The form of education that takes place outside formal institutions should never be taken for granted, for the same reason that it’s not institutionalized.
Deon-Simphiwe Skade
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29 April, 2011
Elections
I like it when its elections time. Even the country’s president visits those that the government has neglected. The whole thing looks funny though; especially when everybody promises all sorts of things, and when they pull each other down for that coveted vote that will get them to the top.
Even the political parties that have long gone extinct resurface when it's election time. I guess their extinction is seasonal and reversible. But it’s really amusing when they come out of nowhere and start to make all sorts of promises.
The more established parties are not any better. They only visit people to hear their concerns, so to speak, when they wish to lure them into voting for them. The purpose of their other visits is usually a PR exercise.
Deon-Simphiwe Skade
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28 April, 2011
Our times
We’re living in difficult times.
Nations are at war.
And people die like flies.
Deon-Simphiwe Skade
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Nations are at war.
And people die like flies.
Deon-Simphiwe Skade
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27 April, 2011
CHIMURENGA 11, conversations with poets who refuse to speak
features a heady mix of words and images that give voice to silence. So much has been said about speech: speaking up, speaking for oneself, not being allowed to speak, speaking for the other who'd rather speak for self, but very little is said about the virtue of silence. So much said about making oneself visible, but little said about mining the rich depths of absence. This issue is about silence, disappearing oneself as act. Though it's often one of abdication, could it be defiance, resistance even? - a challenging idea, in a culture where struggle about seeking exposure, giving voice, making visible and all that stuff...
Inside:
you’ll find everything from Iranian scholar Asef Bayat writing on the quiet encroachment of the ordinary, to an unsolicited rant from Cape Town-based writer Gael Reagon, serious Melodifius thunkish funk from acclaimed British writer Geoff Dyer, sharp travel discourse from South African poet, journalist, radio producer and activist Sandile Dikeni and American criminal and author, Jack Henri Abbott’s words about life in the hole.
Also:
Christopher Wise’s search for African literary provocateur Yambo Oulogeum; Liesl Jobson on bad breasts; Anthony Joseph on the African origins of UFO; Ché via Jay Cantor on el comandante’s punitive silence; Achille Mbembe on the death of Um Nyobe; Suren Pillay on making pictures; Nwando Mbanugo to the little red hat of power; Eric Darton on what to say when its time to speak; Stacy Hardy on Julius Eastman's caged negratas; Conceição Evaristo on strange fruits; Neelika Jayawardane on Gitmo and Ed Pavlic on unannounced winners.
Images include Ralph Lemon’s spaceship drawings, Mario Benjamin’s unnamed ghosts, Matthew Goniwe minutes before he was gunned down, the Black Ark, drawings from the Ramallah Underground, and “Declensions in Blue”, an essay on what silence looks like featuring images by David Hammons, Gordon Parks, Herve Youmbi and Moustapha Dime. The cover is “Sarkozy, Fanon and the jazz baroness”, a remix of the cover art of Monk’s Undergro
Text sourced from Chimurenga online. To find out more about this copy and more, click here.
Larry Heard on why he's not working with Robert Owens anymore
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| Image sourced from Alleviated Record. Christian Patterson hold the copyright |
The interviewer, Mohson Iqbal: Speaking of Fingers Inc., are you and Robert Owens still making music together?
Larry Heard: No, Robert lives in London. It's kind of hard to produce music together when you're in two separate cities and two separate countries. I've tried long distance productions with a couple of people but I just wasn't into it. When you're sending files back and forth, everybody ends up losing interest somewhere along the way. I prefer to work with the other person in the room and you can get it done in one shot. I come from being in bands so I like to be with other humans as opposed hanging out with my computer. The fun is limited because the computer can't react to ideas—all it can do is record and document the idea.
The full interview, conducted by Mohson Iqbal, continues here
The interview appears on Resident Advisor website.
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26 April, 2011
A headline gone terribly wrong
Three simple things to note about this article:
1. The headline announces a concrete point, one Motlanthe never expressed (see the underlined words in the above article)
2. The reporter writes about the probable loss of the City of Cape Town that the ANC may experience in the upcoming elections.
3.Motlanthe expresses the same idea as the reporter, on the future developments.
I suppose It will be fair then to ask: Who wrote the headline?
This article appeared in the Cape Times of 07 April 2011.
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The significance of two narrators in The Madonna of Excelsior
The use of both the single and the collective narrative in Zakes Mda’s The Madonna of Excelsior, is what one may term an intelligent use of the right literary device to comprehensively reflect the dynamics of South Africa’s past. The novel, set against the backdrop of the infamous contravention of the Immorality Act by a group of white men and black women of Excelsior, probes the power relations of a small town during the apartheid era. Mda’s decision to tell the story through the two narratives, contributes generously towards painting the most convincing picture of not only Excelsior, but the whole of South African life around the horrendous time of oppression. It also highlights the power of a collective voice, which subsequently leads to a much needed political change.
But just how significant is the presentation of The Madonna of Excelsior in these two forms of narratives? Joseph Conrad uses as similar device through his groundbreaking novel, Heart of Darkness, even though his use is restricted to two individuals who each give their account of Marlow’s journey into the Congo. It’s quite unlikely that Mda would have achieved the same catharsis as in the final version of The Madonna of Excelsior, had he not added the collective’s account of the events of the tragic and often comical past. One raises this point bearing in mind the dynamics that arise from the core of the collective narrators; their own challenges that add significant amount of depth to Mda’s plot. The one benefit of using two narratives is that of bringing the much needed contrast to the story that could otherwise be presented from a single point of view, a move that may muffle the general discord and violence that was synonymous with the status quo of the time.
