OBAKENG MPHO MOLALE

...author of New Life Chapter

K. P. D MAPHALLA’S NEW BOOK

Kgotso P. David Maphalla has released his latest published work, titled SESOTHO SE TENG (meaning Sesotho language is still present/dynamic). The book is published by the go-ahead MBALI PRESS based in Ladybrand and Lesotho.

Pundits have pointed out that this latest work (poetry) essentially focuses on dirges festooning king chiefs and laymen; “a rather elegiac fulmination” as respected literary critic P Lechesa couches it.

Maphalla needs little or no introduction to countless readers who appreciate Sesotho writing. “KPD Maphalla is one of the all-time greats of Sesotho literature. Less than 60 years old he has already published well over 40 books! The University of the Free State honoured him with an Honorary Doctorate in 2007 thanks to his excellence in writing in his Mother tongue.

For many years (apart from those who knew the man personally) rumours circulated that the author (Maphalla) was a “syndicate”; that there was no way any writer, especially a black African one, could be so prolific. (Perhaps there are parallels here with the English writer Enid Blyton who in her lifetime wrote and published so many books that many wondered whether this was humanly possible). But Dr. Maphalla has been seen physically at literary gatherings, especially whilst being honoured more than a few times. He is certainly not a myth!

Maphalla's works of fiction in the Sesotho language are liberally read and studied in many schools in South Africa. Studies on the man’s works have also been published by scholars. The distinguished writer has not enjoyed the best of health in recent times, but this does not mean he is no longer writing.

Maphalla never seems to rest on his laurels. He is already a legend, following in the footsteps of the likes of Thomas Mofolo and JJ Moiloa, distinguished Sesotho writers (now deceased) Other works written by KPD Maphalla – who started writing as a young man from his QwaQwa base – include Mohlahlobi, and Ha Ditswere Di Tsanyaola…”

As the year 2013 peters to an end, Maphala has vouchsafed that at the moment he is putting finishing touches to a novel entitled HAESO KE KAE meaning “Where is my homestead”

PEOPRESS: An Intriguing Compendium

A review by Helen Namponya

Looking at the very first issue of the PeoPress I can’t help but be filled with reminiscence. A year ago my link to this project and Macufe Poetree was purely as a supporter. I remember just how excited I was that Jahrose had put together something so different and unexpected. I was filled with a sense curiosity.

That and the fact that two people I work closely with and manage were part of it, Tank as a photographer and 2Nyce aka MoneyNyce as the only hip hop act on the line up. It was not only a night of firsts for us but also for Jahrose whose hard work in putting this project together cannot go unnoticed.

The idea behind this book was not merely about putting together a collection of poems or in MoneyNyce’s case lyrics, but to introduce readers to the minds behind the works. PeoPress has been a year in the works and a year of challenges it was. Firstly, I’ve never worked on a book before. Secondly, two pregnant women working together meant raging hormones and I’m certain at times Jahrose and I wanted to murder each other but alas everything came together. I can honestly say that we are as proud as ever to have been able to put together this collection of fine poems/lyrics and insightful interviews which will entertain you, provide you with refreshing points of views or simply conjure up images in your mind that will move you.

You may also learn a few new things while paging through PeoPress, for instance; who knew that as a child Jahrose’s interest lay in music? Or that Natalia Molebatsi has for the past decade taken her poetry to high schools countrywide? Hector Kunene is inspired by “life, trees and the wind that blows from one end to another” while Thabiso “Afurakan” Mohare chooses to describe himself as “scorned and adorned. A king with no throne.” Did you know that Sheila Khala has authored two books named “Formula: Leading Life to Perfection” and “My Pen is a Socialite”? Or that Dr Kool believes poetry has helped prepare his mind to think clearly and see the world differently?

I believe what makes PeoPress unique is that there is a little something for everyone, poetry lover or not. From Jahrose’s Sotho poetry which will elicit emotion even in non-Sotho speakers such as myself, to Myesha Jenkins’ mature voice and Hector’s urban blend of provocative poetry in the form of “I am the Kangataker” in which he says:

“I see through the Kanga then I am aroused!

It mesmerizes my inclined mind to the core of the night browsed

I unwrap it slowly with just one simple pull and untie”

And of course who can forget MoneyNyce’s “Survivor” in which he tells his story of never giving up and approaching life’s challenges with “the heart of a lion and the spirit of a fighter”.

