LITERARY LEGACY OF MAGEMA FUZE

BOOK REVIEW
Book: Magema Fuze
Author: Hlonipha Mokoena
Publisher: University of KwaZulu Natal Press
Reviewer: Mpikeleni Duma

Who was Magema Fuze? This book provides the answer in fulsome, scholarly fashion. Fuze was in fact the first Zulu (black) author to write a book in Zulu. He was an early top-notch intellectual and this book sheds light on his scope and achievement.

In 1922 Magema Fuze published Abantu Abamnyama Lapa Bavela Ngakona. He was subsequently categorised as a first generation kholwa intellectual, a precarious genre in those days. Fuze wrote as an aspirant historian, and certainly did not – or could not - fulfil his potential in that era.

Interestingly, the author also shows us how the printing press defined the course of Fuze’s life as both a technician and a devotee (Fuze in sum during his lifetime was a printer, Scribe and popular historian)

In this book we see how important the newspaper, Ipepa Lo Hlanga was in the old days. From its early days in the 1880’s this press was a platform and expression of the intellectual, cultural and social aspirations of the (Zulu) public. Fuze’s contributions to the newspaper broadened his horizons, his range and breadth, culminating in his producing his book.

This book comprises living history, tracing vicissitudes of the Zulu kings and kingdom over the years. In this respect Fuze’s works remind us of the great visionary Zulu poet, Mazisi Kunene; though of course Fuze lived many decades before Kunene, and as a journalist he lived and wrote through a very important period.

Arguably, this also means that Magema Fuze’s account and writings are necessarily much more convincing (not fictional). The passion and ardour in Fuze’s book (and writings) shine through, despite his background as a mission educated African.

This book is the latest addition to laudable biographies which have been written and published on early South African great black writers – eg Brian Willan’s biography of Sol Plaatje; Catherine Higgs’ biography of D.D.T Jabavu; and Tim Couzens’ biography of H.I.E Dhlomo.

The author has painstakingly put together a work that celebrates the whole essence of the life and literary achievements of Magema Fuze – from his childhood, his education, literary influences and his own extensive corpus of work; including his ground-making book, Abantu Abamnyama (1922).

This is a breath-taking, scholarly work produced by the author (Hlonipha Mokoena), who is assistant professor of anthropology at Columbia University in the City of New York. An invaluable book for scholarly and record purposes.