SHEILA KHALA'S "MY PEN IS A 'SOCIALITE'" (2012)

Foreword by Dr V. Z. Nyawo

Poems include -

Dumelang
A prayer to the God of poetry
Good morning Holy Spirit
Nna
When we write poetry
Hypocrite
God is able
Phenomenal woman
What others say
Breathing dreams
Tearing others best to fit you better
The cave in the heart
Phase of the unborn
Under this tree
Sweet talker
Baptism of the heart
Mama
Anger bewitched an innocent heart
First love
Words spoken by scars
My Muti
Navigating myself to meet you
Dear Sir
My pen is a socialite
Garden of motivation
Think we love each other
My mother
Boom companions
Kalatelayanlatelang
Inspiration of Roma mountains
A heart of an orphan in winter
Ke le Khala
Taken by the tongue
I met my father
Hope, Destiny and Love
To the army of darkness
At the cross
Tucking the ink in bed
My pen is a teacher.

Excerpt:

"Suggestions with stale hearts degrading
the level of upgraded thoughts.
They forge your edified ability to merge their mediocrity.
Their odour of jealousy makes you drowsy..."

GOING DOWN MEMORY LANE...Saint George Vis

Saint George Vis was named Free State Author of the year back in 2003. The press celebrated his feat then, as can be seen above...

AN AMBIENCE OF MYSTERY SURROUNDS KHAYACHOW TOWN

Book: Tebogo and the Bacchae (2012)
Author: Omoseye Bolaji
Publisher: Eselby Jnr Publications
Reviewer: Mpikeleni Duma (for Sowetan)

Black African authors who churn out Mystery/Detective adventures (books) are thin on the ground. Against this background the Free State based author Omoseye Bolaji has to be praised for his fecund output in his wise.

Cedric Robinson has written that a novel is a parable. It is a moral, philosophic, and political exercise. Like the myth in phatic groups, the purpose is to demonstrate the terrible consequence to the human spirit as well as to the social organisation of a total exorcising of a social ideology.

Bolaji created the now famous detective or sleuth Tebogo Mokoena and before the beginning of this year he had published seven books in the series. Early this year the eighth of the series, Tebogo and the Bacchae (2012) was published to the excitement of readers of the series.

In this new work the author creates the fictional town of “Khayachow” where Tebogo has to investigate the events of an ill-starred night when three people lost their lives in gruesome fashion. As Tebogo burrows into life in the small town he discovers that things are not necessarily what they seem to be on the surface.

In Tebogo and the Bacchae the reader is introduced to a gallery of intriguing characters, including the enigmatic Tiisetso, the ubane Sibusiso, the shadowy Allan and of course the tantalising lady, Thobeka. The story reaches a climax later on and ends in a shattering manner – like previous adventures in this series.

The author also largely changes his style of narration in this new adventure. Hitherto, teh adventures were written in the first person – “Tebogo” himself telling the stories; but this time around the Omniscient narration style is utilised with Tebogo sometimes playing very much a secondary role in some of the chapeters.

Becasue of this Omniscient style of narration we get to know many of the characters very well, even sharing their thoughts; irreverent and zany thoughts every now and then. But all combine to emphasise the ambience of mystery that surrounds this new adventure.

I enjoyed reading this adventure very much but felt that the author could have done more to paint an even stronger picture of Khayachow town. Also, in this wise the reader can be confused sometimes as to whether the action is happening in Khayachow toropo (town) or the adjoining township.

But on the whole this is another excellent adventure of the grassroots-oriented sleuth, Tebogo Mokoena. He is still very much into bonhomie, grins and wisecracks. He even indulges in some romantic match-making in the end!

The preceding adventures of in the Tebo Mystery series are Tebogo Investigates (2000), Tebogo’s spot of other (2001), Tebogo Fails (2003), Ask Tebogo (2004), Tebogo and the Haka (2006), Tebogo and the epithalamion (2009) and Tebogo and the pantophagist (2010)
* Originally published in SOWETAN, Monday, January 30 edition

A MUSICAL WITH A DIFFERENCE

By DINEO MOKGOSI (Above)

This summer’s season of the Sand Du Plessis Theatre performances has just kicked off with four-day run of “Unbreakable Thread-Ubuntu vs Fear”.

This contemporary musical drama was directed by renowned theatre director Regina Nawa and written by Mothusi Mokoto and stars numerous accomplished theatre actors and television actors whose faces will be familiar to patrons who follow the theatre scene and are able to catch a glimpse of television every now and then.

