kagablog

The latest edition of The growth of Free State Black Writing (2009) journal is out. The series has been published since 2002, and this is the eighth edition. Reproduced hereunder is the Introduction to the latest edition by its long-standing editor, Peter Moroe…

INTRODUCTION TO THE BOOK BY PETER MOROE

In September this year (2009) the Mangaung Local Municipality (MLM) in conjunction with the Bloemfontein Public Library did a remarkable thing. They orchestrated an Awards ceremony wherefore black writers in the Free State were honoured. Nor were these awards limited to “established, published” authors – virtually all recognized writers who had made their mark in the society were lauded and honoured.

Writers honoured thus included the “luminaries” like Omoseye Bolaji, Flaxman Qoopane, Thabo Mafike, Lebohang Thaisi, Pule Lechesa, Saint George Vis; others like Seleke Botsime, Richard “Skietreker” Seape, Bareng Dichabe, Raselebeli Khotseng, Jah Rose were also honoured, among others. They were all presented with special certificates; and illuminating speeches were delivered by key speakers.

It was an occasion that spoke volumes of the fact that Free State Black writing continues to thrive. This year (2009) a lot of progress continues to be made. New writers continue to emerge, others who were fairly established before, published books. Poetry in particular continues to grow by leaps and bounds.

In this wise the likes of Neo Mvubu, Richard “Skietreker” Seape, Magic Khotseng, and the exciting Tiisetso M Thiba are doing very well. Tiisetso in particular has impressed so many lovers of poetry this year, and two of his poems are published in this edition of The Growth of Free State Black Writing.

Saint George Vis made waves with the publication of Indaba with Free State writers this year. This important work follows on the early Free State Writers Talking (2002). The new book has been favourably received and two of the reviews of the work are published here. Writers interviewed in Vis’ book include Pule Lechesa, Charmaine Kolwane, Teboho Masakala, Neo Mvubu, Richard Skietreker Seape, Thabo Mafike, among others.

Young writer, Teboho Masakala has also impressed many literary observers this year, with his sudden emergence. His forte at the moment seems to be short stories – and a sample of his work is published here. Much is expected in future from this young man.

Another writer of short fiction – Maxwell Perkins Kanemanyanga (based in Bloemfontein) published his debut work this year: Enemy of the State. The book comprises some ten short stories which are enthralling in their own way. Pule Lechesa’s superb review of the new book is published here.

As for the multiple award-winning Omoseye Bolaji, another full length work was added to the many studies (books) published on his literary work, this year. The new book is called: Omoseye Bolaji: Further perspectives; edited by Julia Mooi. Because of this new book, there is hardly any need to publish the recent shorter articles on the works of Bolaji here – though one impressive article is published here (“Folksiness in Tebogo and the epithalamion”)

In conclusion let me just state that this is the EIGHTH edition of this series! We are all proud of it, and the fact that burgeoning and established writers from our beloved Province continue to make this publication worthwhile. See you next time around!
- Peter Moroe (Editor)

this article first appeared here

Book: Tebogo and the epithalamion
Author: Omoseye Bolaji
Publisher: Eselby Jnr Publications
Reviewer: Peter Moroe

Tebogo and the epithalamion (2009), the latest in the “Tebogo Mokoena mystery series” has just been published. Here, sleuth Tebogo Mokoena tackles the case of a bride to be, who suddenly vanishes from her own house. Here I shall just briefly touch on one or two aspects that strike me as regards this new book.

The issue of “morality” seems to interest Bolaji in his writings.Critic Petro Schonfeld writes almost sarcastically in this wise in her book, Tebogo on the prowl (pg 38): “The virtues of Dave are legion. He did not flirt with women…he liked a simple life…he was popular and generous…he liked reading…he was a writer…almost a saint…His character overshadows Tebogo (whose) characteristics are few compared to the praises Dave receives”

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”

In Tebogo and the epithalamion there is this type of tantalising ambiguity on issues of “morality” again. For example when Tebogo and Seleke the ‘rich man’ discuss:

But whether Neo “had played her cards right” or not, was hardly the issue here. I stared at Ntate Seleke and said: “But is it true – that there is another woman in this town who has a baby for you?”

Mike flinched as Seleke’s face changed into a ruthless mask. Indeed he (Mike) looked away uneasily, perhaps cursing me inwardly for raising this matter which I had heard about. But I tried to look unperturbed.

Seleke said at last: “Are you questioning my moral ethics?”

Yet the irony is that Mr. Seleke is probably morally flawed as it emerges that he has fathered a child quite carelessly whilst drunk and has little or no respect for the mother of his young child.

Mike Lechesa is one of the pivotal figures in the book, and his portrayal in the book is almost flawless: we can see that he is sensitive, quiet, courteous, has been very sick, etc. We can also see that on the whole, he has no sense of humour; hence a second reading of the book reveals a jarring note when Tebogo first meets him (Mike):

“Mike!” I said hugging him.

“Be careful, Ntate” Gloria (who worked at the B and B) said. “Mr. Mike was very sick and is just getting better,” So she knew him well too.

“So I’m a sissy eh?” Mike joked.

It is quite clear here that the narrator (or rather the author) has temporarily super-imposed what would have been his own comment – putting such words into Mike’s mouth as it were. There is nothing in this work to indicate Mike was capable of “cracking such a joke”

Although probably the worst book in the series, this is another very readable edition of the adventures of Tebogo Mokoena the Private investigator. Regular readers of the series would be thrilled.

ALSO IN THE SERIES

Tebogo Investigates
Tebogo’s spot of bother
Tebogo Fails
Ask Tebogo
Tebogo and the Haka

this review was first published on blackafricanliterature.blogspot

Review by Pule Lechesa

Omoseye Bolaji’s latest work of fiction, Tebogo and the epithalamion (2009) is out. The blurb of the book states:

“A charming young woman mysteriously disappears at an absorbing ceremony that forms the prelude to her wedding, and sleuth Tebogo Mokoena is inadvertently sucked into another baffling investigation. He has to meticulously scrape through the veneer of outward appearances and adopt unconventional methods to prevent a torrid tragedy…

The author, Omoseye Bolaji has published several gripping fiction, short stories, essays, poetry, drama and criticism. He is a recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award courtesy of the Free State Department of Arts and Culture. He has also been conferred with the Chancellor’s Medal by the University of the Free State.”

For the average reader or even many critics like me, the first thing that comes to mind is: what is the epithalamion? We learn that an epithalamion is or was a sort of song or poem in celebration of a bride/wedding.

The action this time takes place in a “small town” which is never quite named or specified; though we can say that it is somewhere in the Free state, not far from Bloemfontein. There are references to B & B’s in this town planning to cash in (via accommodation of foreign tourists/football lovers) on the 2010 World Cup.

Observers and critics (including myself) have pointed out sometimes that Omoseye Bolaji seems to have a “weakness” for women – but this of course depends on how this is interpreted. He certainly gives the impression in many of his works that man’s major weakness is his vulnerability/fallibility for women. Hence it is no surprise that such suggestions are palpable in this new work, with the protagonist himself (despite being happily married) not left out:

“Ntate Seleke would be in tears to hear this. Disconsolate,” I said.