For me what was so important about a publication of this nature is that it not only recognized “national” poets such as Natalia Molebatsi, Lesego Rampolokeng, Napo Masheane, Thabiso “Afurakan” Mohare and Myesha Jenkins but acknowledged local poets and highlighted the important contribution that they make to this art form. After all if we cannot recognize and give praise to our own, who will? So to you Jahrose, Hector Kunene, Sheila Khala, Dr Kool, Rita Chihawa, MoneyNyce, Melo-DJ, Reah Matobako, Exquizit, Icebound and Lebo Leisa, I salute you. Thank you for not only sharing your works but for sharing your personal experiences in this book and allowing us to learn just a bit more about each of you.

I’ll end of by saying thank you to Jahrose and Jahrose Productions for not only allowing me to be a part of this beautiful project but for affording my team the opportunity to be part of it through the use of Tank Khumalo’s dynamic photos and giving MoneyNyce the chance to share the stage with such amazing talent. We have not only learnt and been challenged but have through this experience been able to grow.

In Jahrose’s words:

“While Poetree is a space where poets from various branches

Come together with their different colour coded leafs

As gifts to inspire one another in sharing their stories

Through their crafts, poems, melodies and the mic,

All embracing the beauty and the importance of literature.

For the roots of the Poetree

Shall forever remember

Through preserving and Documenting

Our time, existence and moments.”

LECHESA JOINS OUTSTANDING AFRICAN LITERARY CRITICS

A frisson of excitement is currently sweeping the African literary circuit following the publication of Pule Lechesa’s landmark literary study titled BOLAJI IN HIS POMP.

This is the latest book-length study published on the inspirational writer, O. Bolaji. Literary pundits are already stating that this remarkable work is reminiscent of memorable cardinal studies churned out by exalted scholars in the mould of Robert Fraser, Flora Veit-Wild, Gerald Moore, Adele King, Eustace Palmer etc – all of whom published extensive studies on key African writers.

The introduction to the book is written by the illustrious, avant-garde, prolific South African writer, Dr Mongane Wally Serote.

Dr Serote remarks in his Introduction: “The beauty of such books is that they introduce in breathtaking manner the literary works and the persona of tantalizing writers to the teeming world of literature,”

Also praiseworthy is the Foreword to the work penned by Pule Lechesa himself. Critic Raphael Mokoena has described the Foreword as “awe-inspiring, majestic, magisterial, and brimming with fecundity”

Chapters of the book include the following: Recognition given where it is due, Living a dream against all odds, Bolaji and Literary Criticism, Celebrating our own people, Bolaji’s short stories, the book Bolaji never wanted to write, Interview with an icon, the Critical reception - among many others.  

Earlier, the author Pule Lechesa had published works like The Evolution of FS Black Literature (2006), Four Free State Authors (2005), and Essays on FS Black Literature (2012)

This new book is sponsored by the National Arts Council of South Africa

Pule Lechesa examines the book, TSHEPO

BOOK: Tshepo (Hope)

AUTHOR: Teboho Vincent Mokhele

REVIEWER: Pule Lechesa

PUBLISHER: Smile Publishing

YEAR: 2010

PAGES: 128

TSHEPO is an anecdotal auto-biography which focuses on the meteoric rise and fall of the once flamboyant and respected South African Police Services’ (SAPS) Captain Teboho Vincent Mokhele of Moakaneng in Hoopstad.

This captivating book is clearly an attempt by the author to reveal how the living GOD and TRADITIONAL DOCTORS can see one through any daunting, intricate situation, as well as illustrating the aphorism that :“When days are dark friends are few.”

It derives its core interest and flavour from the hardly talked about racial discrimination in the police force, betrayal, excessive alcohol abuse, lovers’ tiff, and a chain of criminal cases that Mokhele finds himself embroiled in and eventually acquitted of one of them.

After reading this book the mind of an avid, omnivorous reader might well go to the must-read book churned out by the late Thomas Mofolo’s mentor-cum-former teacher Everrit Lechesa Segoete (1853-1923), called Monono ke mohodi ke mouwane – Riches are like a mist, a mere vapour). The storyline of both books are ONE in nature. The main protagonist Mokhele’s life in TSHEPO is just like that of Khitsane in Monono ke mohodi ke mouwane; both are beset with innumerable chain of misfortunes.

To wit, Khitsane’s riches disappeared like the vapour after the sunshine. Hitherto, he used to trade with clothes to make a living and he unfortunately lost all the wealth he had amassed over the years. The literary pundits have pointed out that there is a strong mystical element and is based on the personal experience of Mr Segoete when he was still young.