Conrad uses an unnamed man through which he presents a different account to Marlow’s story and all the surrounding events. This narrator gives the reader an insightful view into the psychology of the colonial outlook that the men on that ship may have had, in spite of their minor divergence on certain views. But they are of the same course as the one Marlow and his company had embarked on. Mda on the other hand, through the intermittent appearance of ‘we’, transports the reader into various elements of the community of Mahlatswetsa. This collective narrative does not only reflect the community’s contrasting views towards the story related by the main narrator, but also reveals a lot about the dynamics of their unison.
Unlike Conrad’s use of the two narrators, which seems to distance both these narrators from the ramifications of their respective governments’ contribution towards the darkness that claims Kurtz, among many men, Mda’s use of this device yields a different effect. We see characteristics of a remarkable satire woven very well into the story, to a point that all the characters’ follies are captured. For example, the white residents of Excelsior, through Johannes Smit, Tjaart Cronje, Adam de Vries and other members of their community, acknowledge their contribution to the state of Excelsior and South Africa as a whole. They maintain that the Afrikaner has had a legitimate reason to have claimed Excelsior and South Africa, as his own. The following excerpt attest to this ideology:
“Adam de Vries agreed. He spoke on behalf of the ruling National Party to which God had granted the stewardship of the country,” (Mda 2002: 129).
Despite this earlier assertion of the rightful owners of the land, Adam de Vries distances himself from this ideology much later into the new dispensation, when he says the following to Viliki:
“To change it from within. People like de Klerk and I changed the National Part from within. That is why today the National Party is the party that brought about the new dispensation in South Africa,” (Mda 2002: 222).
The black folk from the dusty streets of Mahlatswetsa also acknowledge, not in so many words though, their costly submission to the oppressive regime without much dissent, except for the activities of Viliki’s movement, which eventually ushers in major political change. Further acceptance of their contribution towards the new state of South Africa is acknowledged through the use of dialogue and the intermittent collective narrative that witnesses council members’ nepotism and corruption. The following phrase captures but one example of this acknowledgement:
“The members of the movement in the council laughed off Popi’s concerns and said: ‘We sacrificed enough when we fought for liberation. Now it is time for us to eat the fruits of our labour,’ (Mda 2002: 177).
One should praise the author’s ability to give the collective narrators a voice that does not interfere with the main narrator’s account. As a result, other sociocultural dynamics of the collective’s lives surface. Of course some of Mahlatswetsa residents choose not to get involved in the fight for equal rights, and thus continue the long tradition of human apathy when solidarity is needed. In some instances the collective mocks and ridicule the main characters of the unfolding story. The following excerpt reflects the degree of the collective’s attitude towards the accused women during their trial:
“...We mocked Maria: ‘Hello, Mrs Lombard.’
We taunted Mmampe: ‘Hello, Mrs Smit.’
We leered at Niki: ‘Hello, Mrs Cronje.’
We called each one of the women by the name of the lover with who she had been charged,” (Mda 2002: 98).
The author’s satirical tool goes a long way in reflecting the many follies of how the community of Mahlatswetsa is treated by the rulers of the time. Perhaps this is best captured in the following phrase on page 150, where Adam de Vries’ extensive study of anthropology is mocked:
“As a student, he had studies anthropology, Adam de Vries continued, adding more to his insights into the black man’s way of thinking and doing things. Not all black people were bad. There were good black people like Sekatle. And there were bad ones like Viliki. The majority of black people were good people,” (Mda 2002: 150).
The administration appears to continue their belief in Adam de Vries’ knowledge in addressing the needs of the people of Mahlatswetsa, even after the new government is elected into power:
“Although Adam de Vries was no longer mayor, and his National Party no longer had power in Excelsior, they let him run Mahlatswetsa Location as Administrator as he professed superior knowledge of ‘these people’, knowledge gained from his anthropology courses at university,” (Mda 2002: 157).
This satirical swipe at the man who should exercise better judgment towards people of Mahlatwetsa, is a wider reflection of the folly of men and women whom one would expect to run a more civilized administration than the repulsive apartheid, due to their education.
The African idiom that says, “umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu” (I’m me because of you), seems to be somewhat challenged by the way the story is presented. The taunts that flash in some scenes point towards another crucial aspect of a collective dynamic. The ‘we’ that is a hybrid of ideas. It is thus one’s conclusion that Mda’s choice on the two narratives, contributes a significant success in the end product that is The Madonna of Excelsior.
Deon-Simphiwe Skade
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Johnny Cradle, a breath of fresh air
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© Johnny Cradle |
... Cradle has been able to take all his musical preferences (the only known surviving Bone Thugs n’ Harmony fan) and influences and marry them to create a matchless sound which even he can’t stamp. This boy can take you on a neo-soul trip, skank you down dub lane, lyrically speak to the hip-hop head inside you and invoke the rock star lurking in your depths, all on one track-that is a gift.
His talent also extend into the comical. When I asked him who his musical idols were his response was Moog Little Phatty and Apple Logic Pro. He quickly redeemed himself by admitting he grew up with his old man blazing Count Bassie and Miles Davis’s “Bitches Brew” (which he hated), overdosed on American west coast rap in his teens and came out of rehab playing Sade’s “Lovers Rock.” At the foundation of his musical sense are the traditional chants sung when young Xhosa men send boys to initiation school. Wounded in a typical muso way, for him music is sex, drugs and depression inducing, of course love is hurtful...