“But I must think about myself, my life, how to move on, I’m rattled at the moment, now” she retorted. “Maybe I should visit Bloemfontein – if I had a place to stay there. I can’t by any chance stay with you in Bloem, can I?” she said, smiling with incredible charm, her eyes full of promise.

I flinched. I suddenly realised how dangerous and seductive she could be.

That the author is an eminent writer in his own way is evident from certain remarks casually brought in as a sort of “apology” for writing this new book in rather straight forward, prosaic, colloquial style. Remarks like “I can be long-winded and irritating in my style, eh?” or “I am not one for fulsome, undulating descriptions” suggest that the author had one eye on the potential “disapproval” of critics; but as usual he is more concerned with pleasing his readers.

It is quite astonishing - in view of his rather poor health – that Omoseye Bolaji continues to be creative, churning out intriguing works (books) regularly; entertaining, brisk books with twists and turns. My salutations!

Boss

Some VERY VERY evil people have invaded my yahoomail and tried to destroy me - sending 419 messages around the world and claiming I Omoseye am asking for hundreds of thousands of rand. U know of course that this is nonsense.

Meanwhile yahoo headquarters has cancelled my email address - no doubt thinking I am a criminal - with all those emails asking for big money being sent in my name. Maybe u got one too from that yahoo adress of mine???

Kindly help me send emails (make it collective) to ALL the people we know saying that if anybody received emails from “Omoseye Bolaji yahoo” asking for money it is fraud being done by some cruel evil people who invaded and destroyed my yahoo address. Now I can no longer receive countless emails from that box which has now been cancelled

Thanks

By Raphael Mokoena

8/10/08

The literary scene in South Africa this week has been largely dominated by the literary “brickbats” between two of the country’s greatest academics and writers, Stephen Gray and Zakes Mda. Mr. Gray published a piece in a national newspaper (Mail and Guardian) where he criticised a number of aspects of Mr. Mda’s writing. The latter responded vigorously – both of them rather strongly picking on each other with more than a hint of personal attacks.

The furore awakened what many black African people in the literary business have known for years. The genre of literary criticism does not sit too well with most of our writers, and in the end it becomes difficult to separate authentic literary criticism from personal attacks. Over the decades as African literature grew by leaps and bounds, friendships between writers had been ruptured, with resentment in the air all because of “literary criticism”

Writer and cultural activist, Aryan Kaganof has referred to “mean spiritedness” (accusing Stephen Gray of this). But the history of literary criticism over the years and centuries shows that in so many cases critics can easily be accused of this, even if this might not be their intention. Often literary criticism goes too far and it does seem as if the pertinent critic has something against the writer being “attacked”.

A case in point was the way James Joyce’s immortal masterpiece, Ulysses, was greeted by some top critics after the book was first published. The great Virginia Woolf remarked on it thus: “Ulysses is the work of a queasy undergraduate scratching his pimples”; DH Lawrence, top writer commented: “The last part of Ulysses is the most indecent, dirtiest, most obscene thing ever written. It is filthy”; literary critic, Edmund Goose said: “The author (of Ulysses) is a charlatan…the book is an anarchical production, infamous in taste, in style, everything”

As regards the “tiff” between Stephen Gray and Zakes Mda, both of them remain formidable literary activists and writers. I can not agree with the suggestion that a literary figure can only be judged on their prolificacy and having books on the shelf almost on a yearly basis. Whether Chinua Achebe published any more novels after his classic Things fall apart came out fifty years ago, he would always be revered for his pioneering masterpiece (indeed, Achebe has not published any new novel for over 20 years). Stephen Gray is ensconced as a very important critic and imaginative writer whose works have been published world-wide, with many different editions.

On his own part, despite the fact that Zakes Mda began publishing novels less than fifteen years ago, he has already proved that he’s at the top of his craft, and he has quickly joined the elite of the all time great novelists in the continent. Works of his like Heart of Redness, Madonna of Excelsior, Ways of Dying belong to the top drawer. Of course he is also a veritable academic too. He and Stephen Gray know only too well that the genre of literary criticism is often an acerbic one. But one always regrets seeing personal attacks between illustrious people (in this case, wordsmiths.)
Mr. Mokoena, a literary activist, lives in Qwaqwa.

this article first appeared on raselebeli khotseng’s black african literature blog

The growth of Free State Black Writing (Part 7)

The latest edition of The growth of Free State Black Writing literary series (2008) has just been released.

The series has been published annually since 2002. In recent years the series has been edited by literary critic, Peter Moroe.

The latest edition contains almost ten articles; an excellent essay by Flaxman Qoopane on Free State poets and their books. We are also introduced to poets Serame Makhele (Icebound) and Neo mvubu who is given a lot of attention. Mvubu is interestingly described thus:

“Ms Neo Mvubu has a prodigious empathetic imagination which intermittently serves as a sort of solvent of its own tantalising literary hoard”

There are also articles on Bolaji’s latest work of fiction, Tebogo and the haka (2008). Then theree are essays on author Thabo Mafike among others.

This is a must read for all lovers of our writing!

To get your copy phone 0735657783

Es’kia [Ezekiel] Mphahlele, doyen of African letters, passed away in Lebowakgomo, Limpopo, on the evening of 27th October, 2008 at the ripe age of eighty-eight.

Mphahlele was the illustrious author of two autobiographies, more than thirty short stories, two verse plays and a fair number of poems.

“Add to these, two anthologies edited, essay collections, innumerable single essays, addresses, awards and a Nobel Prize nomination for literature and what emerges is to many the Dean of African Letters,” writes Peter Thuynsma, a leading Mphahlele scholar, in Perspectives on South African English Literature (1992: 221).

A self-made man, Mphahlele received a BA degree in 1949, followed in 1956 by a BA Honours degree and in 1957 by an MA degree (with distinction). He studied for his three degrees by correspondence with the University of South Africa. In 1968, he received his doctorate from the University of Denver in the USA.

Mphahlele was born in Marabastad, Pretoria, on December 17th 1919. His parents sent him to Maupaneng, near Polokwane, to go and live with his paternal grandmother. He came back to Marabastad to start school and received his high school education at St. Peter’s College, Rossetenville. It was there that he encountered personalities whose lives would run a close parallel to his.

From St. Peters Mphahlele went on to study at Adams College in Natal, where he qualified as a teacher in 1940. He completed his matric, studying by correspondence while he held down two jobs as a teacher and short-hand typist at Ezenzeleni Institute for the Blind in Roodepoort, in 1942.

The 1940s were a decade of momentous change throughout the world. On the Rand, where Mphahlele was, a group of youthful members of the ANC came together to form the ANC Youth League. Dr A.B. Xuma at about the same time called together a group of African opinion leaders and thinkers to draft an African response to the Atlantic Charter, authored by Roosevelt and Churhill. With all these events swirling around him Mphahlele’s passion remained education rather than politics, however, and his talents were better suited to the classroom than the soapbox or newsroom.

