FLAXMAN QOOPANE (1955 - 2017)

By O Bolaji

Flaxman Moalusi Jacob Qoopane, who has just died, always had a palpable ambience of joie de vivre around him - and his extraordinary love for books, authors, literature, and libraries nourished this patina of exaltation.

Qoopane for decades had an astonishing career as a colourful, enterprising journalist, columnist, poet and author of several works. His shorter works were published in dozens of newspapers, magazines, journals and general books.

It is no surprise that news of his passing continues to shock the world, with the literary fraternity rocked and devastated. Ishmael Mzwandile Soqaga, the well known literary critic reacted spontaneously: "So Flaxman has departed this world?  I am crying now with poignant sorrow...he certainly played his part. Africa must celebrate this important literary figure,"

Charmaine Kolwane Mrwebi, the avant-garde poet, literary activist and publisher, was more philosophical. "Our Literary Father is Resting, Father  of Letters...We are Praying for his Family" she said.

Nthabiseng Jah Rose Jafta, fecund poet and Creative Writing Mentor/Facilitator, said: "It is really sad. Ntate Qoopane was there for us since we were very young. We remain eternally grateful,"

Raphael Mokoena, another literary critic, averred: "Qoopane contributed prodigiously to African writing in particular. He unearthed, introduced, wrote about countless writers and poets over the years. He was a celebrated poet. He published many books of different genres: biographies, essays, criticism, general profiles, and epistolary"

Indeed, many of Qoopane's published books have been internationally digitised by lofty universities/literary centres. Flaxman also orchestrated the Qoopane Literary Gallery whose magnificent contents should now be taken over and preserved  by the powers that be, as part of his sterling legacy.

Two years ago, Qoopane turned 60, and as part of the events marking the occasion, Charmaine Kolwane put together a book of essays, poems, articles, critiques etc all celebrating the remarkable Flaxman Qoopane (FATHER OF LETTERS).  Literary pundits are now calling for the book to be stocked in every conceivable library. "Our people - new generations - must read about this man whose life celebrated books and literacy" a tearful Soqaga stressed.

Books published by Flaxman Qoopane

A Poet Abroad
Memoirs of a Cultural Activist
Adventures in Journalism
Reneiloe-Mpho's story
Macufe 2001
Women of Talent
Gilbert Modise: the man and the myth
View from my Window
Omoseye Bolaji: Perspectives on his literary work
The Conference
THE CREST
City of Roses and Literary Icons
Scintillating stars from the vibrant soil

THE VILLAGE IN THE JUNGLE. By Leonard Woolf

Memorable books continue to be celebrated through the decades and even over the centuries...Shakespeare's work is a case in point here. In Africa although Chinua Achebe published his classic, Things fall apart almost 60 years ago, the novel still remains the most popular and saluted ever in the continent. Leonard Woolf - alas, one has to add here for the sake of many that this great writer in his own right was Virginia Woolf's husband - wrote the work, The village in the jungle, over 100 years ago, and till date many literary experts worldwide still consider the novel to be very important, a work focusing on an erstwhile colonised third world country so to speak.

It is often posited that Mr Woolf in the work, very unusually for the time dealt with the pertinent denizens of the struggling area with sympathy and somewhat criticised the powers that be who were ruling the country. It is also conceded that the book has a lot of literary merit. And so it does.

This work is set in the former British colony of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). It focuses on a particular village, its activities; and essentially on one family which has Silindu as the Father. His daughters, Hinnihami and Punchi Menika are key characters too, as is Babun, the husband of Punchi. There is the notorious ‘headman’ of the village, Babehami, and Fernando, the debt collector who wants Punchi as a mistress. The headman (with Fernando in tow) manages to get Silindu and Babun arrested and tried by the colonial authorities. Babun is incarcerated, whilst an incandescent Silindu shoots Babehami and Fernando. The law has to deal with Silindu, who has become a
double-murderer.

In this remarkable story, we see how the life of the village(ers) is anchored on ‘chenas’. As the author explains, ‘The life of the village and of every man in it depended upon the cultivation of chenas. A chena is merely a piece of jungle, which every ten years is cleared of trees and undergrowth and sown with grain broadcast and with vegetables. The villagers owned no jungle themselves; it belonged to the Crown, and no one might fell a tree or clear a chena in it without a permit from the government…’

The stultifying, even frightening impact of the jungle on the village is distinctly emphasized throughout this novel. ‘The Jungle surrounded it, overhung it continually pressed in upon it. It stood at the door of the houses, always ready to press in upon the compounds and open spaces, to break through the mud huts, and to choke up the tracks and paths…’
- O Bolaji

PEOPLE OF THE TOWNSHIPS. By O Bolaji

‘Perhaps one should make a tentative, or half baked incursion into John Lefuo's mind. Lefuo is the main protagonist of this work. What are his motivations? What type of swamping emotions, frustrations ruled him or took over his life? From his first narrative account here he is in no way a violent man...he seems peaceful, a man of letters, with a quasi-philosophical bent.

Here he takes us briefly around the vista of life in the townships (South African townships), showing that despite his rather gloomy moods and despondency he can not be the mad man he appears to be at the end. But what is madness or lunacy? For example, could such a brilliant man, Didi really be a mad man and mass killer as we see in the book, The madness of Didi?

I feel that it is poverty that is the main theme of this work, not so called madness on Lefuo's part. Even now, many years after this book first came out we see how poverty ravages Africa and our vulnerable women in particular. Many ladies find themselves in the hands of unscrupulous sugar daddies and others who take advantage of them. Many others become prostitutes or something close to this. Why would Alice in this book, a young mother, suddenly become promiscuous as the narrative here claims, if not for poverty?

Nor do I have much sympathy for the young man, Lefuo himself. Why can’t he go out and find a job as we can see that he is in no way disabled. He is intelligent, articulate and loves to read. But this does not mean that he can not get some form of employment and help his hapless baby and its mother. His so called morality does not stop him from fathering a baby - then apparently turning against the mother of the child, and even his own society.

John Lefuo prefers to be passive instead of taking a firm grip on reality of life. In sum I believe that if he had been a more practical and responsible man, a lot of tragedy would have been prevented.’