I must confess that this book is somehow confusing at the beginning as despite being an auto-biographical work, the author is not employing the first person narrative. Additional confusion is produced by the fact that the name on the spine and jacket of the book is TV Mokhele whilst in the book he refers to himself as Teboho Makoko.  

It is made clear in the preface of the book that this is an autobiographic book: (Bukeng ena mongodi o ngola ka tsa bophelo ba hae ho tloha bonyaneng ho-fihlela moo a leng teng boemong ba hona jwale.) (This book is based on the author’s true life story starting from his teething stages to date)

This comes as no surprise as Okam once wrote in 1991 in Emenyonu: “Literature is at once and the same history’s major bequest to mankind and the principal corrective of history. This is because all literature begins as an experience and end as fiction. Accordingly without experience… there would be no literature.”

Makoko grew up disillusioned in a large family without knowing his father and was brought up by an alcoholic single parent who treated him like a household drudge. He recalls with sadness how community members lost trust in his mom who was a school teacher. This is because she was hitting the bottle on a regular basis. Makoko paints this picture: “Batho bane ba se ba sa batle ha ba ruta bana ba bona.’’

There is no denying that the author has an impressive narrative style even though this might be flawed by the suggestion that he is economic with the truth and crucial information. For example, consider how he closes the chapter of his suffering on page 128.

The discerning reader would probably like to know how long was he sentenced. Is he still serving his term or out studying law?

KUNLE APANTAKU (Some comments on this book)

Here are some comments on this new work (taken randomly from kagablog great art daily)

“Patently this is the most significant detailed essay about Mr Kunle
Apantaku and Mr Seye. I knew about the exhilarating young Kunle
Apantaku from the book My life and literature written by O. bolaji.
their youthful life in particular with literature was remarkable. The
two at their young age were optimistic and married to literature.
haplessly Kunle’s outstanding desire and ambition for literature was
lamented by O Bolaji himself. Nevertheless is only few days
since Kunle Apantaku passed away and a new book about him has come out.
Credit must be given to the author Bolaji a very extraordinary and
prolific African writer. Once again Bolaji with his literary
magic writing a book within few days is remarkable and magical.
moreover the review is profoundly wonderful. Suke.

-     - Soqaga (literary critic)

“Why is it that relatively few books or studies chronicle outstanding black individuals in the continent? it appears we wait for our personalities to give up the ghost before contemplating documenting their lives, and then rarely do so. Why is it for example that a woman of substance like mama Winkie Direko died at an advanced age without anybody bothering to write a book on her? I am worried that at his old age now, nobody has published just one book on ntate Whitehead Molemela despite all his achievements in SA sport. It is good that a book has already been written about Mr Kunle Apantaku. Mr Bolaji has led the way over the years by writing and publishing books on personalities like international dancer, Collins mokhotho, on the colourful Gilbert modise, and on female writer, Molebogeng mokhuoa. Now he has released a book on Kunle. It is reassuring that this book, and its later translations will be available in many libraries. And with the internet now, scholars and readers around the world can learn more and more about the life and times of Kunle Apantaku,”

-      - Aaron

“We have learnt a lot of things from ntate Bolaji over the years, and from everything he writes and publishes one learns even more. it is interesting. I remember over the years Bolaji used to talk about how certain literary scholars promoted pertinent African writers. Bolaji particularly loved referring to both Flora Wild Veit, and Adele King. Veit of course published many works on Dambudzo Marechera. as for king she published two great books on Camara Laye. Now it is interesting that it is the turn of bolaji to be promoting his late friend, Kunle Apantaku and what could have been. this new book has already been published in record time, and as we speak, translations of this book into other languages have already started. This is exciting and what makes literature worthwhile,”

-      - Pule (critic)

“Congrats ntate Bolaji on giving ntate Kunle a well deserved send-off, though I can’t put mind to paper on how you wrote this book so fast ? when ntate magic is still busy with the tribute? However we are blessed and honoured to witness such incredible chunks of literature of our time. thank you ntate for showing us that we need to keep on growing as writers, to produce works of quality not quantity.”

-      - Skietreker (author and poet)

“This is one of the best articles to come from you malume. you know, when one writes, the reader can detect or gauge the place from which the piece came. there are times when we write because we can, and then there are times when we write as if a pen was a sceptor in our hands. this came across as the latter. beautiful and heartfelt.