This excerpt was sourced from Afri Pop. You may read the full article here
For more on Johnny Cradle visit his website here.
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Being true to oneself
I asked my brother one day: “What do you want to become?”
“Nothing. I don’t want to be anything,” he said calmly.
I smiled coyly to his frankness, his apparent knowledge of his destiny, and decided to test the strength of his resolve.
“Do you know that you’re one of those people that the Life Giver would one day ask: ‘Son, what did you do with your life when I gave you so much talent?’
“Really, would he ask that?”
“Of course He would. And what would you say to such a question?”
He put out his cigarette and sighed for what seemed like a long time and said:
“I would look at the Life Giver in the eye and say, Sir, the one thing I’m very proud of is that I survived. I lived for a long time and succeeded in being me. I don’t think I let anyone down with my wish of becoming nothing – my success is in the fact that I survived it all and remained true.”
“That’s so cool man! I admire that your sincerity,” I told him.
Deon-Simphiwe Skade
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“Nothing. I don’t want to be anything,” he said calmly.
I smiled coyly to his frankness, his apparent knowledge of his destiny, and decided to test the strength of his resolve.
“Do you know that you’re one of those people that the Life Giver would one day ask: ‘Son, what did you do with your life when I gave you so much talent?’
“Really, would he ask that?”
“Of course He would. And what would you say to such a question?”
He put out his cigarette and sighed for what seemed like a long time and said:
“I would look at the Life Giver in the eye and say, Sir, the one thing I’m very proud of is that I survived. I lived for a long time and succeeded in being me. I don’t think I let anyone down with my wish of becoming nothing – my success is in the fact that I survived it all and remained true.”
“That’s so cool man! I admire that your sincerity,” I told him.
Deon-Simphiwe Skade
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25 April, 2011
Tsitsi Dangarembga's journey with Nervous Conditions
In 1977, Dangarembga returned to England to study medicine. No longer a child living in a foreign culture, she witnessed and fully understood the often racist or racially stereotypical attitudes held by many members of English society. Returning to Zimbabwe in 1980, just before the nation became self-governing and independent, she began to develop in earnest as a writer. Despite years of rejection and lack of acknowledgment, Nervous Conditions was eventually published in England, four years after Dangarembga had completed it...
The above excerpt was source from Spark Notes. You may read the full article here.
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Complaining
There seems to be some redemption in complaining. Otherwise why do some people revel in doing it?
~ Deon-Simphiwe Skade
~ Deon-Simphiwe Skade
Bob Mabena - Isgaga
“Uyang'saba, uyang'saba
Ungchoosile ngob’ uthi uright
Uyang'saba, uyang'saba
Ungangbize isgaga...”
~ A refrain from Bob Mabena’s song, Isgaga, featuring Margret. It appears on Mabena’s album, Hello, I’m back, produced by M’du Masilela. It also features the late Wendy Mseleku and Tokollo ‘Magesh” Tshabalala, then simply calling himself TK.
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21 April, 2011
Deon's comment on Mphutlane wa Bofelo's article: Sacrificial goats: ARREST OF SIX POLICE MEN MASK FACTORS BEHIND POLICE BRUTALITY AND SERVICE DELIVERY PROTESTS
"The six policemen arrested for the murder of protestor, Andries Tatane in Meqheleng Township in Ficksburg in the Free State are ‘political scapegoats’. To put it bluntly, the six are ‘sacrificial goats’ on the altar of populist, grandstanding and electioneering politics. Their arrest is a quick ploy to take attention away from the systemic factors that informs police brutality. It is aimed at absolving the collective responsibility of South African Police Services (SAPS) and their political principal, the ANC-led government..." ~ Mphutlane wa Bofelo.
The above article continues on the Kagablog. Click here. The comment below stems from it.
Deon's comment towards the article is as follows:
This is quite an insightful article – spot on!
There’s an increasing apathy towards systems like elections, simply due to the terrible state of affairs that South Africa is immersed in, largely due to the ailing political system. It’s a system that has many flaws because as much as the ideas proclaimed by one political party profess to be for the betterment of the people, such is not quite true. The whole system becomes one big game where the poor community becomes the lifeblood of this madness.
One could suggest abstinence from such activities of electing people with concealed ideas into power, but this in itself would be akin to sitting on the fence when one can actively play a ‘meaningful’ role. But how meaningful can this role be when a lot of people exercise this responsibility to elect certain political parties into power only to be neglected all over again. The worst situation is when the police continue to unleash their brutality on the community of South Africa, without any repercussions as Ntate Wa Bofelo rightfully points out. This is not a new phenomenon in the so-called ‘New South Africa’ – one would not even bother to refer to the tragic pre 94 era, which is where it seems to have originated.
The constitution of this land, as powerful and as progressive as it is, fails the general people in fully protecting their rights to dignity among many other things. One may cite various forms of harassment that take place when body searches and arrests are done, to demonstrate just how less valued the civilian life and dignity is. The very Constitution that we praise is a document that was designed by the very system that wants to forever control our lives – this one calls the government and its many tentacles.
How can the police be given the degree of authority that they possess? Does this suggest that they are above the law? Even the justice personnel are limited by the relevant clauses of the constitution. But wait, the police, they ‘shoot to kill’ whenever their lives are in danger. How many civilians have died at the hands of the police, suspects for that matter? However, when a civilian shoots at the police in the so-called self-defence, such action is met with far reaching consequences of jail time and other things. But when the police shoot in self-defence on the other hand, they are hailed as heroes who are merely enforcing the law. Such power given to the law enforcement agencies suggest in one way or another that they are above the law – they can embarrass, intimidate, harass and kill without much repercussion on their part.
