35 pm
i’ll take my hat off for Malome Bolaji, Prodigy of literature.I’ll like to own the copy of your project and enjoy the well baked work of your new book.I SALUTE YOU MR BOLAJI, You mate the Stars!
January 21st, 2012 at 11:16 am
Once again Bolaji shows he is one of Africa’s greatest Black creative writers. He’s already gone down in history, but continues to add cubits to his awesome reputation
January 21st, 2012 at 11:39 am
Ag, this can make one wince! I am sure Berries – the actor and poet – (see comment 15 above) made a mistake. He could not have meant ‘graft’ which suggests negativity and corruption; he must have meant: “I admire your CRAFT”!
January 21st, 2012 at 12:53 pm
IT always fascinates me how Bolaji manages to create a romantic atmosphere when he wants to. One of the tragedies of our world, especially our Black world is that often men are frustrated in love, real love. It appears in real life what we often get is like the opposite of what we dream of. But somehow Bolaji always manages to write about what seems like true love, affection, with a lot of decency about it. One can see this in books of his like Impossible Love, and Tebogo Fails. In this new work (Tebogo and the bacchae) it appears to be a small sub-plot too. All one can say is that regardless of whether a writer like Bolaji ever finds this type of decent true love in real life, the way he alludes to it in his books can be wonderful.
January 22nd, 2012 at 12:20 pm
My comments (Review) on this new work have been published elsewhere…suffice it to say that I read the book twice in two days, which shows it can’t be that bad!
January 23rd, 2012 at 10:20 am
Congradulations Chief Bolaji for the outstanding new year book. We look for more of them soon!!!
January 23rd, 2012 at 10:48 pm
Congratulations Mr. Bolaji,where can one buy a copy? Kindly advise,we celebrate together with you and Mr. Lechesa as you have once again broken the ice this year 2012. I can’t wait to purchase my copy.
January 24th, 2012 at 9:29 am
Praise must also go to Godmore Jnr Mokoena who did the whole attractive lay-out of the book. There is a lot to celebrate, as we understand more Free State books are on their way. My own review of the book is on internet now, elsewhere
January 24th, 2012 at 10:23 am
Good work ntate Omosoeye. Looking forward to more of such stories…
January 24th, 2012 at 5:19 pm
A brilliantly planned, and written book. That is all that needs to be said. Might well be the best in the entire Tebogo series
January 25th, 2012 at 5:28 pm
Tebogo and the Bacchae what a great achievement – Chief Seye The Owner of the Golden Pen Onigegewure you did it again! I value our friendship…
January 25th, 2012 at 5:35 pm
I laughed when I read this new book. The author creates a number of gentleman who seem to be rather “strange”– a bit like Ntate Bolaji himself! Characters like Tiisetso, Sibusiso, and Allan liven up the story
January 28th, 2012 at 11:25 am
After reading this book I can say it is very fine; the book is a master piece, only your other words I have to seek the dictionary
January 29th, 2012 at 12:39 pm
Well done Ntate Bolaji! I know as a fact you have been struggling throughout this new year, but you still somehow continue to make great contributions to writing in general. Hantle!
January 30th, 2012 at 4:08 pm
Chapter 2 on Lolita is quite gripping; it can stand on its own; and is both baffling and simple. The trick with Bolaji’s fiction is to read whatever he writes twice, or very slowly, then one appreciates it to the fullest
February 4th, 2012 at 1:12 pm
The skill of the author is clearly shown here in the way he constructs the newspaper report here. A triumph.
February 5th, 2012 at 12:22 pm
Having re-read this book I am almost tempted to say there is an obsession with guns, very much unlike the author, this time around. Tebogo boasts about the gun he is now carrying; and so does the character Tiisetso; in his own case quite unnecessarily…
February 8th, 2012 at 9:53 am
Well, I have not read the book; so I will just say congratulations for the meantime
February 11th, 2012 at 2:33 pm
Coming back to the so-called unanswered posers in this book, it is not only posers; it is also a matter of Bolaji’s famed brevity atimes. For example in the chapter on the flamboyant man, we are suddenly told Khanyi, Tebogo’s wife, would appreciate certain money coming her way. Then the brief addition in italics: And the new baby. I am sure many women out there would have welcomed more details of the new baby, boy or girl, excitement over this etc. But that is all we are told: the new baby!
February 12th, 2012 at 1:23 pm
People must remember that this book, like the other “Tebogo” ones, is supposed to be a mystery work, it is right that we are kept guessing many times with a tight plot. Why should we be reading details of matters that would drag the storyline backwards or even render it boring? There are many African books that go on and on about culture, rituals, weddings, childbirths, etc; and those interested can read them. Even in Tebogo and the bacchae here, there is a reference to Amadi’s The Concubine, a book which contains so many African customs!
February 16th, 2012 at 1:32 pm
I think this latest work proves conclusively that Tebogo is close to being a crook himself in some ways, or a rogue. the lady Thobeka got it right in this new book when she says to Tebogo: ‘I don’t know whether you are a demon, or saint’ Tebogo sails close to wind in bringing about his own type of justice…look at what happens to Allan eg in this book
March 17th, 2012 at 2:12 pm
I am proud of u Uncle Seye.