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Voum 10Nmer119 Contents 1 Comment.... A.W.Oliphant Stories M Fragments of a Dream Zachariah Rapola =The House of Raydon Patrick Sekhula =Independence E M Macphail =Those Who Stayed Farieda Khan M A Brief Visibility Gavin du Plessis MDiary From a Sanitorium Fred Khumalo =The Forbidden Fruit Jerome Morrison Essays = Sexual Politics and 'Free' Women in A. Dangor's The Z Town Trilogy Jabulani Mkhize =The Viability of Grassroots Cultural Organisations Junaid Ahmed =A Case for Motsisi Bruno van Dyk Poetry =Threnody of the South Easter Gavin Kruger =Two Poems Michael Titlestad =Today, Kismoos Dev Naidoo =Two Poems Dev Naidoo =Ideological War Joan Metelerkamp MBlues in Calypso Phedi Tlhobolo MThe Three Hundred and Sixty Dollar Tissue Steven Brimelow MMorning Samba Phedi Tlhobolo MTopic Van Jueluit Monageng Mogapi MTwo Poems Susan Mathieson MBlessed be the Poor in the New World Order Timothy Homes MIn the Body of the Earth Lesego Rampolokeng MOver This Long Road Sterling D. Plumpp MEnjeman Desiree Lewis MSecrecy Shoba Mthalane MNow I Live Makhanda Senzangakhona M Three Haikus Dennis Brutus MMkhozi Walt Oyi-Sipho ka Mtetwa Mthat sound Sam Hallat = TwoPoemsJKelly =Two Poems G. S. Cummiskey MThe Last Embrace Mashupye Ratale Kgopala Q3 ca m CR 1:3 11 (:ffl G9 Er STwo Poems Mboneni Wangu Ike Muila =Two Poems Judith Sternberg = Two Poems Makhanda Senzangakhona = TwoPoemsMary-Rose Hendrikse Play =Stinking System Gamakhulu Diniso Reviews = Realism and the African Novel Mbulelo Vizikhungo Mzamane =A New Beginning for SA Poetry Dirk Klopper Photographs SThe 'Helen Joseph' Women's Hostel, Alexandra Anna Zieminski Paintings and Graphics M Still Life With Mirrors Carel-Brink Steenkamp Detail of above Promised Land Martin Steyn Detail of above Dancer T.S. Kabiba =By That Time Helen Sibidi = Ivory Towers Johnathan Comerford in Jan With Crosses Carel-Brink Steenkamp = Traitors Lauryn Arnott =Self Portrait Lucky Madonsela STAFFRIDER EDITORIAL COLLECTIVE General Editor: Andries Walter Oliphant REGIONAL EDITORS AND DISTRIBUTORS Transvaal: Lance Nawa, Steve Kromberg, Frank Meintjies Natal: Ari Sitas, Pearl Jean Gorrie, Jabu Mkhize Western Cape: Hein Willemse, Mario Pissarra, Donald Parenzee, Anette Horn Free State: Cingani Phaku, Patrick Nyezi, Grant Tsimatsima Eastern Cape: Susie Mabie, Michael Barry EDITORIAL ADVISORS: Njabulo Ndebele, Nadine Gordimer, Mongane Serote, Kelwyn Sole, Paul Weinberg, Gary Rathbone, Achmat Dangor, Christopher van Wyk, Gcina Mhlophe, David Koloane, Nise Malange, Luli Callinicos. Typesetting, Design and Layout: Shereen Usdin Illustrator and Artist: Andrew Lord Marketing and Distribution: Matthew Krouse Staffrider is published by the Congress of South African Writers, P.O. Box 421007, Fordsburg 2033. Copyright is held by the individual contributors of all material, including the visual, photographic and graphic material published in the magazine. Anyone wishing to reproduce material from the magazine should approach the individual contributors c/o the publishers. Contributions and correspondence should be sent to The Editorial Collective Staffrider P.O. Box 421007 Fordsburg 2033. All contributions should be accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope and a short two-line biography. Printed by Creda Press Repro by Industrial Graphics Front Cover Artwork: Two Turkeys by Thamae Setsogo (Woodcut) Courtesy of Newtown Galleries Back Cover Artwork: Pata Pata by Isabel Thompson (Woodcut) Courtesy of Newtown Galleries Comment Innovation and creative renewal are at the heart of literary and artistic work. In times of rapid social change these aspects acquire an added impetus. Thus, as the process of social change unfolds in South Africa writers and artists as well as critics are ceaselessly confronted with new challenges. Those who in the past have been in the fore-front of the struggle for cultural change are now responding with renewed vigour in a context which requires contributions towards reconstructing South African society and culture. On the other hand, conservative forces, fearful of change, cling to redundant ideas with the tenacity and aggression of threatened creatures. While there is little to fear and everything to gain in the establishment of equal rights and democracy in South Africa, these reactionary forces are fast becoming their own worst enemies. Likewise, those who live in the complacency of self-deluding notions of cultural superiority are soon to awaken to the irrelevance of self-proclaimed cultural exclusivity. As the old social structures are discarded, even in the face of fierce minority opposition, the persistence of out-moded forms of thinking, increasingly appear farcical. So too does the compulsive reiteration of obsolete positions and values. Writers who have worked towards establishing a just and free society know that these values can never be taken for granted nor can they be proclaimed from ivory towers or in parochial publications