One is not condoning criminal actions in anyway. I just wanted to bring to the fore, the designs of the system that controls people – all acts of crime should be handled in the same manner. These injustices are not only limited to South Africa, they are an international phenomenon that dates back many centuries.
A new collective is voted into power. As soon as they assume their position of leadership, they draft laws and amend statutes based on various ideologies, all in all for the so-called betterment of the people. Once their term run out and a new team elected, the same story continues – they continue to run our lives, the citizens of the world, claiming that they are representing the people. Just how true is this? One will not get into the service delivery protests and many other ills plaguing South Africa and the world.
This is a very thoughtful piece Ntate Wa Bofelo. It is reads like this one that reveal the mesh that continue to run our lives by restrictions, harassment, pain and submission. But the people will never be silenced.
Peace!
Deon-Simphiwe
Note: Due to its length, the comments section of the Kagablog could not accept the comment above when the author posted it.
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The above article continues on the Kagablog. Click here. The comment below stems from it.
Deon's comment towards the article is as follows:
This is quite an insightful article – spot on!
There’s an increasing apathy towards systems like elections, simply due to the terrible state of affairs that South Africa is immersed in, largely due to the ailing political system. It’s a system that has many flaws because as much as the ideas proclaimed by one political party profess to be for the betterment of the people, such is not quite true. The whole system becomes one big game where the poor community becomes the lifeblood of this madness.
One could suggest abstinence from such activities of electing people with concealed ideas into power, but this in itself would be akin to sitting on the fence when one can actively play a ‘meaningful’ role. But how meaningful can this role be when a lot of people exercise this responsibility to elect certain political parties into power only to be neglected all over again. The worst situation is when the police continue to unleash their brutality on the community of South Africa, without any repercussions as Ntate Wa Bofelo rightfully points out. This is not a new phenomenon in the so-called ‘New South Africa’ – one would not even bother to refer to the tragic pre 94 era, which is where it seems to have originated.
The constitution of this land, as powerful and as progressive as it is, fails the general people in fully protecting their rights to dignity among many other things. One may cite various forms of harassment that take place when body searches and arrests are done, to demonstrate just how less valued the civilian life and dignity is. The very Constitution that we praise is a document that was designed by the very system that wants to forever control our lives – this one calls the government and its many tentacles.
How can the police be given the degree of authority that they possess? Does this suggest that they are above the law? Even the justice personnel are limited by the relevant clauses of the constitution. But wait, the police, they ‘shoot to kill’ whenever their lives are in danger. How many civilians have died at the hands of the police, suspects for that matter? However, when a civilian shoots at the police in the so-called self-defence, such action is met with far reaching consequences of jail time and other things. But when the police shoot in self-defence on the other hand, they are hailed as heroes who are merely enforcing the law. Such power given to the law enforcement agencies suggest in one way or another that they are above the law – they can embarrass, intimidate, harass and kill without much repercussion on their part.
One is not condoning criminal actions in anyway. I just wanted to bring to the fore, the designs of the system that controls people – all acts of crime should be handled in the same manner. These injustices are not only limited to South Africa, they are an international phenomenon that dates back many centuries.
A new collective is voted into power. As soon as they assume their position of leadership, they draft laws and amend statutes based on various ideologies, all in all for the so-called betterment of the people. Once their term run out and a new team elected, the same story continues – they continue to run our lives, the citizens of the world, claiming that they are representing the people. Just how true is this? One will not get into the service delivery protests and many other ills plaguing South Africa and the world.
This is a very thoughtful piece Ntate Wa Bofelo. It is reads like this one that reveal the mesh that continue to run our lives by restrictions, harassment, pain and submission. But the people will never be silenced.
Peace!
Deon-Simphiwe
Note: Due to its length, the comments section of the Kagablog could not accept the comment above when the author posted it.
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Lefifi Tladi in Giant Steps
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| Photo captured from the film, Giant Steps. © Kaganof |
“we’re the elephant
we move the way of no return
our spears are immersed in blood
we’re the elephant
we move the way of no return
we’re the warrior transformed into a guerrilla
For the spirit of Sharpeville moves from the past
into the present wearing the new mask Soweto, Soweto Soweto...”
~ Lefifi Tladi
The above excerpt was transcribed from Bra’ Lefifi Tladi’s poem that he recites in Giant Steps, a documentary co-directed by Aryan Kaganof and Bra’ Geoff Mphakati. It features some of South Africa’s most talented artists that include Bra’ Zim Ngqawana, Kgafela oa Magogodi, Mak Manaka, Lesego Rampolokeng and Don Laka, among others.
For more information about the film, visit the kagablog, here.
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20 April, 2011
Your truth
they will tell,
all sorts of stories
i would tell,
all of my stories
and that which emerges
as a discrepancy
may be the ultimate truth
~ Deon-Simphiwe Skade
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all sorts of stories
i would tell,
all of my stories
and that which emerges
as a discrepancy
may be the ultimate truth
~ Deon-Simphiwe Skade
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Omoseye Bolaji writes about “The Budding Wordsmith”, Teboho Masakala
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| Teboho Masakala |
The young man entered my office in Bloemfontein city, South Africa respectfully. He was already well recognised in the bureau anyway. He was Teboho Masakala, a young dexterous South African writer.