He took up the post of English and Afrikaans teacher at Orlando High School. There, in the company of many freshly-minted from Fort Hare young teachers he became active in the Transvaal African Teachers Associaion (TATA). The 1949 Eislen Commission on Native Education, inspired by Dr. H.F. Verwoerd, the recently elected National Party’s Minister of Native Affairs, had recommended a radically new system of Education for Africans. TATA, together with other teachers’ organisations in the Cape, the Free State and Natal, took up the cudgels to oppose it. For his participation in that agitation, in December 1952 Eskia Mphahlele, Isaac Matlare and Zephaniah Mothopeng were dismissed from their posts and permanently banned from teaching.

Mphahlele returned briefly to Ezenzeleni as a secretary. In 1954 he left on his to teach at Basutoland (later, Lesotho) High School in Maseru.

Returning to South Africa a year later, he found work with Drum magazine, where at various stages he held the posts of political reporter, sub-editor and fiction editor. Mphahlele was something of a misfit there and, yearning to teach, he sought other outlets for his talent.

Responding to an appeal for teachers from Nigeria, Mphahlele left South Africa in 1957 together with a number of other African teachers whom the apartheid regime considered unemployable. The ANC requested him to represent it at the first Pan-African conference to be held on African soil and hosted by Ghana in 1959.

It was in West Africa that he began to blossom as a literary figure. Having broken out of the constraints of apartheid racism he was able to rub shoulders with other African writers and intellectuals. He had a brief association with Ulli Beier, a German Africanist whose literary journal, Black Orpheus, made a huge impact amongst African writers in the English language.

Mphahlele launched his literary career with the publication of “Man Must Live” in 1946. It was the second collection of short stories in English by an African writer after Dark Testament by Peter Abrahams, who had been Mphahlele’s classmate at St Peter’s.

In the 1950’s, Mphahlele wrote a series of stories published in Drum. The Lesane stories helped consolidate the short story tradition in South African literature that stands among the best in the world. The Drum era produced, in quick succession, Bessie Head, Arthur Maimane, Todd Matshikiza, James Matthews, Bloke Modisane, Casey Motsisi, Lewis Nkosi, Richard Rive, and Can Themba.

The autobiographical Down Second Avenue (1957), Mphahlele’s crowning achievement, has been translated into several foreign languages but not a single African language indigenous to South Africa. It became the second in a distinguished line of autobiographies by African authors from South Africa after Abrahams’ Tell Freedom (1954) that included Road to Ghana by Alfred Hutchinson, Chocolates for My Wife by Todd Matshikiza, Blame Me on History by Bloke Modisane and Autobiography of an Unknown South African by Naboth Mokgatle.

Mphahlele’s literary and academic career took off in exile. Two collections of short stories followed Man Must Live. The Living and the Dead appeared from West Africa in 1961. Six years later, he issued In Corner B from East Africa. The contents of both collections of short stories are included in The Unbroken Song (1986), which also contains some of Mphahlele’s poems.

Turning to scholarship, in 1962 he published The African Image, based on his MA thesis in which he provides a history of African literature in South Africa, which he juxtaposes with an examination of the African character in literature by writers of European ancestry. A second and revised edition appeared twelve years later.

His engagement with literary and cultural production in the African Diaspora finds expression in Voices in the Whirlwind and Other Essays (1972), which examines African and African-American literature in relation to the Western tradition.

His career as a novelist produced The Wanderers, a novel of exile originally submitted as a dissertation for his PhD in creative writing.

The Wanderers was followed in 1979 by Chirundu, resulting from his abortive attempt to establish residence in Zambia in 1968 and illustrating “the tyranny of place” and how exile defeated him.

A second volume of his autobiography appeared in 1984 as Afrika My Music, written in the convention of the memoir and depicting various people who have been part of the author’s life. Written after his return from exile, it also seems to rationalise his decision to return to South Africa at the height of apartheid repression.

For a while Mphahlele worked with the Paris based Congress for Cultural Freedom, organising conferences and workshops on education, literature, arts and culture. He was instrumental in establishing the Chemchemi Creative Centre in Kenya and the Mbari Club in Nigeria that became the hub of activity in African arts and culture. During the mid 1960s the Congress for Cultural Freedom was exposed as a CIA front organisation, employed to sow dissent amongst artists in the Soviet Union and other east European countries. Its activities on the African continent were probably as suspect. The journal, Encounter, published by this body, swiftly lost credibility and has since disappeared.

In a career spawning sixty years, Mphahlele received many international awards, among them: several honorary doctoral degrees and the Les Palmes Academiques medal from the French government recognising his contribution to French language and culture. In 1968, he was nominated for the Nobel Prize in literature. In 1998 President Nelson Mandela awarded him the Order

In 1957, Thuynsma writes, “he resolved to leave for a life in exile which led him through residence in Nigeria, France, Kenya, Zambia, and a double sojourn in the USA.”

Twenty years later, amidst much controversy, he returned to South Africa, feeling defeated by exile and yearning for home. His return to South Africa coincides with the last decade of the system that had sought so hard to destroy him. He devoted himself to literature and cultural work, eschewing hard politics.

Soft-spoken, humble, urbane, cosmopolitan, erudite and exuding ubuntu, Es’kia Mphahlele embodied in his person and in his work what he described as “the personification of the African paradox – detribalised, westernised but still African”.

Mokgaga oa Makubela, Es;kia Mphahlele, has left us. May he go well.

Z. Pallo Jordan.

Minister of Arts and Culture.

29th October 2008

For further information, call Sandile Memela, Spokesperson for the Ministry of Arts & Culture at 082 800 3750 or Premi Appalraju, Media Liaison Officer at 082 903 6778.

Time

The time is exactly 12:45 pm Saturday evening, I’m sitting at my favourite night spot, gingerly lifting a glass of my favourite brand. Patrons continue to pass to and from the counter where I’m sitted. My mind drifts back into the abyss that is my past, I look back at my life’s adventures, heish, I take a deep sigh, they have been many.

But what tops my mind is my recollection of the time spent with Omoseye (Chief) Bolaji, I first met him in the year 2000. I had walked into the offices of the now defunct Free State News. I was hoping to land a job as a rookie journalist. I had just dropped out of a law school, (a subject of another story altogether).

It was not because I had any experience as a journalist except for my gut feeling and passion for the written word that I felt ready to join a local paper and maybe by luck get contacts that would assist me to get my collection of poems and a short novel published.

The room was poignant with stale breath abound as the air-con had not been working in that hot summer day, as I walked into the room it was unbearably hot, but there in front of an old, weathered table, sat a burly, tough looking thirty something man typing away at an old manual type writer. I had been tipped off by a friend that in that office I would find a respected wordsmith and editor of the paper. He was non-other than Chief Bolaji himself.

I greeted him and introduced myself, he replied unperturbedly and waited for me to state my case, I went on to explain that one Teboho Mohanoe had said he’d be the man to see about matters that interested me most (literature and publishing) and possibly a job opening of any kind. The man was listening to me while slowly clicking away at that old manual typewriter, that later became our tool of choice in churning out many great pieces that can still be found to this day.