The play is set at the Mthunywa household in Rocklands Bloemfontein, on the morning of January 08, 2012 and the family preparing to host Morena, friends, comrades and a few community members for a short ceremony. To prepare for the important day, Mkhulu Mthunywa, together with Morena, a Sangoma and a priest go to the heroes’ section of the cemetery to pay tribute to the fathers and mothers of our liberation struggle in a traditional ritual.

Upon their return from the cemetery, they arrive in the midst of diverse cultural dance festivities, from guests. In a short sermon, prior to the main festivities at the stadium, Moruti takes us through the journey of the formation of the ANC as a covenant made between the organisation and God on January 08, 1912.

As the elders later leave for the main festivities at the stadium, a conflict arises between Mkhulu and his granddaughter, Phetogo. The granddaughter is expressing frustration at the many unanswered questions she has been asking Mkhulu about the death of her parents in the struggle. She had been hoping that since Mkhulu had been writing a book on the liberation struggle, it might be the perfect place to find answers.

The main characters were played by Danny Jassoni, 34, as Mkhulu and Excellentia Rethabile Mokoena, 22, as Phetogo. Jassoni has acted in theatre productions such as Mid Summer Nights Dream, Julius Caesar and Maru; and also acted in television shows such as Molo-Fish and Ga Re Dumele on SABC 2.

“I thought the show went well. I believe people got the message. The message of Ubuntu which is what we should strive for in our everyday life. Let’s not forget who we are as the youth, as a people. In as much as there are differences now, there is still a lot to be done to rectify the wrongs of the past”, Jassoni said.
Mokoena has appeared in productions such as Op Soek Na Piet Khumalo and Mpumelelo.
“I’ve learnt a lot through playing this character. It hurts to find that people had to go through this for me to be here today. Youth need to be educated about our history”, Mokoena said.

Although poorly attended, the show ironically was a magnificent piece of theatre. The dancers executed a series of synchronous movements which brought euphoria into the Sand Du Plessies theatre as patron’s screamed at the sight of the dancers.
There is a dance scene which stands out as a masterpiece of choreography by Brian Mazibuko, the MK military training scene. “That is my favourite scene. We used Russian techniques with our choreography to do the scene”, Mazibuko said.
However, the amplication of the background music sometimes made it hard to hear what some actors were saying.

Stand out actors included Free State born actor and singer, Pesa Pheko, who has acted in big productions such as the Lion King and Sarafina, Sbongiseni (Khehla) Mguni, Katlego Khunou, Brian Mazibuko, who was also the choreographer, Abram Dithebe (Small) and the pint-sized 19-year-old singer from Welkom, Dikeledi Letebele.
Unbreakable Thread is an African National Congress (ANC) Centenary celebrations production that uses drama, music, reflection of historical experiences through movement and dance to showcase the values of Ubuntu.

The musical drama will showcase at the Sand Du Plessis Theatre until January 28, and every person, young and old will benefit immensely from attending the show piece.

Pule Lechesa's "Essays on Free State Black Literature"

CONTENTS (Chapters) of this work

1. Introduction. By O Bolaji
2. Literature grows by leaps and bounds
3. Dearth of indigenous languages
4. The grassroots poets on the rise
5. Reminiscence of Onitsha Literature
6. Modern trappings in Tebogo and the Haka
7. Lechesa bounces back
8. Shades of hubris in JahRose’s work
9. Fatal Flaws in Hector Kunene’s Through the tunnel
10. Enemy of the State By Maxwell Perkins Kanemanyanga
11. Confusion in Deon-Simphiwe Skade’s debut work
12. Literary Criticism an eyesore for Black Writers!
13. Pule Lechesa interviews Bolaji
14. Mme Duman’s Deepest Springs
15. A renowned scholar on Free State shores
16. Tebogo and the epithalamion
17. Football power in Tebogo and the pantophagist
18. Appendix

Reviews and criticism of this new work are very much welcome

TEBOGO AND THE BACCHAE

...Literary echoes in Bolaji’s Tebogo and the Bacchae

By Paul Lothane

In previous books published by Omoseye Bolaji, there are echoes of Shakespeare, Jules Verne (Around the world in 80 days), George Elliot (Mill on the floss), Chinua Achebe, Charles Dickens, and many others.

In this new work, Tebogo and the Bacchae, we are introduced to Biggie again (who featured in Tebogo and the epithalamion); the same Biggie “who studied literature”. Of course, previous works had shown Tebogo himself had more than a passing interest in Literature too, but Biggie is “In a different league”.

In Tebogo and the Bacchae Tebogo himself muses over the character of a woman who seemed to wreak havoc on men who loved her:

Tebogo found himself thinking of a book, The concubine (by Elechi Amadi). The female protagonist of the book, Ihuoma, seemed to bring great suffering to her suitors. But that was fiction of course!