I knew like many other so called literary pundits as the gentleman who had already published a collection of short stories titled: Mind, Pen Paper and Ideas. I wondered what he wanted now. Perhaps he wanted to submit another of his tantalising short stories for publication in my newspaper?
But he said now: “Mr. Bolaji, my novel is now out! It is titled Through It All. I just wanted to give you a copy!” There was an exultant, nigh triumphal expression on his face. Meanwhile, I, together with a few others who were in my office, congratulated him.
Now I remembered. Many months ago, young Mr. Masakala had come to me with a manuscript, hopefully requesting “that you go through my latest fictional offering, and if possible edit it for me."
Alas, at the time I could not do this. My health problem was at its nadir, and I still had many other responsibilities. But I was touched by his request and recommended others who could help him.
Almost bizarrely, my mind went back to many years ago in Nigeria when I used to read about how young writers inundated the likes of Cyprian Ekwensi, Chinua Achebe, Wole Soyinka et al with their manuscripts.
Anyway Masakala was (is!) a talented writer, with a core of steel not apparent on the surface. Now his new book was published. I gratefully got a copy from him, initially glanced through many pages, commenting jokingly on what he had written. Later in the day I would go through the whole book, after all it was essentially a novella.
“Congratulations," I said to the young black South African writer. “It is gratifying to see youngsters like you still sitting down to write in the old fashioned way despite the plethora of diversionary modern stuff like facebook, blogging, etc which are now the rage.”
“I will always write, produce fiction, Mr. Bolaji," Masakala replied firmly. “I am inspired by creative writers like you; like the great Chinua Achebe."
Mr. Masakala might not - at the moment - have the
savvy, the comprehensive brilliance and maturity of NMM Duman , another South African black female writer of fiction but for someone in his early 20s he (Masakala is doing very well, thus far.
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| Masakala's book cover |
Teboho Masakala’s debut novel, Through It All focuses on a certain young woman and her vicissitudes. The protagonist is Monica Classen who is dragged through the mill! After the death of her parents, she is unfortunately raped by her own uncle, an exceedingly harrowing experience for her. She decides to flee Thaba Nchu a South African town and start a new life in Bloemfontein city, but her ordeal is not over; not by a long shot. More painful episodes await her till in the end, like a deus ex machina all is well with her, and her sorrows are behind her. Quite an interesting read.
Excerpt from the book exemplifying the sad metamorphosis of Monica:
“Monica who had been fragile, kind-hearted, was now this weak, controlled drugs loving, money hungry Monica…the city of Bloemfontein had swallowed her and was not prepared to throw her up anytime soon as there was no way out…”
This article has been reproduced with kind permission from Omoseye Bolaji. It was first published on the Nigeria Newsworld. You may access the online publication here.
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18 April, 2011
Muvhango: Jikeleza
“Kutheni uhamb’ ubambambi ntoza bantu
Siyayijikeleza
S’khupuka nayo
Siyayijikeleza
Nghamba nayo...”
~ Thandiswa Mazwai sings in Jikeleza, a song featured on the project, Muvhango.
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The power of television
television is everywhere
i watch it at home
and see it in the streets
where people play out
their own scripts
Deon-Simphiwe Skade
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i watch it at home
and see it in the streets
where people play out
their own scripts
Deon-Simphiwe Skade
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The world on non-conformists
Our world is the kind that doesn’t like embracing non-conformists. When it does, it’s usually a very small percentage that contends with criticism.
~ Deon-Simphiwe Skade
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~ Deon-Simphiwe Skade
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Hoi Chacklas!
“Hey baby, this is the truth
I really don’t like your attitude
Because you think I’m in love
With another woman
You are my,
You are my love
You are my,
Hoi Chacklas
Chacklas
Chacklas...”
~ Mr Chacklas
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15 April, 2011
Spelling: an extract from an e-mail correspondence I had with a friend
Deon: I did not mis-spell bureaucracy in my previous e-mail (hehehe)
Friend: I didn’t even notice. Don’t you use spell check?
Deon: I rely mainly on my knowledge of the language in question. But my spell-check is always on. I may have overlooked the underlined word like the non-English ones that don’t enjoy the benefit of this application (hehehe)
I suppose I got to rely more on my knowledge, the little I have, as a way of bettering my structure, because spell-checks do not help with structural matters. One may easily be incomprehensible throughout their text, in spite of correct spelling.
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Friend: I didn’t even notice. Don’t you use spell check?
Deon: I rely mainly on my knowledge of the language in question. But my spell-check is always on. I may have overlooked the underlined word like the non-English ones that don’t enjoy the benefit of this application (hehehe)
I suppose I got to rely more on my knowledge, the little I have, as a way of bettering my structure, because spell-checks do not help with structural matters. One may easily be incomprehensible throughout their text, in spite of correct spelling.
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Business writing: an extract from my e-mail to a friend
“I will tell you one thing my friend. And I know you know this, but I will say it nonetheless. Bureaucracy, Gatekeepers and all order forms of restrictive collectives, tend to constrain freedom. I say this having come across a variety of these kinds of restrictive collectives.
Workplace English is not cast in stone. Fair enough, it is suggested that it has to be concise, structured, grammatically correct and logical. But this standard is not binding across all businesses who all profess to be using Workplace English. Each organization has its own style, in as much as an individual has their distinctive style. For example, someone read a piece I wrote, which did not bear my name, and said I wrote it – which was true.
Style is what we have made of the language, which in itself is a standardized form of communication that had evolved over the years.
It really ‘cheeses me off’ to listen to people blabbering about inconsequential things. I have had many of those. People are dying out there; hunger, wars and diseases are plaguing them. There’s hatred out there, evil forces of people at play. The world is in pain my friend, our precious world, and some people are focused on inconsequential things – what a serious tragedy!