Although Chief Bolaji was clearly engrossed in an interesting assignment, the date of which was clearly over-due, He agreed to have a look at some of the material that I had written, from then on, we were almost inseparable. He helped to have my first book, a collection of poems “ The voice from Mangaung” published by a local publishing house.

And so started the beginning of a long journey, eight years down the line, ‘Seye as he is affectionately called by some, continues to nurture and encourage the writer in me to continue to put pen against the paper to produce many more pieces of literature.

It is for this and other reasons that our hearts swelled with pride when the news that he had been bestowed with the honour of chieftainship back in his native Ibadan reached us. We knew that indeed the name Chief has come full circle.

Heish, time is not on my side, but folks, I guess what I’m trying to say here is that ‘Seye has a special eye for talent and he saw something in me then that many chose to overlook.

I will forever be indebted to this great son of the soil.

You deserve it Boss. Live long Egbon Live Long.

Quarterly Journal focused on Free State & KwaZulu-Natal Literature & Arts

Mo (ve) ments Literary Journal

Mo(ve)ments is a journal of prose, poetry and visual arts focused on writers and artists from Free State and Kwazulu-Natal writing in all South African languages

MISSION

To create a platform for the exposure of budding and established artists in Free State and KZN and to promote greater interaction between writers, artists and readers from these two provinces, and to expose their works to the rest of the country.

AIMS

• Provide a platform for writers and artists to reach a wider audience and readership.
• Promote the culture of reading and writing
• Encourage writers to write in all South African languages
• Increase the body of literature written in these languages
• Appreciation of the beauty of the languages and literature.

EDITORIAL POLICY

• Copyright in the works submitted shall belong to the writers and artists themselves.
• Contributors should include a self-addressed and stamped envelope (SASE).
• It is recommended that submitted works be typed but hand-written works shall be accepted provided they are readable.
• Works by writers and artists from Free State and Kwazulu-Natal shall be given first priority, as there are no other literary magazines in these provinces.
• Editors reserve the right to decide which submitted works to publish in the magazine.
• Submissions should be sent by e-mail to iceboundspsyche@yahoo.com or ditiroproductions@yahoo.com or by post to Ditiro Productions PO BOX 48002 Qualbert 4078.

outstanding free state author omoseye bolaji has been conferred with a chieftancy title by the olubaban (king) of ibadan (nigeria). PHOTO SHOWS OMOSEYE BOLAJI (left) with king odulana odugade (centre) of ibadan.

By: Pule Lechesa.

(Pule Lechesa is the Editor-in- chief of Tshwane University of Technology (TUT’s) campus newspaper called UPDATE. He is also the News Editor of TUT fm’s current affairs show Live@12. Other than being a journalist Lechesa is an internationally acclaimed author of many books.)

(The former E TV award winning Sports journalist now a journalism lecture at TUT, Mr Tshamano Makhadi with Update newspaper’s journalist Sipho Dzimba (in the middle) and the Editor-in-Chief of Update Pule Lechesa (wearing shades) outside Cape Town parliament.)

Update News held a postmortem of the recent barbaric acts that accompanied the recent attacks on immigrants of African origin in our so called ‘Rainbow Nation’ (South Africa). We want to say enough is enough. When I first learnt of these inhuman acts they surely scared the living day light out of my Africanist life. I was in Cape Town when I saw the front page of the Star Newspaper carrying an article of a man being burnt to death. I asked myself if this animalistic act was happening in the full view of the passer-by children or not. These kinds of things de-sensitize our children. We make them witness with downright disbelief, people of dying like animals before their two naked eyes, helpless women and children running helter-skelter for their lives. This is very much an unpalatable fly in the ointment. What happened to the spirit of “an injury to one is an injury to all.”
The doers of these acts are physically liberated but mentally oppressed. We need to set them free before they paint a permanent wrong picture about all the South Africans. Let me use this space to decolonize and jog up their memory lest they forget where we come from as the RAINBOW nation. When Apartheid was rife in South Africa these other black African countries were our brothers and sisters’ keepers, helped, gave them political asylum, provided our liberation movements’ military wings with military training. South Africa is known for oozing with dollops of humanity, Ubuntu. Why do we have to treat our brothers like this?
Xenophobia is an ill-wind that blows us, the once known as a reconciliatory nation, into the quagmire of barbarity. When celebrating African day President Mbeki asked the South Africans to bury their heads in shame at these gratuitous attacks. I understand where the President comes from. This statement does not mean that we should be like ostriches that bury their heads when the going gets tough. We must face this challenge and try to come up with salutary solutions. We must stand our ground and rebuke every one who is condoning these acts. These xenophobic attacks affect every human being; hence the solution must not be left for government alone. It is not an esoteric phenomenon.
We have heard our colleagues asking ‘who is to be blamed for these xenophobic attacks’. Is it the media since they used to give them gamut publicity? We saw them being shown around the world on international channels such as – New York Times, CNN, and so forth. Sometime last year prior these attacks our local newspapers such as Sowetan once carried the headline that read thus; “Zim Invasion” and the Saturday Star “Zim tsunami floods SA”. Some critics are using this as their premise to ague that media is to be blamed. They claim that such headlines prompted South Africans to have negative paradigms towards immigrants of African origin in the country. I beg to differ we need not to zero in on the deterministic theory what about humanistic.
We are disappointed to see that the student leaders in our respective Universities are not doing anything. They should be seen in the vanguard organizing anti-xenophobia campaigns. Most of the people that have been arrested are young people. This shows that student leaders must be the ones championing the fight against these xenophobic attacks. All they know is to make headline news for the wrong reasons. South Africa is known worldwide as a reconciliatory country, a cradle of human values, a place where the oppressors and the previously oppressed live together harmoniously. Let us not allow the evil forces to make a continent torn apart!
This prejudice is committed under the fallacy that immigrants of African origin are here in Msanzi to steal South Africans’ jobs, (which jobs as they always complain that there is high employment rate?), commit crimes and are the causes of high divorces rate on South African families. Was South Africa a crime Free country before the influx of foreigners in our country? I know so many foreigners that are not as bad as we portray them. Most of them bring skills and create jobs out of nothing. These people are hard workers and above all they are good in what ever they set their minds on hence some of the South Africans hate them. To mention but a few, award winning author Omoseye Bolaji has selflessly taken Free State literature to high dimension and Dr Gideon Tibed is one the best Mass Communication Lectures I know. He oozes with dollops of humanity. It is high time that we do away with stereotype and look at the foreigners as our brothers and sisters.
Join me in proclaiming that: ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!! Xenophobia is an ill-wind that blows us nothing except shame. Let us come together an open a new leaf that will paint the right picture about the true colours of South Africans. I subscribe to Mzwake “The people’s Poet” Mbuli’s line of thinking when he says “killing another man is not an act of heroism but is an act of cowardice.”

(Courtesy of Tshwane University of Technology’s (TUT) campus newspaper UPDATE.)

