a letter from luzuko
TO THE ONE I USED & ABUSED , TO THE ONE I LIED TO & GOT AWAY WITH IT , TO THE ONE WHO ALMOST GAVE ME NOT ONLY A KINGLY CROWN BUT A GODLY STATUS . THE UNMEASURABLE GENIUS OF S/AFRICAN SON . THIS ONE IS INSPIRED BY THE LONELINESS IN TURMOIL , NECROPHILIA, XENOPHOBIA & ALL OTHER THINGS THAT FEEL (GOOD? … IN MOMENTS OF PLEASURE?) . NOW I CONTEMPLATE ON —–
THE GRANDMASTER
A MONTH AGO I RECEIVED A CALL FROM MY SISTER -IN - LAW TELLING ME ABOUT THE PASSING AWAY OF MY BROTHER .A MAN WHO I REFERRED TO AS A SAINT BECAUSE OF HIS CAPTIVATING PRESENCE . TO HEED THE CALL I HAD TO GO & PAY MY LAST RESPECTS TO MY BELOVED BROTHER . MY BROTHER HAD A HUGE FAMILY BESIDES BROTHERS & SISTERS & IN-LAWS , HIS IMMEDIATE FAMILY IS COMPOSED OF SEVEN CHILDREN & SIX GRANDCHILDREN , THEY WERE A BUSY COUPLE INDEED .HE SETTLED HIMSELF & HIS FAMILY IN THE HARD CORE RURAL AREA CALLED UGATYANE IN TRANSKEI , EASTERN CAPE PROVINCE OF S/ AFRICA . WHAT A CAPTIVATING LANDSCAPE & SCENERY . A LAND WITH ITS HYMEN FULLY INTACT . UNDISTURBED NATURAL BEAUTY. A LAND OF XHOSA UNCESTORS . A PLACE OF PILGRIMAGE FOR ANYONE WHO CLAIMS TO BE A XHOSA. THAT IS WHERE I SAW THIS SO CALLED AFRICAN CONCEPT OF “UBUNTU” (HUMANITY ) IN PRACTICE , PEOPLE SO SO FULL OF UNPRETENDING LOVE & COMPASSION ..HAVING LAST SAW MY BROTHER”S CHILDREN WHILE THEY WERE JUST LESS THAN 2 YRS OLD , & TO SEE THEM SO GROWN INTO FULLY GROWN MEN & WOMEN MADE ME SHED TEARS OF LONGING & BAFFLEMENT .
MY BROTHER”S SERVICE WAS A MOVING ONE , UIMPHS SO HEIGHTENED WITH SPIRITUALITY , I COULD NOT CONTAIN MYSELF I JUST LET IT GO .. I SOBBED == I SOBBED === I== SOBBED FOR KNOWING THAT IT IS THE LAST TIME I”LL BE SEEING MY BROTHER ,MY GRANDMOTHER FUNEKA ( AK LAST OF THE MOHICANS) SOOTHED ME BUT WAS FAILING IN HER ATTEMPTS . THE ONLY THING THAT SOOTHED E WAS TO GO TO THE COFFIN & LOOKED AT MY BROTHERS FACE FOR THE LAST TIME . I COULD NOT HELP MY SELF BUT GAVE HIM A LAST LONG PARTING KISS ON HIS ICY COLD FOREHEAD AFTER I CARESSED HIS FROZEN FACE . NOT THAT I”M NECROPHILIC OR SOMETHING BUT GODDAMMIT THAT WAS MY BROTHER == MY BLOOD BROTHER . THEN I FELT REALLY GOOD KNOWING THAT I EXPRESSED MY FINAL GOODBYES TO HIM .
THE WAY TO UGATYANE WAS NOT A SMOOTH ONE THOUGH . HAVING KNOCKED THE KUDU IN THE DEAD OF THE NIGHT IN THOSE CURSED ROADS OF GRAAF REINET WHICH BROUGHT OUR SOURCE OF TRANSPORTATION INTO SUDDEN HALT & 90MIN DELAY WAS SUCH A FRUSTRATING EXPERIENCE . BUT THANKS WE DID NOT TURN A MEDIA STATISTICS AS VICTIMS OF SA DEATH ROADS BUT THE BOOD MARSH TRAIL LEFT BUY THE KUDU WAS A GORE THAT ONLY FILM MAKERS COULD USE AS “BOOSTER”UIMPHS
HAVING MENTIONED MY UHHHMM SO BEAUTIFUL NIECES & HANDSOME NEPHEWS & THE MOST REMARKABLE HOSPITALITY WE RECEIVED THERE , I HAD TO COME BACK TO MY BEAUTIFUL CAPE TOWN.THE WELCOMING IN CAPE TOWN WAS (SHALL I SAY ) NOT A PLEASANT ONE . THE AWAKENING OF THIS SO CALLED XENOPHOBIA WAS QUITE A SCARE .