Like I said to you earlier on, I can be very formal in my writing if I want to. I can be equally experimental, based on the purpose of my communication.
Writing is a constantly changing phenomenon, one that should never be made to stagnate.
If you feel that your writing is well structured, that’s very good my friend. I find it structured.
Deon-Simphiwe Skade
Note: The word, “bureaucracy”, was mis-spelt in the original correspondence.
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Workplace English is not cast in stone. Fair enough, it is suggested that it has to be concise, structured, grammatically correct and logical. But this standard is not binding across all businesses who all profess to be using Workplace English. Each organization has its own style, in as much as an individual has their distinctive style. For example, someone read a piece I wrote, which did not bear my name, and said I wrote it – which was true.
Style is what we have made of the language, which in itself is a standardized form of communication that had evolved over the years.
It really ‘cheeses me off’ to listen to people blabbering about inconsequential things. I have had many of those. People are dying out there; hunger, wars and diseases are plaguing them. There’s hatred out there, evil forces of people at play. The world is in pain my friend, our precious world, and some people are focused on inconsequential things – what a serious tragedy!
Like I said to you earlier on, I can be very formal in my writing if I want to. I can be equally experimental, based on the purpose of my communication.
Writing is a constantly changing phenomenon, one that should never be made to stagnate.
If you feel that your writing is well structured, that’s very good my friend. I find it structured.
Deon-Simphiwe Skade
Note: The word, “bureaucracy”, was mis-spelt in the original correspondence.
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Free live jazz performances at Cape Town Central Library
Central Library, the house of books, changes its tune before Easter: from 19 -21 April, the Central Library will be filling their spaces with free live Jazz performances by young fresh talent.
On Tuesday 19 April 2011 from 13h00-14h00 join “ The Tribe of Benjamin Jazz Quartet” with Benjamin Jephta ( Bass Guitar), Marlon Witbooi (Drums), Keenan Ahrends ( Guitar), Zeke le Grange (saxophone) and special guest vocalist Sandile Gotsana.
On Wednesday 20 April 2011 from 16h30- 17h30 come enjoy afternoon standards with Ryan Andrew Peters Jazz Band(vocals), Keenan Adamson (guitar) and Findile (Saxophone).
On Thursday 21 April 2011 from 15h15 – 17h00 we’ll
have a very special performance by “The John
Pama Primary School Brass Band”. This brass
band is part of the Amy Biehl Association’s
after-school incentive, which focuses on involvement
in education and creative activities. Also fine tuning
the favorites are “Momentum” with Ted Faulkner
(bass guitar)and Al van der Merwe (keyboard).
As part of the Central Library’s community involvement plan, we are also running a drive to collect old unused musical instruments on behalf of the Amy Biehl organization. At the moment they can only accommodate about 15 learners per teaching session. More instruments available would allow more children to enjoy the benefits of playing a musical instrument. Please support our drive by donating any old instrument.
Central Library is situated in the Drill Hall, c/o Darling and Parade Streets, Cape Town. Contact the music section on 021-4671560 / louise.strauss@capetown.gov.za
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On Tuesday 19 April 2011 from 13h00-14h00 join “ The Tribe of Benjamin Jazz Quartet” with Benjamin Jephta ( Bass Guitar), Marlon Witbooi (Drums), Keenan Ahrends ( Guitar), Zeke le Grange (saxophone) and special guest vocalist Sandile Gotsana.
On Wednesday 20 April 2011 from 16h30- 17h30 come enjoy afternoon standards with Ryan Andrew Peters Jazz Band(vocals), Keenan Adamson (guitar) and Findile (Saxophone).
On Thursday 21 April 2011 from 15h15 – 17h00 we’ll
have a very special performance by “The John
Pama Primary School Brass Band”. This brass
band is part of the Amy Biehl Association’s
after-school incentive, which focuses on involvement
in education and creative activities. Also fine tuning
the favorites are “Momentum” with Ted Faulkner
(bass guitar)and Al van der Merwe (keyboard).
As part of the Central Library’s community involvement plan, we are also running a drive to collect old unused musical instruments on behalf of the Amy Biehl organization. At the moment they can only accommodate about 15 learners per teaching session. More instruments available would allow more children to enjoy the benefits of playing a musical instrument. Please support our drive by donating any old instrument.
Central Library is situated in the Drill Hall, c/o Darling and Parade Streets, Cape Town. Contact the music section on 021-4671560 / louise.strauss@capetown.gov.za
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14 April, 2011
The Troublemaker
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| The Troublemaker |
The above piglet is what the residents of Mpunkone, in the Eastern Cape would refer to as a troublemaker. It is a conversational name given to a pig, or a piglet in this instance, whose mischief is simply insistent. Troublemakers always find their way into the garden, where they wreak havoc on vegetables once they gain access.
In order to prevent such unruly behaviour, a device known as iXhayi, made out of a strong tree branch is called to the rescue. It is then tied around the neck of the mischievous piglet, as seen in the picture above.
I saw one such rascal and took a snap shot of him even though he ran away before I could lock him into a proper view. Perhaps this sneaky behaviour in itself reveals the extent of mischief that the young fellow above had caused the community.
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| The Troublemaker's siblings |
It was very funny though; he was simply an odd ‘man’ out. All his siblings were grazing around him in apparent uniformity. Only he had iXhayi around his neck, communicating to even those who did not know his ways, that he’s indeed a troublesome fellow. He grunted on as if protesting against his apparent discrimination. I guess he only had himself to blame.
