Stories Poetry Essays Reviews
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S I mm ^^ J %Z0 f 7 r ISSN 0258-7211 Volume 10 Number 2,1992 R6.95 taffn (INCL. VAT) Stories Poetry Essays Reviews Nad Thengani Ngwenya: The Poetry of Mafika Gwala Mark Beittel: Dugmore Boetie and S.A. Literature Phaswane Mpe: Literacy and People's Language o {?{?n-ncca Volume 10 Number 2 1992 Contents Comment.... A.W.Oliphant His Excellency the Ambassador Stories of the State of Palestine B3I An Owl on the Rooftop Keith Gottschalk Linda Colleen Saunders HH Tunnel Vision gjSI Makoti George Candy Makhanda Senzangakhona WSM Offers W£M The Rod Phil du Plessis Richard J. Mann KM Spirits Q| SBs Sue Mathieson E3i Child of Africa Jiggs Linda Colleen Saunders •:I-M Flags, Medals and Anthems ££• Two Poems Gavin Mabie Robert Siwangaza HOI Two Poems Essays Annemarie van Niekerk Q|| Writing and Being [31 Group Areas Nadine Gordimer Ebrahim Alexander WSM 'Literary Language' and the 'Language JE3M Three Poems of the People' in Contemporary SA English Poetry LisaCrombrink Phaswane Mpe JBM B.H. Iffli The Poetry of Mafika Gwala £7/ Coelho Thengani H. Ngwenya |3| Namibian Nites WEM Dugmore Boetie and South African Literature Carsten Knoch Mark Beittel Deela Khan Poetry EH Changes Hi | Two Poems Mohamed Patel Ntombintombi Mabika J33H By Strandfontein |H Two Poems Leonard Koza Abner Nyamende QUI On Graduating WSM Deep Sea Burning Mohamed Patel Mpho Nawa BEWHi Two Poems Leonard Koza Ntombintombi Mabika Ugjgl Three Poems gQH Khutsana B.M.C. &jy/ra R.E. Moloke KM Grand Parade Carol Edson STAFFRIDER EDITORIAL COLLECTIVE E9I Translations of Two Poems by General Editor: Andries Walter Oliphant Jean-Joseph Rabearivelo REGIONAL EDITORS AND DISTRIBUTORS Stephen Gray Transvaal: Lance Nawa, Steve Kromberg, Frank Meintjies I2££j Three Poems Natal: Ari Sitas, Pearl Jean Gorrie, Jabu Mkhize Carol Edson Western Cape: Hein Willemse, Mario Pissarra, f Workers' Day (May Day 1992) Donald Parenzee, Anette Horn Free State: Cingani Phaku, Patrick Nyezi, Morakabe Seakhoa Grant Tsimatsima EH Excitement Eastern Cape: Susie Mabie, Michael Barry Ntombintombi Mabika Btfli Ba a Ntena, Ba a Telia EDITORIAL ADVISORS: /?.£. Moloke Njabulo Ndebele, Nadine Gordimer, Mongane Serote, Kelwyn Sole, Paul Weinberg, Gary Rathbone, Achmat Dangor, Christopher van Wyk, Gcina Mhlophe, Photographs David Koloane, Nise Malange, gjgg People in Creativity and Culture Luli Callinicos. Andrew Bannister Typesetting and Layout: Shereen Usdin gjjg Work from the Photo Lab Illustrator and Artist: Andrew Lord Marketing and Distribution: Matthew Krouse Paintings and Graphics EH Landscape Staffrider is published by the Congress of South African Writers, P.O. Box 421007, Karen Harber Fordsburg 2033. Copyright is held by the 139 Demoiselles de Codesa individual contributors of all material, Vincent Baloyi including the visual, photographic and graphic material published in the magazine. Anyone fEBM Lovers wishing to reproduce material from the Vincent Baloyi magazine should approach the individual EJ| On the Day of the Festival contributors c/o the publishers. Nhlanla Xaba Contributions and correspondence should JEM Untitled 2 be sent to The Editorial Collective Sylvester Khosa Staffrider ESI Germiston Sheds P.O. Box 421007 Thomas Nkuna Fordsburg EB Landscape with Silos 2033. Walter Meyer All contributions should be accompanied by a EH Springbok Safari IV stamped, self-addressed envelope and a short two-line biography. Karen Harber W$U Untitled 3 Printed by: Creda Press Sylvester Khosa Repro by: Industrial Graphics Cover Artwork: Morris La Mantia Report Dancer Illustrations: Carin Hartmann Iffil COSAW Monthly Debate Series Comment Globally speaking, we are living in rapidly changing times. as well as to reassess the meaning and value of past forms of Who will contest this? Observers have pointed out that the cultural expression. This is the proper domain of creativity. twentieth century and its preoccupations already belong to the Sacred and secular taboos can only partially frustrate, but past as the world irresistibly moves towards the next century. never succeed in completely arresting the human procilivity Strange as it appears, things seem to turn at the turn of for expanding the horizons of knowledge. The quest for centuries. renewal reaches optimal levels when non-conformist, critical Home is a case in point: the hurly-burly of social and and even iconoclastic attitudes towards every form of ideo political changes are superficially registered in newspapers logical posturing and pretense are adopted. and the electronic based media while the deeper shifts in To reduce the multifarious nature of being to a single culture and human sensibilities remain almost completely theory or a one-sided system of values can only serve to stunt obscured. Is this due to the fact that the communication the plenitude of experience. The endless play of desire is media, monopolized by a