At the park later on in the book, Biggie is prodded to deliver a short “lecture” on African literature:

“Tell me, Biggie,” (Tebogo) said, “is there anything like African Black Literature? Over the decades…”

Biggie pondered. “Of course,” he replied. “Tentatively, some pundits might ask: can we dub writings in foreign language like French, English, Spanish, Portuguese, African literature? Then we realize that if African writers decide to write in their mother tongues, the fact is we’ll be limiting and fragmentizing; balkanizing ourselves. The fact is Africa has thousands of indigenous languages. How do we read our best writers if they only wrote in their mother tongues? Imagine never being able to read Achebe’s fiction if they were published only in Igbo? Or if Eskia’s books were written in Tswana? How could he be read around the world? Ngugi from East Africa, famously, decided he would only be writing in his Kikuyu language. Then of course, he and an army of others would now translate these books into English and other western languages for the world to read!

“African Black literature? It is – simplistically – the type of writing we Africans can always identify with, despite essentially small differences in culture, mores, traditions. Our black writers come from dozens of African countries yet we feel like we understand virtually every society. The African village life, depicted by the likes of Achebe, Elechi Amadi (both Nigerians) Bessie Head (South Africa and Gabon) Kofi Awoonor (Ghana), Camara Laye (Guinea) Ngugi (Kenya) Dangarembga (Zimbabwe), Zakes Mda (RSA) etc…we understand it all. The influence – I almost said ravages – of western culture on African life. The white man’s school. The religion he brought. Modern amenities. The conflicts resulting from all this. The subtle, some will say, insidious inculcation of the white man’s culture. Internet. Facebook has changed the world. We see our youngsters now obsessed with it, always on facebook. Internationally in the conservative, Arab world facebook recently played a key role in fomenting revolutions in countries like Egypt, Tunisia, Libya…”

Biggie noticed that Tebogo’s attention seemed to be tailing off...

Of course in this new work, Biggie is also the one who draws parallels between the classical Bacchae, and what happens in Khayachow town: with two hapless protagonists ripped apart.

This work, like the last three adventures, was published by Eselby Jnr Publications. This is an impressive addition to the Tebogo Mokoena Mystery series, with an attractive lay-out by Godmore Jnr Mofokeng

A LESSON BY LIFE By Teboho Masakala

A LESSON BY LIFE

By TEBOHO MASAKALA

HARRY was in hospital, he was coughing, he was crying and he was sick, very sick and not a second would pass without Harry not coughing or feeling pain, Harry cried every time he trenchantly thought of his family.

He remembered how blessed he was, he once had a wife, children, cars and a beautiful house he was proud of, he was even a church goer but all of that was gone and he had nothing and had lost everything he had; mostly he missed his wife who had left him years ago, Harry sat on the hospital bed and remembered the good life he once had, he remembered how it all started.

Harry was at home with his wife Mary and for a long time he looked for a job and could not find it and he was really worried because his wife and kids were struggling to make ends meet. This bothered him because he loved his family, "I don't know how I am going to get a job, I went to all these places and for years now I have been struggling, what am I going to do?" said Harry, "don't worry my husband because you will soon find a job and I promise you we will live happily together me, you and the children" His wife Mary said, trying to comfort him. "But when?" asked Harry "just don't worry because GOD will provide a way for us" Mary said "OK, let’s hope that will one day happen" said Harry, they sat down and the children came and they ate their food and went to sleep.

Harry woke up the following day, he bathed and went to look for a job , he looked all day round without any success and as the day was ending he went back home to his family, "How was today, did you find anything today" asked Mary "no I did not find anything and I am still looking and I am beginning to lose hope," said Harry "don't worry you will get a job "GOD will provide a way for us" said Mary trying to comfort Harry not to lose hope and again Harry had some hope because of Mary and he bathed and went to bed.

"Harry!!! Harry!!! Harry!!! Wake up, wake up I have good news for you" shouted Mary waking up Harry 'what is it?" said Harry "look here in the newspaper they want people to work in the mines of silver city" said Mary "What? Really; and are you serious?” said Harry in excitement and amazement "yes and look how much they are paying and with that kind of money we can buy a nice house with it" said Mary. Harry jumped in excitement and hugged his wife "tomorrow I am going to silver city to look for that job" said Harry and for the whole day they were happy that there was soon going to be light at the end of the tunnel.