Deon-Simphiwe Skade
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13 April, 2011
How government is killing writers and, in the process, quite a few other things: An article by Lauri Kubuitsile
As everyone knows, to make money as a writer in this country, you need to write for educational publishers, but now, thanks to budget cuts or maybe stupid policies or perhaps just because someone in an office just doesn’t care, even educational publishing is a waste of time. Government’s positioning here is dangerous both in the short term and in the long and once again illustrates how government policies in one Ministry ( i.e. Youth, Sports and Culture) can be annihilated by faulty decisions in another.
Let’s start with some figures. My book, Mmele and the Magic Bones, a book that was short listed for the UK based African Writers Prize, is a prescribed book for standard 5, the only longer work of fiction prescribed for that standard. Last year the government said that because of the credit crunch no books would be bought for standard 1-5 but that the books would instead be bought this year. Not the best decision, but fair enough.
I don’t know the exact number of standard fives in the country but if we assume that the number of standard sevens that write PSLE is about the number of standard fives in any given year, we can estimate conservatively that there are about 35,000 standard fives. As of 1994, the latest figure I could find, there are 669 government primary schools. I would guess there are probably more than that now but let’s just work with those numbers.
This year primary schools, through the Ministry of Local Government, bought 1,352 copies of Mmele and the Magic Bones, according to the royalty statement from my publisher. I have attempted in the past to get such figures confirmed (by then from the Ministry of Education who until this year purchased books for primary schools) but was told such information is not available to the public. Why, I do not know, and the woman I spoke to at the Ministry thought my question very silly. So we will work from the premise that my royalty report is correct.
So, 1352 copies means in each of the 669 primary schools there are two copies of the book. And if the students are spread evenly throughout the schools, which they are not, 26 students will share a single copy of the book. Take a moment to visualize how that might work out and how that impacts on your child’s education.
The impact for me, the writer? My royalties for this book are P9015.40. That is my annual income for that book, and I am one of the lucky few who managed to get one of my books prescribed. Is that a salary on which you could survive? That is P751 per month, I believe less than minimum wage.
But beyond the crushing disaster of my own circumstances, what does this mean for the teacher in the classroom? She needs books because the syllabus and exams will require her students would have read the book. How do 35,000 students read 1,352 books? She has a couple of options. If she’s lucky enough to have a copy of the book in her school and have a photocopier, she could photocopy the book. She’d be stamping all over the copyright of my creative work but what option does she have? She’s trying to do her job. The government is forcing her to be a thief.
Alternatively, she could read the book to the standard fives, the ones who will be writing a PSLE exam in English in two years time where they will be required to have read the book for themselves.
And what about the students? These are the real victims in this picture. They will not learn the love of books and the love of reading because they do not have books in their classrooms or even in their homes in most cases. One can only imagine how this impacts on their futures. I guess when we have a president who proudly proclaims he has no time to read books, we should not expect he and his government to put books high on their agenda. In any case, most of the top decision makers in Gaborone and elsewhere have money to send their children to well resourced private schools, what do they really care if in our “rich” country 26 students must read a single book. To them, perhaps, this does not seem to be immoral in a country classified as middle income, for me it is the definition of the word.
So while the government talks a good line about how artists in this country are valuable and need to be supported, we all know actions speak a lot louder than words. Even when we, as artists, try to make a living in the arts in this country, they slash our legs out from under us and then complain when we’re unable to stand.
This article first appeared in The Voice.
The currency mention above is Botswana Pula.
Lauri Kubuitsile is a multi-disciplinary author of many books, scripts and so on. You may visit her blog, Thoughts From Botswana, through this link.
This article is reproduced here through her kind approval.
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Thandiswa Mazwai sings about 'empty promises from the government'
‘mina ndithenjiswa yonke into engaphantsi kwezulu
ngathenjiswa inkululeko nes’thunzi
ngathenjiswa imfundo nezibhedlela
kwenzeka njalo phambi kolukhetho
ngenene lababantu abananyaniso
he wabona impilo abaiphilayo
njengoba wena ubavotela kangaka
bakusizangani?
bakwenzelani?
uyabona mina maje ng’funimpendulo
ukuthi kanti inkululeko ngenene yintoni
ngoba kudala sasithi amandla ngawethu (kanti ngenene yintoni?)
ene kudala sasithi ilizwengelethu (kanti ngenene yintoni?)’
Transcribed from Thandiswa Mazwai's song 'Ngimkhonzile', featured on the album Ibhokwe.
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Madala Kunene on the government
“... Uhulumende wentando yeningi
Uhulumende wa bantu esimthandayo
Uhulumende wentando yeningi
Owethu, owethu
Ngempela, ngempela, ngempela
Ngempela, ngempela, ngempela
Bantu bakithi
Ao MaAfrika amahle
Sesifikile isikhathi
Asisekho esinye
Yiso lesi, so kuthi sibambenisane nohulumende wethu
Ziyazi ukuthu uzokuqeda lobulelesi
Nalokukubulalana
Nalokukudlwengulwa kwabesimame
Nalokukudlwengulwa kwabantwanyana
We are trusting you
We are trusting you”
~ Madalala Kunene
The above words appear in Madala Kunene’s song, Uhulumende, which first featured on the album, First doubles 1 & 2. The late guitarist, Baba Mokoena Seraokeng and the bassist Bernard S’busiso Mndaweni, contributed to this album.
The song featured again on Uxolo, Kunene’s subsequent release. It expresses confidence in the government.