By Flaxman Qoopane

Poets, musicians, and dancers composed of South Africans, Zimbabweans, Malawians, Congolese and a Nigerian performed during the Africa Day Symposium held at the National Cultural History Museum in Pretoria on May 25. Illustrious guests included Nadine Gordimer, a Nobel Laureate in literature.

Morakabe Seakhoa, Director of the wRite Associates, Communications, Arts, Culture and Heritage events strategies, who was the Programme Director of the event, asked the audience to observe a moment of silence in memory of the victims of xenophobic violence in South Africa. He also paid tribute to gospel singer the late Vuyo Mokoena; and also to the late Ngugi wa Miri from Kenya. The occasion also celebrated the 50th anniversary of the first authentic African literary masterpiece, Things fall apart by Chinua Achebe.

First on stage was a female poet and musician Wadzanayi Chidzonga from Zimbabwe. She left her country in February this year and came to South Africa. She recited a poem – Nhemasasa (Motherhood) and sang two songs – Vainezvipo (People with talent) and Muroro (Being desperate)

She impressed the crowd with her poem and songs while playing Mbira.

Nathan Chakuchichi, another singer and poet from Zimbabwe told the audience how he jumped the wires while coming illegally to the country.

He harrowingly explained that while crossing the Limpopo river and the Kruger National Park, some of his colleagues died along the way. He eventually successfully arrived in the country.

South African Prof. Pitika Ntuli a renowned poet, writer, sculptor and cultural activist recited an illuminating poem that garnered applause from the audience.

Prof Ikeogu Oke, Deputy Director Communications, University Relations from the American University of Nigeria recited a poem in an operatic voice; The Heresiad

Prof Mosala William Huma from Midrand in Johannesburg read two poems in Sesotho and In English. Present at the occasion was also the flamboyant, famous praise singer, Jessica Mbangeni.

The author of this piece, Flaxman Qoopane, also recited a poem at the occasion, titled “Hatred”.

Free State News has observed with horror, chagrin, and utter disbelief the recent spate of xenophobic attacks in our beloved country (South Africa). The harrowing tales of people being attacked, burnt alive, hacked to pieces, women and children being violated. It is completely unacceptable.

The horrifying scenario is like something out of The heart of darkness, Joseph Conrad’s immortal work on black Africa. It is repugnant that just when the country was supposed to be taking great strides and joining the comity of “civilised” nations, we are apparently regressing.

Nor do we believe on harping on the fact that other black African countries were there to help, nurture, succour our people during the debilitating days of apartheid; that is not really the point. The thrust and issue is that of humanity, ubuntu. Why should we throw away our whole gains and legacy and positive groundswell of support?

There is nothing wrong with being our brother’s keeper. If anybody believes that pertinent people, local or foreigners, are criminals, they should be handed over to the law to deal with in salutary fashion. Repugnant hatred based on xenophobia can not be condoned. That is why right now our leaders are burying their heads in shame at the wanton attacks.

We live at a time when news, especially bad news, is being beamed around the world with gruesome fecundity. Hence what is happening now in our country is being luridly reported by the behemoths of media worldwide – BBC, CNN, New York Times, News of the world, among countless others. South Africa is being portrayed as a country of debased morals. This must stop immediately.

We must all realise that these execrable attacks can be disastrous for the country; some pundits and observers are already opining that this is already the case. President Mbeki, as he travels the world has been trenchantly embarrassed by these attacks. What would happen to the World Cup (2010) we are supposed to host? A so-called African World Cup where we are hounding and scaring foreigners away. Would hordes of tourists be ready to come to our shores for the World Cup?

We are however gratified that right here in the Free State, all is peaceful and it must continue to be so. The Free State is known worldwide as a peaceful Province, a place where human values hold sway, a place where people from different tribes, colour, languages and nationality work together harmoniously. And so it must remain. Do not allow evil forces to tear us apart!

Let us all join hands together and speak in one voice as we declaim: NO TO XENOPHOBIA!!!

- Free State News Editorial (26 May)

By Flaxman Qoopane

Flaxman Qoopane, a journalist, poet and author, has published his latest book titled City of Roses and Literary icons.

He said: “In this new book, I debunk the general belief in many quarters that the Free State, Bloemfontein, in particular, is something of an outpost as regards major, pivotal trends in literature.

“I demonstrably show in the book that Bloemfontein, over the years has hosted a conglomeration of distinguished wordsmiths, and even taken the lead in orchestrating cardinal literary meets,”

According to the author, in the book, we get to learn the details of such literary occasions that got off the ground in the “City of Roses” (Bloemfontein); the galaxy of such literary icons who have graced its shores – including Kgotso Maphalla, Don Mattera, Lauretta Ngcobo, Jim Mokoena, Prof Lewis Nkosi, Prof Keorapetse Kgositsile, Don Matterra, among many others.

“The new book also proudly details the goings-on at the 2006 South African literary Awards which were held in Bloemfontein,” Qoopane said. “At this occasion very important literary awards were given to many of the all-time greats of South African literature. It was also at the gala that Prof Kgositsile was named the current National Poet Laureate.”

This is a book to be read by all lovers of literature and the arts and culture in general. The Free State Provincial libraries immediately ordered some one hundred copies of the book.

“Qoopane indeed shows his effulgent love for writing and writers in general. He puts together many unforgettable occasions of literary orientation hosted in Bloemfontein; this book gives the lie to the belief of so many that the Free State is something of a literary backwater,” Omoseye Bolaji, distinguished author, said.

Free State Black Literature is now established and acknowledged world-wide. It is also generally accepted that the main catalyst behind this resurgence is Omoseye Bolaji, a prolific author, and journalist who has inspired many others to write. Here, HiFive’s Jerry Seekoei caught up with him for an illuminating session on the world of writing…

You’ve got a fair amount of recognition as a writer – many books published, reviews, published studies discussing your work…I was quite staggered to see how many references you have on the internet. Your recent awards too have also been well publicized. How does it all feel?

BOLAJI: I have a feeling I’ve heard this question before! (laughter). At the end of the day life goes on, really. From a simplistic point of view I believe that what really pleases a writer most is when a reader comments favourably on one’s works. The other day I met a stranger who just came to me and said: “Mr. Bolaji, I read the Sesotho translation of your play (The subtle transgressor), I could not put it down for a second. It was superb. I give it ten over ten!”

Some other observers also believe that you are lucky to have some people (writers/critics) impressed with your work. Mr. (Pule) Lechesa for example has been described as your “disciple”. Others like Petro Schonfeld and Prof Pretorius also love your work…

BOLAJI: I suppose some people would always be particularly enamoured with one’s works. Some of these people will now go out of their way to ensure that such works are even more publicized or analysed …a very pertinent example is Flora Weit Wild who over the years has done wonders in promoting Dambudzo Marechera’s literary works. It appears she has published more books - studies - on him than he (Marechera) ever wrote! However there are many others who have also promoted my work and written a lot about it…people like the late Pule Lebuso, Flaxman Qoopane, Charmaine Kolwane, Urbain Tila…my thanks to all of them.

Do you have favourites among your published works?