Though, i’d like to point out, i’m concerned with what those in the know term as “timbre”: our writing, superb as it is, can be rigged with authorial signature to the extend of blurring (or worse, dissolving) delinearity – distinction between the narrator and characters.

Nonetheless, we’re here to celebrate…let’s leave that for another time. from the tidbits I’ve read, it’s easy to tell that bolaji’s ode to the long time colleague is suffused with that tongue-in-cheek brand of banter reminiscent of the milestones that paved the now difficult to travel memory lane. brilliant. as is de rigueur of bolaji’s pen.

Yet, i still yearn for that colloquial narrative whose cadence borders on the cusp of your average Joe and the academia (if we’re to draw people to literature) – our papers reads like an exclusive private party, from fiction to other.”

-      Phinithi (Designer; author; aficionado of arts and culture)

"Fantastic review. I am dazed. How did bros Seye achieve this marvellous book, just 3 weeks after my brother`s demise. Can’t wait to read it, boss..."

-         Abiodun (younger brother of the late Kunle)

CHAPINDAPASI

Book: CHAPINDAPASI

Author: Maxwell Perkins Kanemanyanga

Reviewer: Raphael Mokoena

This is the third published collection of stories by Maxwell Perkins Kanemanyanga. It is reassuring that he has not rested on his laurels, and continues to be creative as a writer.

Reading his new book, one wonders when Kanemanyanga will write/publish his first novel. This is because his short stories often bear the germs and suggestion that they can be converted into even longer fiction; if the author so desires. This is obvious from his latest collection.

Let us start with the title story, CHAPINDAPASI. From the very beginning we can see that rural, ancestral Africa is being re-created here, with references to “huts” and all-powerful Kings. We learn that King Makombe is a ruthless, cruel leader, who even ensures that anytime his many (12, 13, 14…) wives, bear male children, such are killed!

He is an absolute monarch and polygamist, blood-thirsty too. War and death stalk his reign “no one was allowed to keep baby boys”. Did this make him feel invincible? The King marries a young lady Tikidi, who outwits him, ensuring that her own baby son is not killed upon birth.

Inevitably, the king gets older and we can see real pathos as he states:

“Most people think I am a strong, tough king, a warrior, but I am a foolish man. I killed all my sons, I thought I would live for ever, but here I am weeping like a boy sitting on top of the graves of my sons I killed,” (Page 18)

Then he learns that he does have a surviving son!

Yet in this new collection, Kanemanyanga’s frequent unconvincing endings’ continues. In Chapindapasi, the conclusion is melodramatic and does not flow; it is as if the author wants to force the title of the story (and the book) – The man who Disappeared – into the story at all costs.

Kanemanyanga writes in a fairly simple, flowing, competent manner. But again,  another aspect of his writings – the suggestions of unnecessary cruelty and sadism – continue in this latest work. The short story, Love and Betrayal displays this.

The protagonist here, Maidei, the young “leggy, skinny dark beauty” spends all her youth being hopelessly in love with David, at best an unworthy suitor.  Maidei’s constant, steadfast love – she even travels from Zimabwe to SA all in a bid to be reconciled with an ungrateful David – is unrequited. Yes, readers can see that David has an inferiority complex mingled with frustration, but he is a bad person in essence.

David’s reaction to Maidei when she meets him in South Africa for the first time is crude and rude, with the narrator seemingly sharing this approach: “By now he was angry…he could not believe she was talking such shit” (Page 33)

Maidei gets pregnant by the same David, and his reaction is inhumane and brutal yet again. He parts with her and leaves her to suffer on. Why should the young lady go through all this, including being ostracized by her own parents’ Suddenly, much later on David has a change of heart and is ready to apologise and turn over a new leaf; and be with her permanently.

It is almost inevitable that at the end – despite the fact that David is apparently a changed man and travelling back to the wonderful young lady – he loses his life in a tragic accident. So Maidei’s sufferings continue needlessly, a selfless, idealistic lady and mother, loses all. One cannot but feel that this conclusion rather ruins this story.

The other stories generally continue in the same vein – especially Flames of Fury. The long-suffering Mama Melody’s plight, which reaches a peak with her horrific fiery death, appears to be unnecessary too, as the man who has wronged her so badly is also on his way to her to apologise and become a much better partner!

This is another finely written collection of stories authored by Maxwell Kanemanyanga, but one cannot help but wonder whether there is any real need for the frequent, gratuitous sufferings, tragedies, and pathos he churns out?