intended for cliques lost in mutual admiration. Freedom and justice have to be fought for and maintained through a vigilance which steadfastly remains critical of all abuses of power. During his visit to South Africa last year as guest of the Congress of South African Writers, the exiled Kenyan writer, Ngugi Wa Thiong'o offered a number of crucial insights into the problems which have arisen in post-colonial Africa. When asked how he saw the role of the writer after national independence he responded by pointing out that in a situation of oppression and injustice he saw his role as one of engaging in cultural work with peasants and workers and every other sector of society interested in freedom. In a post colonial context the pertinent question to pose, he pointed out, is whether the oppressive conditions which existed before independence have been, or are in the process of being removed. If the answer is negative, then as far as he is concerned, his commitment to change cannot be abandoned simply because one set of rulers has been replaced by another. This question was raised from another angle in a recent radio interview I conducted with Breyten Breytenbach. He touched on the role of writers in a future democratic South Africa. In his typical paradoxical manner, he remarked that 'the power of the writer is non-power'. The implication is that by resisting being drawn into the political power associated with the State, writers are able to retain the freedom to criticise without favour or compromise. Last year also saw the highly successful New Nation Writers' Conference which took place in December at Wits University and a number of other venues all over South Africa. It gave an indication of the range of cultural issues and problems facing a changing South Africa, While there were visitors from all over the world, the contributions by Njabulo Ndebele and Lewis Nkosi, among others, emphasised the fact that there cannot be meaningful change without justice and the complete emancipation of the majority of South Africans in all spheres of life. Staffrider, of course, upholds the view that literature and art are human activities realised in a social context. As such the various forms of art make up the fabric of free interpersonal and aesthetic exchange in which the society as a whole can participate. This edition of Staffrider contains some provocative essays, stories, poetry and artwork. It is an exciting text in which the full ensemble of literature and art is presented. Also announced in this issue are three important literary awards for new fiction.R Andries Walter Oliphant The Nadine Gordimer Short Story Award 1992 The Congress of South African Writers invites entries to the annual Nadine Gordimer Short Story Award. All writers who have not yet had an own collection of stories published are welcome to submit a maximum of two short stories, each not exceeding 5 000 words. Stories can be in any South African Language. A written statement declaring that the stories are the unpublished, original work of the entrant and have not been submitted for this award previously, should accompany all submissions. All stories should be typewritten. Two writers whose stories are assessed as the best by a panel of judges will receive book vouchers to the value of R500 each. The ten best stories will be considered for publication in an anthology by COSAW Publishers. The deadline for submissions is 31 July 1992. Writers will be informed of the decision of the judges by 30 October 1992. The decision of the judges will be final and no correspondence will be entered into. Copies of stories should be mailed to: The Nadine Gordimer Short Story Award 1992 Congress of South African Writers P.O. Box 421007 Fordsburg 2033 Although every care will be taken in the handling of entries the Congress of South African writers accepts no responsibility for lost entries. Entrants who wish to have their stories returned must include a self-addressed envelope. For further information contact A.W. Oliphant at (021) 833 2530 Fragments of a Dream Zachariah Rapola Cyprian was a sickly boy. He grew up to become an extremely lonely young man. Subdued and at times listless. Forever encased in eternal quietness like a monk. Underneath that facade there lurked an aura of silent grace found only in statues. When I first met him he was twenty-three. Even then he was still in the habit of wetting his bed. You shouldn't mistake him for an abnormality though. He was sane, strangely sane. He was both sane and insane. At times he even appeared old. Like the old young man of Biafra. There were times when my eyes perceived something like a phosphorescent halo around him. Maybe it was my imagination. Then there were times also when he'd appear embalmed in a haunting paleness during the day... maybe it was my imagination, again. It was a relief though, that I could imagine things, yet never see or hallucinate embarrassingly. It was on that level that I came to know Cyprian closer.