BOLAJI: Really I have said it before, that I am not one of those writers who go on and on reading and re-reading whatever they have published. I believe that a writer should move on after every “literary project”, as it were. Ideally whilst working on a particular book, there should be some excitement about it, but when it’s made available to the public there is no need to cling to the works with exceeding élan! Yes, inevitably there would be some mistakes in the books which the critics would gleefully point out. That is their province. I remember that a certain critic claimed to have detected “hundreds” of mistakes in Wole Soyinka’s The man died. But this did not stop the book being celebrated the world over.

Some other “critics” also claim that throughout all your books you hardly have anything bad or negative to say about whites

BOLAJI: There is no need being confrontational just for the sake of theatrics, or playing to the gallery, or whatever. I did not grow up under apartheid – actually my first years were spent in London (England) and I had a wonderful white Nanny who took care of me. White people have helped me a lot over the years in furthering my writing career. I have a number of very good white friends. I suppose many whites would be “bad” in the same way many blacks would be “bad” too. Recently a top footballer announced that racist jibes against him never worried him “it’s done by a minority and they just need to be enlightened” he said.

There is plenty of ignorance in respect of writers. Are writers “famous” even to themselves or in particular areas?

BOLAJI: We can all be quite ignorant when it comes to literature. As Lechesa pointed out in his book, The evolution of Free State Black Literature when Toni Morrison won the Nobel Award for literature a fellow American commented “Who is he?” As we might know Toni Morrison is actually a very famous black female American writer. What usually happens is that we all have our favourite writers. I have met many writers locally who hardly know icons like Es’kia Mphahlele or Gomolemo Moake or Njabulo Ndebele…such people usually know a lot about Ngugi, Achebe; by the same token most know little or nothing about Wole Soyinka who was the first African to win the Nobel Award. I myself only recently got to read some of the books written by Aryan Kaganof – a very funny, blunt, candid writer. It helps when those who love books – or budding writers – have been introduced to certain writers at school.

So perhaps you mean that we can sort of “specialize” as regards our knowledge or interest in writers/literature?

There are so many writers all over these days that we can be forgiven for some ignorance. Again it’s like football, soccer in a way – you get fanatical supporters of a team, e.g Bloemfontein Celtic supporters here who know EVERYTHING about the team on a daily basis. Many of them will tell you they know little or nothing about international football. Yet you get other football lovers locally who know very little about local teams but can give you daily news on Manchester United, Barcelona, Real Madrid etc! Hence there are writers who know a lot about literature locally, a fair number of them might also have some general knowledge of writers nationally – the Zakes Mdas, Ndebeles, Mzamanes, Tlalis, Ngcobos etc. Then there are some who read only certain Eurocentric writers – others like Caribbean authors…another ilk are those who read only particular type of books, maybe romance, historical, biographies

Or mystery/detective fiction…

Yes. I have a soft spot for that! There are readers who read only the Dick Francis’, Agatha Christies, Sidney Sheldons; and the African works in this wise. You know, there are African writers who also write such (mystery) books; like Kalu Okpi, Victor Thorpe, Bolaji! (laughter all around)

Reproduced here courtesy of HiFive magazine

A short story by Neo Mvubu

I can still remember the day I was swept away by my love and lust for splendor and life. It was 1993, November 31st and the schools had just closed. I can still recall my mother going through financial troubles. Well that’s an incredible woman I tell you, she raised me and my 5 brothers and sisters in a 4 roomed house while my father disappeared in the mines in Johannesburg . My mother, she took in even the poorest of them all into our home, considered the mother of the streets, she practically raised every struggling being she could get hold of. Well, I for one did not understand how she could do that out of her meager domestic earnings, but she did. She said to me that it is through the love of Jesus that she does what she does; now I understand. My mother worked as a domestic worker, a profession I was ashamed of, I wanted the life, she used to talk about it, I did not understand and so did what I had to do.

When I was 18 years old, yes that was the year that I finished my schooling in, the best and somewhat the year that would change my life forever. The day we fetched our results was the day two white men approached me. They told me of an opportunity they were offering to young girls from underprivileged schools and homes. During the whole process, they said they would pay for me to study further and offer me a job while I’m there. (I shall not mention the name of the country here). They called my destination “the best place in the whole world,” They gave me money right there, I had never held so much money in my life and I knew my mother would disapprove so I had to make a plan.

I did not even have a passport, it took a month for me to get it, the week before the departure I decided to write a letter to my mom and here it goes:

To mama
I am a grown woman with responsibilities, I want the best for you mama, that’s why I left. By the time you read this letter I will be on a plane to London , I hope you understand the reason why I decided to leave. I want to get you pounds mama, so that you and my siblings could live a better life, it’s because of my love for you that I did this. I will write to you as much as I can and send money also. They said I could work as a nanny and earn more in a week than there in a month. Hope you understand and send my love to all my brothers and sisters and remember that I will always love you.
Yours in trust
Karabo

Here I am now, holding 2 plane tickets, I didn’t mention this - but they asked me to bring along a friend and so I did, her name is Thuto. She is struggling and has no parents at all, I had to bring her along, I wanted to give her the best experience of her life. We were so excited, the first time on a plane and out of the country for that matter! We were rather excited as we knew we were traveling to the land of milk and honey!

On our arrival, a van came and took us to this beautiful house, a mansion; it had a pool, beautiful gardens and the number of rooms I had ever seen. We were convinced we would be living the life, the life my mother always dreamed about. When we were very young, she would make up stories for us and say how wonderful she would feel if one of her children could reach that dream. They fed us more than we could chew, I had never seen so much food for one family in my life, and they laid it all on a big table and for us. When I saw it I thought of my mother and how I wished she was there with me enjoying the luxuries. Little did I know of what was to come that very night?
We were firstly introduced to “Mr. and Mrs. Dane”; they moved us from where we were and took us to another place not as tasteful as the first but better than my mother’s house. We slept for the night but heard strange men talking; it was as if a plot was made but my friend Thuto told me to relax. Mrs Dane came in and gave us clothes to wear, a lot of them, they were beautiful and stylish. I felt like a queen and changed them over and over to see how they would fit me. Thuto also did the same and further declared that there was nothing to worry about so I agreed and we ended up falling asleep right there with those clothes on.

11 o’clock on the dot, they woke us up, shoved us and told us it was time for work, I thought what type of work we would be doing at that time of day. I was surprised and kept asking questions, telling me to shut up, they hit me hard, harder than I have ever been hit, it was the first time I realized that these people really meant business. Thuto and me were taken into separate rooms but she came out bruised and depressed, I did not understand why she was the way she was. With me the clients I had to serve drinks did not pitch, they said that they did not make it and sent me back, no problem at all. With Thuto it was an absolutely different scenario, she walked in quiet and depressed as if isolated from her body, as if no life in her. I asked her what had happened but she would not talk. I could not understand how a vibrant person like her could fall like that, I even shouted at her for being ungrateful.