The following day Harry woke up early, bathed and after eating he called his two kids and told them he was going to look for a job in Silver city and they cried but he told them that he will be back in a short time and there were smiles on their faces "please Harry behave yourself, please, you know how Silver city is and many men who went there never came alive and some forget their families and marry and at the end they end up having ALZIMA and you know how dangerous ALZIMA is" said Mary with tears "I promise my love I will behave and no need to worry, you know I am faithful" said Harry and he left them. ALZIMA was one of the dangerous diseases, and someone who had it will have only few years to live and would die, it was so dangerous that even people ran away from you and even the person who had it had all these sicknesses because their body became weak every now and then, and Silver city was the place where most people had it"

Harry arrived at Silver city and looked for the job he saw in the newspaper and he finally got it and he had a job in the mines of Silver city and every month he sent money home to his wife and children and called his wife now and then. Soon after some few months working the mine company closed down for the Easter holiday and every man went to his family and Harry also went to his family for the Easter holidays.

Harry arrived in the morning at home and his wife and kids were happy. "Daddy, daddy is home" said his two kids and they hugged their father "hello my little girls" said Harry and he hugged his children "welcome back sir" said Mary and he hugged Harry and the family were together. With the money that Harry had saved they bought a house and they were happy, after Easter holidays Harry went back to work at Silver city.

Harry was a hard worker and soon he had enough money to buy even a car and his life and his families, life was better and his wife Mary was also happy because their sufferings had ended and they lived in a nice house and had a nice car. But soon Harry met a guy named Patric and they soon became friends "Harry my man, today is Saturday let’s go to a night club" said Patric" "no I can’t, I promised my wife I will behave" said Harry "forget her you are in Silver city now my man and you need to be a man" Patric again said "but my wife trusts me" "yes she trusts you but you are far from her and she wont know or see you, come let’s go to the night club, there are girls you can meet" said Patric "No I wont I love my wife" Harry replied

"Ha, ha, ha guys this guy is afraid of his wife" said Patric and other men laughed and made fun of Harry "OK I will go but only for today" said Harry "that’s my man" said Patric and Harry went to the night club, at the club they sat. Patric drank a lot "here have a sip Harry" Patric said "No I don’t drink" replied Harry "be a man and have only one drink" said Patric. "No man I told you I don't....." Harry replied but Patric interrupted him "OK what can I say; you are not man enough to be a man indeed" replied Patric teasing Harry "I am man enough" said Harry "If you are, then drink this beer" said Patric "let me show you" replied Harry taking the beer he drank the beer and his intention was to take only one but ended up drinking too much… he lost count of the bottles and when they left the night club he was very very drunk and even Patric had to carry him home.

Harry started going to night clubs every Saturday and drank a lot, "today is Saturday and you know it’s happening my friend," Patric said with a smile "Yes we are going" said Harry and they went to the club, Patric changed Harry, he no longer sent money home and he drank it with his friends and no longer cared about his children and wife. Harry even had a girlfriend and fooled around with her a lot, the same Harry who had been very faithful and loved his children and wife was gone because of Patric!

Harry came to the house he stayed at after work, and as he was about to open the door he found a letter from his wife and began reading it. "hi Harry please know that our child Lucie is sick and she has been sick for two weeks now and I have used the money I had to take her to hospital and now I have no money, please send some money home, love your wife Mary" "What? that woman is sick, she is not getting any money from me, she will not get anything from me" said Harry angrily. "What is it Harry and why you angry?" asked Patric "That woman who calls herself my wife wants money from me and she won’t get any" said Harry "don't give her anything and forget about her she is useless and don't even consider her, don't give her anything, you are a man now and don't listen to a woman" said Patric "Yes, you are right and by the way let’s go and have two beers because that woman has made me sick" said Harry and they went to the night club and drank.

Days and years went by without Harry going home or sending money home and he received lots and lots of letters from his wife Mary but he burned them. One evening when he was about to eat there was a knock at the door and he thought that it was Patric but when he opened the door to his surprise it was his wife Mary. "Hi Harry" said Mary 'hello" Harry said but he was angry and did not want to look at Mary. "Are you not happy to see me and please look at me" said Mary with a smile "what do you want?" said Harry "Harry I have sent you many letters telling you that our child Lucie is very sick and please give me money to take her to hospital" said Mary with tears in her eyes "What, are you sick, you want money from me? you won’t get anything from me" said Harry "but Harry your own child is sick and you wont take her to hospital? "said Mary in shock

"Woman I am a man now, and won’t listen to you, go back to where you came from and leave me alone" said an angry Harry "Harry, Harry, are you telling me its better for our child to die?" said Mary, crying "Yes it’s better if she dies than for you to want money from me, now get out of my place now go!" said Harry "You are chasing me away? Me, the mother of your child? Me your wife you are chasing me away?" Mary cried "I don’t have a wife or any children, leave me alone and go!" shouted Harry, kicking and hitting Mary. Poor Mary went back home crying and could not believe the man she called her husband was no longer the man she knew and loved; but was now a monster … she went home with tears and could not believe what Harry said.

