FREE STATE WRITERS FELICITATE WITH WOLE SOYINKA

By Pule Lechesa

The Mbali Literary Association, essentially a Writers' Club based in the eastern Free State (South Africa) has sent a congratulatory birthday message to African literary giant, Wole Soyinka.

Wole Soyinka, a Nigerian writer, was the first African writer to win the Nobel award for literature. His 81st birthday this year is being marked throughout this week globally. Mr George Rampai, General-Secretary of the Mbali Literary Association said that he and members of his Club continue to be inspired by Soyinka. "The man is a colossus, easily one of the best writers in the world," Rampai, a published writer himself said.     

Rampai continued: "Many of Soyinka's books dot our libraries in the Free state, including the eastern Free state here. I and other members of the club have been tremendously improved by Soyinka's books. The least we could do was send our heartfelt birthday wishes to Soyinka". 

Rampai went down memory lane, confessing that in the beginning whilst in  secondary school, he could hardly understand Soyinka's works. "I tried to read his novel, The Interpreters, but it was too difficult for me. I kept on reading many parts of the book regularly, struck by the brilliance of diction, African proverbs and idioms etc. Later I read his simpler plays like The lion and the jewel; Brother Jero, which are still very brilliant too. Such books improved me as a potential writer myself,"

In fact George Rampai is now a successful author himself, having published an award-winning novel, From where I stand (2012). "Soyinka is one of the great writers I look up to," he rounded off. "Over the years I introduced his works to other members of the club".

One of the male club members of the South African Club said that he loves the works of Soyinka too. "His book that I enjoy most is actually the prose-one, The man died. You can not but admire such an incredibly talented writer who combines uncompromising integrity too,".    

"Soyinka is one of the major African writers who made us to appreciate South African writers even more," another young woman from the club, said. "Now we can also enjoy reading our own writers like Mongane Wally Serote, Zakes Mda, Lewis Nkosi, Sindiwe Magona, Es'kia Mphahlele among others...we wish Ntatemoholo (Elder)Wole Soyinka a very happy birthday," she said with a beaming, charming smile.

SCINTILLATING “IHOBE” GRACES SOWETO THEATRE

IHOBE THE FREEDOM SONG has been performed in the Main Theatre of the Soweto Theatre on 23 and 24 June 2015 to commemorate the 1976 student uprisings.

It was a powerful performance and actors dramatized the 1976 student uprisings as they unfolded starting in Soweto and breading all over the country.

On his own part, Fikile Qithi who was is the central figure of the play delivered an address before the show. Casca Mokitlane, who was in the same draft with Qithi in 1976 to Robben Island prison in 1976 from Bloemfontein talked before the play started. 

Mokitlane was a student teacher at Tshia Teachers Training College in Qwaqwa.

Qithi and Mokitlane told the well attended show that they were inspired by the students of Soweto in 1976. They were said they were happy to reconnect with the spirit, people and place where it all started.

Qithi paid tribute to the Thembekile High School. Also, he mentioned the role of Sehunelo High School, Lereko High School, St Bernard High School and Marang Primary School. Student leaders from these were; Pinkie Ditheko, the first youngerst student to be imprisoned at Robben Isalnd, Mpho Diba, Morena Matseletsele, Modise Phekonyane and Thenge Moadira, who is now a Major General in the South African National Defence Force.

Qithi also praised the father of the black consciousness in South Africa Steve Biko.

The beautiful set designed to project a classroom of 1976. IHOBE The Freedom Song was inspired by events of Soweto 16 June 1976, speeches of the Rev Jesse Jackson and activities of his organisation, PUSH, but more particularly at Ihobe Secondary School on 20 August 1976 in Mangaung.

The play start with a dialogue between Mohale Kulli who is acting as Fikile Qithi, a student at Ihobe Secondary School in the play and Zandi Ndamoyi who is acting as Tshediso Makhele, a student of St Bernard High School in Mangaung.

Kulli and Ndamoyi argue on how to organize students in Mangaung to boycott the celebration of Transkei Independence in Welkom and rejection of apartheid homelands and T.K Matanzima leader of the Transkei Homeland.

The move on the stage is followed is followed by two old women, Neo Motswagae and Magogo ( Nomakula Ludada) and old man Sam Lenko and they discuss the 16 June of 2015.

The students,(Keitumetsi Poonyane, Mohale Kuili, Yanga Kuse, Thabang Nkoko and Mpho Hlanyane) burst on to the stage with a revolutionary song. Also, in their school uniforms they make political speeches and plot to disrupt and burn the school in protest of Afrikaans as a medium of instruction at school and anti-Independence of Transkei( a former homeland) now part of the Eastern Cape Province. Neville Alexander, renown Western Cape Intellectual has extensively wrote that the Anti-Transkei Independence campaign help to spread the 1976 student uprisings.

The masterpiece is when a certain Prisnloo, a special branch (Freddy Johnson, a veteran actor) interrogates two students after 20 August 1976. Actor Zandi Ndamoyi(Van Rensburg, also special branch), complements the police role in this scene.