The following day, the same thing happened but this time they only took me in, they asked me to get dressed but I wouldn’t, I wouldn’t let them do to me what they had done to Thuto. So they took me as I was and there he was; a fat old white middle aged man, he was waiting for me. From that very moment I knew what my life would be like, I fought him, I really tried, he was too strong, and he ripped off my clothes. I didn’t want to but he pressed me down. I can still remember his sweat and how he pressed down my face onto the bed. I couldn’t move, I was just in so much pain, to a point where all my energy was depleted. The whole night I tell you shoving and pushing and tossing me, I felt dead inside. Even when he saw the blood he continued, he didn’t even try to stop, he felt nothing for me another human being. He just smiled at my misery.

I was then carried to the door of my room and they left me there locking the door behind me. Thuto saw me lying on the ground and carried me up, took me into the shower and washed me clean, she understood, no judgment at all, how could I have been so foolish. I was a virgin when I got there, he broke it, my virginity, I was only 18 but he didn’t see a human being all he saw was a…a receptacle for lust? That’s how I felt, hideous. Continually they raped us 92 days to be specific, I became so numb to the sex that I couldn’t breath, they took away my womanhood. I could not understand why they hated us so much.

I would think of my brother when they called me and how me and my brothers would laugh and play around our neighborhood, I would actually smile at how wonderful it was back home when I was with my family. I guess that gave me hope, hope that someone would find us but it took 3 months. For you it may seem few but for me it felt like years. The police finally waded in but it was 3 months too late for other girls, I never even knew there were other girls until right at the end. Some passed away from diseases, others from pain and others from heartache, it was a painful experience.
To think I had come all the way from South Africa from my family and friends is unbearable and the worst part, the fact that I brought along my friend hurt me even more. I felt horrible because she has gone through so much and I had to make it worse. She had no parents and got raped over and over, that was even worse.
We were finally taken to our homes after a lot of counseling and police interrogation, they took all those girls who also survived back home but we were still hurting and the money and job they promised us, never existed, and as for Mr. and Mrs. Dane, they were the pivots of that operation and got life imprisonment.

We got home finally and when I thought my mother would be upset she held me tight into her arms, took in Thuto also and made us a home cooked meal. I cried and apologized for putting her through that, I also apologized to my friend; they forgave me, that even made me cry more. Their love and understanding overwhelmed me and the worst thing of all is I could not forgive myself, it took some time but I was able to do it.

Now I am 25 years old and I have dealt with the demons of my past, I couldn’t be stronger and more resilient today. Our experiences are what shape us. Today we are heading an organization right here in South Africa for Human Trafficking especially to empower women and men in disadvantaged communities. It is through the Love of God that I live this day courageously.

We argue with ourselves
We begin internal sabotage
And conflict our minds with burdens of the flesh
We enter into battle with our souls
And wonder where the bitterness came

We kill distorted minds
Removing the truth about our lives
We avoid the truth and follow the path
The world has set for us
Conflicting minds
Creating distorted generations
Of false sense of power

Where government raise kids
And values no more
Parental intervention no more
Only beings thirsty for affection
Never satisfied with what is
But thirsty for what is to come
Hungry for more

Never enough power
Never enough money or wealth
Never enough clothes or jewellery
Just people conformed to societal standards

When will it stop?
Will it ever stop?
Or is this just a continuation of what
Our forefathers started

neo mvubu

As I was packing my gun and bullets
I began to kiss them goodbye
My family
I told them I’d be back
They cried and told me to stop
But
I jumped into a foreigner’’s skin
Cut wires and crawled
Cutting my hands and knees
I ran into a foreign land
My heart beat like drums
As fear came from my mind
What if I die
What will happen to my kids, my wife?
What if?
But I had no choice

I had to at least try to save us
From the injustices caused by my country
I thought I would be free
But I’’m still in chains

Chains of my brothers
Calling me names
Worst of all I have no one to turn to
I miss my family, my home, my country
I miss the way it was
But now I’m here AND
They hate us
They throw stones at us
When will all this fighting end?

Is it my accent?
Am I too dark of a shade?
Do you see drugs when you see me?
I am tired
Tired of blacks against blacks
Whites against blacks
The hatred against brothers and sisters

What happened to Ubuntu?

* Neo Mvubu is a young poet and journalist based in Bloemfontein. She is extraordinarily prolific as a poet and has published a series of fine articles on the infamous “Urine repast” episode at the University of the Free State

By Raselebeli Khotseng

A common comment about many of Omoseye Bolaji’s works of fiction is that a lot of the action is often centred in taverns or shebeens! This is particularly true as regards the Tebogo Mystery series. There is plenty of action in shebeens in Tebogo Fails and Ask Tebogo as usual.

Hence it is no surprise that in his latest work, Tebogo and the Haka (2008) a lot of the action takes place at the Club or shebeen, strangely called The Haka itself. We see Tebogo Mokoena the investigator visiting the place every time during his stay in Ladybrand, and he certainly enjoys himself, relaxing, quaffing, drinking, meeting all sorts of people.

Really many might wonder: how important are shebeens- for black people? The answer is obvious enough: apart from so many taverns and shebeens in towns and cities targeting the black people, it is fascinating that in the townships, virtually every street has at least one or two shebeens frequented by so many.

So what are the attractions of shebeens? Obviously the first is the alcohol itself, biri . In the shebeens the alcohol always flows and the sellers often make sure it is ice cold– you can buy at almost anytime of the day, especially during the weekends. Many people go into debt heavily not minding, so long as they can pay their debts at the end of the month or when convenient. I have seen cases of some people owing as much as a thousand rand monthly to settle debts for alcohol.

At shebeens there is always this ambience of excitement and fizz, people throng the places, talk, exchange quips and even share bottles together. During big matches,– especially soccer,– many people gather to support their local team or the national team,– at the 2007 Rugby World Cup many people enjoyed the games at the shebeens.

Then there is the music,– at such places assorted music is played often till late in the night during weekends. The atmosphere is informal and people can also bring their own beloved brands of music. It is an excuse for music unlimited, with loudspeakers blaring forth very loud music with the patrons enjoying; all the while the drinks are flowing.

Needless to say at the shebeens and taverns there are many women who come and add spice to the whole atmosphere. Whilst it is not true that most of the ladies who frequent sheebens are cheap or waiting to be picked up, a fair number of them are. At worst they believe they can get men to buy drinks for them at such places, and if anything happens afterwards? Ladies, after some drinks become liberated and become the heart and soul of such assemblages.

Omoseye Bolaji, time and again uses riveting scenes from the shebeens to make his fiction more exciting. In Tebogo and the Haka, with Tebogo’s wife Khanyi thousands of kilometres away overseas, the protagonist can enjoy the company of ladies at the shebeen or Club, the likes of Brenda, Maki and Charlotte. Of course he still succeeds in solving the mysteries as usual talk of mixing business with pleasure!

Ruffed, rugged and dust beaten
With blistered lips.

From the wilderness
The merchant returns to the city.

Bearing bruises and scars that tell
Of his beleaguered journey.

Lost a few bets, swindled.

But behold the merchant is a lot wiser.