Patric came one Saturday night to Harry, "let’s go and have some few cold beers my friend" Patric said smiling "Ok” Harry agreed, "your girlfriend Mandy will be there and you know that she is hot" Patric added. "Mandy is my girl and today i am going to be a man" said Harry with a smile and they went to the night club and at the night club as they were sitting and drinking beer Harry's girlfriend Mandy came and joined them 'come and sit here with me my love" Harry called Mandy "I am coming" said Mandy, "you are the man Harry" Patric who was very drunk said and after a few drinks Patric left and Harry was left with Mandy alone. "Baby you never showed me how much you love me" Mandy said "what do you mean?" Harry asked "I mean be a man and show me" Mandy replied, "not now I want to sleep” "or are you weak and not man enough for me," Mandy teased Harry, "I am man enough and I will show you," Harry said, "come let’s go to your place and show me" Mandy replied holding Harry and after a few seconds, Harry and Mandy went to the house of Harry and ended up making love. Harry made love to Mandy and that night Harry lost himself, he didn't know what’s going on with him; but he didn't care.

Harry started coughing when he was busy working but ignored it. Alas, for many subsequent days and years he kept coughing and losing weight. Even Patric noticed this "Harry what’s happening and why are you coughing now and then; are you sick?" "No I am not sick just having flu only" Harry replied "you need to see a doctor" Patric recommended "No I don't need a doctor, I am ok" Harry said angrily, but he tried to hide that he was sick and did not want to admit he was sick even though he was vomiting and losing weight. After some few months still Harry kept on losing weight inexorably; and he admitted to himself that he needed a doctor. Ultimately he decided to see a doctor and after work he went to the hospital in Silver city and after waiting in line for the doctor he got his chance "Come in sir" the doctor said. "Thank you" said Harry and after the doctor checked him he waited for two minutes and the doctor came with the results.

'Mr Harry, you can sit down again" Harry sat down "I have the results here with me” the doctor said, and Harry began to shake, "can I tell you them?" the doctor asked. "Yes you can go on" Harry replied. "Mr Harry Waterfield I am very sorry to tell this" the doctor hesitated to speak "Go on doctor tell me…" Harry said, shaking nevertheless. “Mr Harry Waterfield, I am very sorry to tell this and I am sorry to tell that you have the ALZIMA the disease and the ALZIMA sickness has been in your body for two years, I am very sorry" the doctor said. "No doctor,tell me you are playing," Harry shouted. "I am sorry I am serious sir” the doctor said and Harry stormed out of the hospital. For the whole day he shut himself in the house and did not go to work the following day; he started to remember his wife Mary but it was too late.

After Harry found out he had the ALZIMA disease he started to become very weak and he could not do his work properly. In the end he was fired at work and was again unemployed; one day as he was sitting in his house in Silver city he got a letter from his wife Mary and read it: "Harry by the time you read this letter i will be gone, Harry, know that Lucie has died and because you did not want to help and send money to help her, she has been dead for a year now and know that her blood is in your hands; and by the way, the house and cars were taken because we had too many debts and I sold the other one. Right now I am left with only our one and only left child Mercy and I don't want to tell you where I am bye bye Harry. The letter ended and struck his heart because he missed his wife and could not believe that his other child had died and it was now too late, because Mandy had left him when she found out that he had ALZIMA.

Patric came to visit him. "Harry my man," said Patric "my man!" Harry said but he was coughing and very weak. “Harry tell me what’s wrong? you lost weight and don't want to tell me, what’s wrong with you, please tell me" Patric asked. 'My friend I have the ALZIMA disease" Harry said crying, and in pain; but when Patric heard that he had the ALZIMA disease he got out of the house and left him alone, Harry, disconsolate and bitter, now had no one to look after him - he had no food, he was weak and most of all, he missed his wife but it was too late because he was alone and suffering and every now and then he remembered the words of his wife, Mary.
But the worst was not over. After many months, Harry was evicted from the house he rented in Silver city and had nowhere to go. He was crawling in the streets and could not walk because he was very weak and very thin, he slept on the ground. For three to four harrowing years he lived in the streets and ate from the dust bins;, he could never walk and sat alongside the street sleeping in the cold with no blanket.

One day when he was sitting in the streets coughing and weak, Patric saw him and felt sorry for him because he could not even do anything for himself and lived in the streets; and with compassion Patric took Harry and put him in his car and took him to the hospital where he left him, knowing the end was inevitable…