BUT I HAVE TO CONFESS THAT BEING A SOUTH AFRICAN BORN & RAISED IN CAPE TOWN BORN OF SOUTH AFRICAN WOMEN WITH UMBILICUS & ALL DEFINING THE S.A IDENTITY , I AS EQUALLY NOT SURPRISED BY THE REACTION OF THESE CHILDREN OF THE LAND .
FOR INSTANCE IF YOU TUNE TO OUR MEDIA WHETHER IS A RADIO STATION OR TELEVISION YOU WILL OFTEN HEAR HARROWING STORIES OF POVERTY & EXTREME VIOLENCE & WITHOUT BEING HYPOCRITICAL ABOUT THE WHOLE SITUATION YOU WILL HEAR ESPECIALLY ON CRIME THAT MOST PEOPLE THAT ARE HILIGHTED ARE OUR BROTHERS FROM ABROAD ( OUR DUBBED ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS) AFRICANS .AND MOSUIMPHS T OF ALL THEY ARE CONTRIBUTING IN THE SO CALLED MORAL DECAYING CAMPAIGN .HOW MANY TIMES HAVE WE HEARD OF MOTHERS CRYING FOR THEIR DAUGHTERS WHO HAVE BEEN WHISKED AWAY BUY THESE PEOPLE ONLY TO FALL VICTIMS OF DRUG ADDICTION & PROSTITUTION , HARROWING ESCALATION OF MUTI MURDERS IN THESE MODERN TIMES .CALL ME AN IGNORANT FUCK BUT GOD I LOVE THIS COUNTRY OF MY MOTHER.
AS BITTER AS I AM WITH THIS TROUBLING TRN OF EVENTS STILL MY PIGMENTATION IS BLACK OR SHALL I SAY EBONY .BUT GOD DOES THAT MEAN I HAVE TO CONDON CRIME POVERTY & LAWLESSNESS IN THIS COUNTRY JUST TO BUY “FACE” ?
INSPITE OF MY ANGER AT BOTH THE INVASION OF MY COUNTRY BY OUR NEIGHBOURS & THE IGNORANT & DENIAL OF OUR FOLKS WE PUT IN POWER T SAFEGUARD OUR LIVES THERE IS A BIT OF HUMILIATING DISAPPOINTMENT AT THE TIMING OF THESE INCIDENTS .AT A WEEK & MONTH WHERE OUR PEOPLE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE CELEBRATING FREEDOM FROM THE EUROPEAN OPPRESSION A TIME WHEN WE WERE SUPPOSED T LOOK BACK AT STRIDES & TRIUMPHS MADE BY THIS CONTINENT IN ERADICATING SHAMES CAUSED BY WEST .
INSTEAD THE VINDICATION WAS THERE THAT AFRICA IS A BEASTLY CONTINENT WHICH ACCORDING TO THAT SACKED JOURNALIST BULLOCK STILL NEEDS THE ASSISTANCE OF EUROPE & THE WEST .IN MY DREAMS & PRAYERS I ALWAYS LAMENT THE TIME WHEN AFRICA WILL TAKE BLAME FOR ITS OWN ACTIONS & START DEALING WITH ISSUES AT HAND WITHOUT POINTING FINGERS AT WEST.
HERE IS A CONTINENT WHICH CLAIMS TO BE FREE AT LAST BUT FAILS TO TAKE BLAME FOR ITS OWN FAILURES .SOMETIMES I USED TO WONDER IN SHAME THAT THE POET INGOAPELE MOLINGOANE WILL STILL UTTER SAME PHRASES I QUOTE ” AFRICA MY BEGINNING , AFRICA MY ENDING ” UNQUOTE IF HE SEES AFRICA TODAY . MAY GOD REST HIS SOUL .
THE MOST THWARTING THING ABOUT AFRICANS TODAY IS TO CONSPIRE AGAIST THOSE WHO PUT AFRICA’S INTERESTS AT HEART & ARE INDEED MAKING VISIBLE STRIDES IN ACTION & NOT IN WORDS . LATELY WE ARE WITNESSING THE CAMPAIGN TO DISREGARD THE WORK DONE BY OUR PRESIDENT IN PUTTING AFRICA ON THE WORLD MAP & STRIVING TO SHOW AFRICA’S “GOOD” SIDE
BY SETTING PRESIDENCE IN THIS COUNTRY BUT OUR OLD TRADITIONAL BROTHERS LIKE ITS ALWAYS A CASE ABOUT US , CURSING & DEFAMING THE MAN . LITTLE DO THE KNOW THAT THEIR ACTIONS ARE CAUSING LACK OF DELIVERY IN THIS COUNTRY . I ALWAYS OR PERHAPS REFER TO PRESIDENT MBEKI AS THE LAST PRESIDENT FOR I SEE DARKER CLOUDS GATHEING AHEAD OF US
THIS IS TO SAY BROTHER KAGANOF ===== I WEEP FOR AFRICA TODAY