Prinsloo is looking for promotion in the police and he can achieve his aims if he stops the spreading of the Black Power from Soweto to Mangaung. Lucy Molehe a spy in the ranks of the student brings her role to life in the act.

The play also dramatizes the visit of the Rev Jesse Jackson in Soweto on August 1977 a year after the 1976 student uprisings.

Sister of the legendary Umkhonto weSizwe guerrilla Barney Molokoane said after watching the play: "The play reminds me of police coming at home searching for my brother Barney. I would wake up a gun pointing at my face. It was not easy. The present generation does know those hard times."

Mrs Busi Maseko, a senior teacher at Mcube High School in Mofolo, Soweto, who watched the play and her students said: "The play was brilliant, inspirational, entertaining and educational. The actors were very much into character and passionate. We thoroughly enjoyed it."

One member of the audience said: The play is so great. True story and real reflection of what happened. I am grateful to the producers, directors and cast members…giving us the true picture of the events."

The theme of the play (Ihobe The Freedom Song) is to highlight the contributions of the Mangaung and Ihobe Secondary School students to the event of 20 August 1976 in solidarity with the students of Soweto on 16 June 1976.

Fikile Qithi, then an Ihobe Secondary School student was sentence to five years imprisonment term on Robben Island for sabotage in connection with the epic events of on 29 September 1976.

The play, Ihobe The Freedom Song has been praised on radio and other media outlets.

It is going to play at the Bloemfontein Civic Theatre 30 and 31 July 2015.

Cast members: 

Neo Motswage(Miloji ka Ntu chorister), Keitumetsi Poonyane, Mpho Hlanyane, Lucy Molehe, Nomakula Ludada, Thabang Lenko, Freddy Johnson, Zandi Ndamoyi, Mohale Kuili and Thabang Nkoko.

Stage Manager: Lefu Mokgatle

Director: Itumeleng Motsikoe

Story Teller: Fikile Qithi and Casca Mokitlane

Producer: Mpikeleni Duma

Sponsor: U.S Consulate Johannesburg.

INDABA WITH FREE STATE WRITERS - a Review

Book: Indaba with Free State Writers

Edited by Saint George Vis

A Review by Paul Lothane

Indaba with Free State Writers (2009) is its own way an exciting book, and should be praised. It is an important work that St George Vis has put together. However looking at literature generally, and reading between the lines, one can not but harbour some forebodings.

The perceptive critic or analyst finds himself wondering: What is the relevance of literature to us as black people? Do we appreciate the efforts of our writers? Do we even remember them? What have we done to preserve their legacy? These and other questions come to mind after going through this book. Firstly, one must concede that there are some excellent interviews in the work, none more so than that of the breath-taking Kgosietsile Dinthloane. I was impressed with Mr. Lechesa’s comments too, and others had important things to say every now and then.

But what saddens me is that even among virtually all the writers there is scant praise or even acknowledgement of other writers. Out of these interviews hardly anybody mentions or discusses the literary works of poets like Job Mzamo and Lebohang Thaisi (apart from Lechesa briefly). Can it really be that their books published almost ten years ago, have inspired none of the writers? Why is it that even among the young writers their main inspiration seems to come from overseas writers?

Even much worse is the fact that none of the writers interviewed mention Gilbert Modise or Pule Lebuso, writers who were so much in love with literature when they were alive and (Modise in particular) who published many works. Both these writers are dead now and if nobody pays them tributes in the Province they hailed from, what is the future of our literature in particular? Did Modise and Lebuso inspire none of the writers over the years? White scholars and academics try to keep the legacy of such writers alive in their works; so why can’t we black people do so?

Why is it that in the European, western world, the people there continue to celebrate the achievements and varied evaluation of their own writers decades and centuries after they have passed on? (eg Emily Bronte, Shakespeare, Christie, Ellery Queen, and Smollet) . Why is it so difficult for us to follow suit? Is enough being done to promote the writings of our key black writers here?

Or – as many suspect – is it a terrible legacy of the “phd” (pull him/her down) syndrome that continues to drag we black Africans backwards? In the literary world it is clear enough to see that a double handicap afflicts most of us: we often undermine the efforts of other writers, yet we hate to have our own works criticized! Do we not realize that if we are not criticized it means we are not being read by the proper people and we are headed into oblivion? That all we have published becomes a waste of time?

All this of course is not the fault of Mr. Vis who can not be blamed for the misgivings of others (and I love the way he reproduces a quote from Gilbert Modise in the “preface”). I look at a writer like Mr Bolaji – and it is clear that his legacy will be there for a long time. We should all learn from him. He is never afraid for his books to be dissected, evaluated, criticized and he is now one of Africa’s celebrated writers internationally. What is the point of publishing books if people are not aware of them, or they are not discussed? Indaba with Free State Writers is indeed an important work, and one hopes it will spur writers on to appreciate what literature is all about.
* Originally published in 2009