By Lebohang Thaisi
* Thaisi is Sec of Eclectic Writers Club of Free State

BY FLAXMAN QOOPANE

The SABC 2 hosted the writing and performance expression workshops and the poetry competition through Lentswe Poetry Project (L.P.P) at the Gold Reef City in Johannesburg on 2 – 3 February 2008. I was delighted to be present at the occasion to witness those who emerged as the best nationwide.

Thabisa Mangisa, L.P.P. Manager at SABC 2 said “About 35 poets from the Free State, Limpopo, Mpumalanga and the Western Cape were selected in 2007 in their provinces as finalists in the Lentswe Poetry Project.

“The poets came together to attend the workshops on Saturday 2 February and also to recite their poems at the Lentswe Poetry Café on Saturday 3 February where winners were to be chosen”.

Poets in the country were encouraged to write poems in any of our 11 official languages about the celebratory days including the Valentine’s Day, Mothers Day, Youth Day, Aids Day, African Day, Heritage Day, Women’s Day and Family Day.

Lentswe Poetry Project was launched in 2005, a relationship was born between the SABC2 and the Poets. The aim is to give voice and stimulate the nation’s poetic side by promoting all “ Bedroom” poets to give poetry the love it deserves.

The SABC invited Dr. Donato Francisco Mattera – PhD, Journalist, Editor, and Writer & Poet to hold the writing workshop at the Gold Reef City on Saturday 2 February.

Dr. Mattera encouraged the young poets as far as writing poetry is concerned, that they should write their poems from their emotions rather than from their ideas, and to look at what is close to us. He also recited some of his poems from his anthology Azanian Love Song, and other poems of other poets.

The workshop provided a platform for Dr. Mattera and the poets to exchange ideas and experiences.

The poets were each given the opportunity by Dr. Mattera to write a poem from a topic “I am”, he also gave them another opportunity to showcase their poems on stage.

Masoja Msiza a renowned actor, dancer, poet, playwright and the force behind, the Lentswe Poetry Project held also a performance expression workshop.

Msiza mesmerized the audience (poets) with his recitals of English and Zulu poetry during the workshop. He imparted skills to participants about the stage, audience, how to memorize a poem, about performance of poetry. He urged the poets to use the standard language when they write.

On Sunday 3 February 2008, the 35 poets from Free State, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, and Western Cape strutted their stuff at the poetry competition. The adjudicators were Dr Mattera, Ms Mathe Mosito – Marketing Manager (SABC 2), Ms Gorata Mugudamani, Producer (High Rotation) Buntu Tembani, Poet, Writer, Performer (Gauteng) and Ntando Lekhuleni, Poet & Author (Mpumalanga).

Ms Mathe Mosito announced the eight winners as the following: Henry Lekgoathi from Limpopo. He won with his poem in the Valentine Day category. Other winners are Rahab Mathebula from Limpopo (Mothers Day), Melisizwe Moni from Western Cape (Youth Day), Simbone Qabo from Western Cape (Aids Day).

Gibson Rachoene from Limpopo was the winner in the Africa Day category. The Heritage Day category was won by the teenage poetess Tlhompho Maponya from Limpopo, Caroline Blackburn from Western Cape won the Women’s Day category. And eighth winner is Tshepo Mdluli from Limpopo chosen in the Family Day category.

The lucky winners were each awarded a certificate as the winner of the SABC2 Lentswe Poetry Project, and a book. A poem of each winner would be produced as a 1 minute item to be flighted on SABC2.

Ms Mosito saluted the winners and also congratulated other poets who did not win, although they took part in the competition. She said since the project was launched in 2005, the standard of poetry in the competition has improved tremendously.

The Free State and Mpumalanga were represented by fifteen poets but none of the Mpumalanga and Free State contingent were short listed. However they were praised for their performance whilst reciting their poetry on stage.

I spoke to three winners, Melisizwe Moni said; “This victory is a stepping stone towards activating the currency of word within the South African Cultural Industry. A personal achievement to kick start 2008, Great”.

Simbone Qabo said” I feel great, it’s a desired pleasure to be given a platform to express my inner thoughts, Thanks to Lentswe Poetry Project, I am looking forward to influencing the masses with positive words and instill in men’s minds the desire to live and utilize poetry”.

Gibson Rachoene said; “I feel so humble having been considered as one of the country’s good poets. This definitely says something about my poetry growth and my moving in the right direction. I feel so inspired, I could burst”.

for more information check out the lentswe website

Book: Tebogo and the Haka
Author: Omoseye Bolaji
Publisher: Eselby Jnr Publications
Cover Illustration by Ntombi Ntakakaze
Review by Peter Moroe

As the blurb of this new (2008) book states: “Four years ago, the last novellete in the Tebogo Mystery series, Ask Tebogo, came out. Now we have another Tebogo Mystery to sink our teeth into! And what a triumph by the “black African master of the unexpected”! Tebogo and the Haka is another exciting mystery thriller by Mr Bolaji, an impressive whodunit. You have been warned - this latest adventure of private investigator, Tebogo Mokoena packs a devastating punch”

The “flamboyant man” who introduces Tebogo to this new case emphatically declares that he does not believe in co-incidences. Yet our Tebogo only gets to solve the case thanks to one or two co-incidences that happen in the book.

But is this not the nature of detective or mystery books? Would Agatha Christie’s old “pussy” Mme Marple or even Hercule Poirot have been able to solve any of their baffling caes if not for some happy co-incidence which conveniently unravel at the end of every adventure?

In her crititique, Tebogo on the prowl where author Petro Schonfeld evaluates the Tebogo Mystery series while focusing on the last adventure, Ask Tebogo she heavily criticises Tebogo for “forgeting his great love Khanyi”; and is that why in the new work Tebogo and the Haka the author goes out of his way to show that Tebogo is still very much in love with Khanyi, always thinking about her, carries her many photos around. etc. But it does seem very forced.

For one thing, it is revealing that Khanyi is completely banished from the action again, in fact we are told she is studying in France(!) leaving Tebogo free to conduct his investigations amidst lovely ladies and shady characters

The narrator (”Tebogo”) stretches credibility by claiming in his latest adventure to be unruffled, “hostile” “distant” etc whenever any of the ladies he meets show affection towards him, including hugging or even kissing him! Is this really realistic?

Bolaji is quite good at swiftly setting the scene for memorable, tender moving romantic set-ups (remember Impossible Love, and Tebogo fails?) Hence readers of this new work must prepare for such a moving scene - but incensed ladies, relax - Tebogo does not cross the line and betray the precious Khanyi!

It is commendable that Bolaji has created a whole novellete around the “Haka performance” of the All Blacks. And as usual, all the action is convincing, down to earth, with the grassroots’ scenery accurately depicted.

Apart from a few incongruities, this indeed is an excellent story - to be read at a go, preferably with a cool drink by your side. At the end of it all, do not be surprised if you have developed a yen for the Haka!

The cover illustration of the new book is done by the award winning Free State (female) artist, Ntombi Ntakakaze.

Also in the Tebogo Mystery series: Tebogo Investigates (2000), Tebogo’s spot of bother (2001), Tebogo Fails (2003) and Ask Tebogo (2004)