Deon-Simphiwe Skade
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12 April, 2011
Philip Kaufman's Henry &June: Anaïs’ infectious dreams and fantasies
Philip Kaufman’s Henry & June portrays Anaïs Nin as a dreamer and an explorer of ‘unusual’ human experiences. Her husband, Hugo, loves her dearly –he loves her strength: “...the stronger the better”, he says of his wife.
The couple becomes friends with Henry and June Miller, another married couple but one with a volatile relationship. Henry falls in love with Anaïs, together they find solace and fulfilment in one another. On the other hand, June falls in love with Anaïs too and neither tells the other one of their experiences with the magnetic lady. Henry and Anaïs’ bond grows stronger until June finds out about the two’s infidelities and leaves. Before she does that, she tells Anaïs of what exactly she thinks of her:
“You just want experience. You’re a writer. You make love to whatever you need – you’re just like Henry.”
Osborn, Hugo’s best friend and the person through which Henry and June are introduced to Hugo and Anaïs, harbours a secret admiration of Anaïs. He later claims that Henry stole her from Hugo and subsequently from him.
In a plot that has twists and turns brought by desires and fantasies, these characters’ lives yield complex situations where trust becomes a thin veil. Some of these men and women reflect just how far desires and fantasies can lead one to when not restrained. Anaïs is the most daring of all the characters in spite of being a writer. She chooses to live beyond the fictitious edge of her pen by exploring her wildest fantasies and instead of writing about them. In the end, she shakes the foundation of her life, including Henry and June’s relationship. After all the complications that arise, she falls back into the arms of her obliviously loving husband for comfort and life goes on as usual.
Philip Kaufman does an incredible job in directing this film, more importantly for translating part of Anaïs Nin’s diaries into a plot that viewers can relate to. One is not quite certain of the extent of the material added to Nin’s writings that were adapted into the film. It is most likely to be little, perhaps only the parts that Maria De Meideros, who play Anaïs, narrates and expresses in dialogues. Some of Nin’s own writings were painfully erotic, to a point of appearing completely fictitious, at least to some readers. That is why one could only read a few pages from Nin’s one book when an attempt was made to experience her writings. This is of course not to say that she was a bad writer. It is just a matter of choice and appeal, taste and likes. Besides her writings found wide acclaim after her demise.
The cast is very impressive in presenting key characters. Maria De Medeiros (Anaïs Nin) is sinfully pretty with a captivating French accent. She‘s sensuous and adventurous in her portrayal of Anaïs Nin, the writer. Uma Thurman (June Miller), Fred Ward (Henry Miller), Kevin Spacey (Osborn), Richard E. Grant (Hugo) and Eduardo (Jean-Philppe Ecoffey) are all incredible in their performances too. There’s a balanced ingredients list of fantasy, love, desire, literature and satire, to name but a few. The score and cinematography both play a crucial role of creating an ambiance and look of the past and help draw the viewers’ attention into the layers of Kaufman’s impressive story.
Anaïs (the story character) is a helplessly courageous dreamer in fulfillingher fantasies in spite of such pursuits having detrimental consequences. However, such courage tends to also alters one’s biological make up and spill over to other parts of one’s life. Eduardo states this danger clearly when he says: “Be careful Anaïs. Abnormal pleasures kill the taste of normal ones.”
The film may have been released in 1990 and depicts events of the distant past, but it’s relevance to modern times should not be overlooked. For we have many ‘dreamers’ amongst us.
Deon-Simphiwe Skade
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11 April, 2011
Marvin’s story may make it into film
Janis Gaye was at home in Rhode Island last month when she read a story about plans to shoot a film in Belgium about her late ex-husband, the legendary soul singer Marvin Gaye, and the recording of his last great album, Midnight Love.
There have been many attempts over the years to make a biopic about Marvin Gaye, who was shot dead by his father in 1984 aged 44. Cameron Crowe was reported last year to be attempting a film with Terrence Howard as a possible lead. F Gary Gray was also trying to hatch a Gaye biopic. And James Gandolfini was lined up to play Gaye's concert promoter Freddy Cousaert opposite Jesse L Martin's Marvin in another project.
The latest movie, to which Julien Temple was linked as a potential director at the Berlin Film Festival, plans to look at the period Gaye spent living in the sleepy seaside town of Ostend in the early 1980s. At that time, Gaye, Motown's biggest star, was considered a spent force. He was being hounded by the taxman. His problems with drugs are well chronicled. He had split from Motown. However, against the odds and in the unlikely setting of the Katy Studios in Ohain, Belgium, he recorded one of his greatest albums.
Janis Gaye has generally felt "very sceptical" about attempts to bring Marvin Gaye's story to screen. "It's 26 years later and no one's life has ever been the same since Marvin was killed... it was all blown apart that day. It has been very difficult to know who to trust over the years."
The hurdles in front of anyone trying to make a Gaye biopic are manifold. One essential requirement is the rights to the music. Another is an actor capable of playing the singer – and performing credibly such songs as "I Heard It Through the Grapevine", "Let's Get It On" and "Sexual Healing". Then, there are the interests of his family to consider – those of his first wife, Anna Gordy, elder sister of Motown founder Berry Gordy, and of Janis Gaye and her children.
"There is always that inevitable anxiety of people making a movie so that you can found out why he (Marvin) was shot," she says. "That question always comes up – 'let's dig into this and find out why Marvin's father shot him'. None of us will ever know that because all the players in that horrible scene are dead."
The story continues here. The Independent published it first.
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