minority, are fatally oriented towards driven by the inextinguishable quest for freedom. Within the reassuring sectors of the public that their vested interests, frame work of otherwise restrictive outlooks the censorious ossified cultural habits and assumptions are not subject to the mind flourishes. It breeds, as in this country and elsewhere, profound local and global changes? the dangerously absurd conviction that ideas could be van The 'no news is good news' frame of mind, is sadly also quished by destroying their proponents. This, among other far a feature of local literature and art. This conservative view reaching implications, is spelt out to the world by Nadine vituperously insists that the only things of value are the things Gordimer, the 1991 Noble Literary Laureatte, in her memo which never change. In a world where everything is touched rable lecture. It displays her profound vision of the role of by the ineluctable forces of change this profoundly reaction writers in an age demanding courage in life and skill in art. In ary view is understandable. It deserves our sympathy. Who her finest hour Gordimer remained true to herself by under would not feel compassion for those who withdraw from the scoring the social imperatives of creativity. vital process of contemporary life to descend into a hell of Her lecture is a flash in the dark to South Africans and the mourning the loss of a mythological paradise? Nevermind the rest of the world. As we begin to undertake the daunting tasks fact that the actual loss is the impending end of racial of cultural transformation, it reminds us that alternative priviledge. Indeed, who would not sympathise with the be visions must steer clear of all forms of prescription and reaved? coercion. In the drive to open all cultural institutions for For others, the understanding that human beings constant democratic participation and to extend the means of cultural ly create and recreate the world they inhabit by changing it expression we must guard against the preservation of old through their decisions, choices, utterances and actions is forms of privilege and exclusivity as well as against the axiomatic. The recent unfreezing of rigid social systems and formation of new elites. related views of the world, the exponents of change assure us, Through its recently launched monthly debates and research are the direct and indirect results of the ceaseless labour of into international and national cultural policies, COSAW countless individuals, groups and organizations. It seems intends to play a facilitating role in the democratization of block-headed to disagree with this. cultural institutions. This will be done by inviting the entire The outcome of these changes, history however reminds community of artists, regardless of their pasts, to participate us, will not necessarily be in line with what many hope for. in an open-ended process of discussion and debate. Social change is a contradictory process. It brings with it This edition of Staffrider offers readers a number of mixed possibilities for advances and regressions. Little won critical essays in which views on language and literature are der that opportunists of every hue hasten to claim that their frankly assessed. The selection of short stories probe past, beliefs, dogmas and illusions have been, or are soon to be present and future aspects of individual experiences. A variety vindicated. of poetic voices speak their dreams, fears, anger and desires The challenge facing writers under any circumstances is while visual artists and photographers provide opportunities to shift the induced boundaries of consciousness and feeling of seeing.^ Andries Walter Oliphant Staff rider Vol. 10 No. 2 1992 I Poetry Ntombintombi Mabika Two Poems Hobos With hope they sit and sing. With hope one day they will enjoy life. They are friendly, trying to hide sorrows. They are not drinkers, If they have nothing to do what then is to be done? 'Hallo sweetie pie,' they greeted me as I pass. An Opening Men and women use that way of greeting. T came from the South, no work, no money, It is an opening for the truth. I came here seven years ago, An opening to hell. How can I go back home?' She nearly lost her right ear. Who was shooting? The story is very bad. One was a teacher, An opening. One was a manager, Renamo, Frelimo and violence, One was Mrs so and so. pass through that opening to fight She came here for work. for nothing. A black opening caused by a dark gun. She saw an advert in the newspaper. Sorry the job has been taken. It is an opening to death. She finished all the money. The remembrance will be left behind. Sorry I have no money for your transport. The shame is written in that black opening She is asking for food, the rubbish bin is there. in black letters but the black letters are visible even in the black night. Sleeping in the rain, Sleeping on the road. Wearing the same thing Worrying about the future.