A book by Flaxman Qoopane
The late Mr
Qoopane was a man who even if one met him once in a lifetime, one would almost
certainly remember him, the experience for ever. He embodied everything a man
of letters would relish, and this much can be discerned from this particular
book of his.
Africa has
never been renowned for its high levels of scientific and technological
excellence, and it is no surprise that in Mr Qoopane's account here, he
stresses the spartan facilities that existed at Somafco, when he attended the
institution decades ago in Tanzania whilst in exile.
The supply
of water, electricity, even telephone facilities was less than impressive -
"like statues" as the author writes here, in matter-of- fact fashion.
Yet he enjoyed his stint at Somafco, in exile generally. That is the bubbly
Flaxman Qoopane for you.
In those
days the life of a journalist in the heart of an African country was devoid of
the sparkling glamour of nowadays; there were no mobile phones, smartphones,
laptops, nothing like the internet etc. The typewriter was king then, and
no surprise to see one perched on the cover of this book.
But never
mind. Despite the spartan life, amenities of yore, true talent still rose to
the surface, and Qoopane began to distinguish himself as a brilliant
reporter, photographer and all-round journalist right from his heyday in east
Africa, which continued after he returned home to South Africa. He always
excelled in finding excellent, even unique news/feature stories to the
admiration of his readers everywhere.
This book of
his of course is too brief, considering his colourful career as a journalist
who published hundreds of stories in many publications. But the
fundamentals are here in this book. We know the genesis, and what made him
tick.
- Raphael Mokoena
- Raphael Mokoena
