It is often said that the problem with most of us is that we choose to
be ruined by baseless praise than to be saved by constructive criticism.
I have always believed that in order for all of us to see the light, we
need other people to spot and expose our shortcomings, thus
unconsciously motivating us to do better.
On this note, I would like to congratulate my favourite
radio station, Munghana Lonene FM, for reaching out to the people of
Bushbuckridge by conducting community outreach events in that area. For
many years, we, the people of Bushbuckridge, have been weeping for
recognition by this radio station, after realising that communities in
Limpopo were the only ones mostly benefiting from the station’s outreach
programmes, despite us also being its target audience.
It was for this reason that some time last year, I wrote an
article expressing my disappointment and sadness concerning the unequal
treatment that the people of Bushbuckridge were constantly subjected to,
by the radio station. This unpalatable treatment ranged from less
airplay of songs of musicians from Bushbuckridge by the radio station,
to other issues such as minimal engagements with local communities, which precisely
worked against socio-economic transformation in our areas.
Let me put it categorically clear today that I am proud to
highlight that after a spontaneous confirmation that the station had seen and read my article, live on air by one
presenter, we have
witnessed multiple dramatic changes concerning the relationship between the area of
Bushbuckridge and Munghana Lonene FM.
The station has thus
far managed to conduct a back-to-school campaign at Mugena High School
in Hluvukani, interviewed Petrus Mdluli, the man behind the construction
of many schools in the area of Manyeleti, in its show called Mikondzo
Ya Tinghwazi and also embarked on numerous community outreach projects.
Some of these outreach activities took place in areas such
as New Forest, Angincourt and Casteel, where the station also donated a
borehole. The radio station also travelled all the way to Kwinyamahembe to
honour our local hero, Sam Nzima, who captured the historic photo of the
June 16 Soweto Uprising, many years ago.
The recent function that took place at Timbavati in
Acornhoek saw the station's employees engaging in corporate social
responsibility activities to commemorate Nelson Mandela International
Day. The massive turnout by the people of Bushbuckridge to all the
abovementioned functions bears testimony to the fact that the station is
well received in the area.
What has been encouraging about Munghana Lonene FM’s recent
moves is that all the outreach programmes provided a platform for
musicians such as General Muzka, Themba Nyathi, Clive S, DJ Kukza and
many other local arts groups to entertain the crowds and also showcase
their talents.
It is for this reason and many others that I
personally take my hat off to the radio station for hearing our plea and
acting accordingly.
We appreciate the efforts recently made by the station and, in the same
breath, we encourage it to continue to equally cater for the people of
Bushbuckridge and also make them feel a sense of belonging. We are
grateful that artists from Bushbuckridge are also receiving fair airplay
at the radio station, as opposed to how it was in the past.
Keep up the good work Munghana Lonene FM and be rest assured
that your great deeds cannot by any measure, and under any
circumstance, escape our ululation and applause. We hope that even the
annual Munghana Lonene FM Xitsonga Music Awards will soon be directed to
Bushbuckridge. Let the good times roll.
Tuesday, 26 July 2016
Thursday, 14 July 2016
Part Two of Chapter One: Dry Tears Count Not
********************************************************************************
“I am sorry to invade your space at this time of the night maam. I had to come have a word with you,” said Mokoena after realising that there was not going to be any communication if he did not lead the way. “I am here to discuss your son, Hector…” he continued.
“I am sorry to invade your space at this time of the night maam. I had to come have a word with you,” said Mokoena after realising that there was not going to be any communication if he did not lead the way. “I am here to discuss your son, Hector…” he continued.
“What happened to him sir? Is he fine? I am sitting here
stressing about what may have befallen my poor son for him not to have returned
home at this time of the night,” said Ntsakisi, who had to interject Mokoena
due to anxiety that was slowly creeping in.
She was obviously not looking forward to hearing terrible
news. It could not be. That would cripple her whole body and freeze all her
body organs. She moistened her lips while looking straight at the teacher,
hoping he saves the day by telling her that her son was all but okay.
“Forgive me maam. I am not a bearer of bad news here. I was
not even aware that Hector is not in the house yet. I am here in my capacity as
his teacher to discuss his school work,” said Mokoena with a soft yet confident
voice.
“I am sorry to come at this time of the day,” he continued.
“I had just decided to visit my friend who stays in town and on my way back I
saw it conveniently fit to pass by and greet, after noticing that the lights
were still on. My apologies.”
“Not a problem sir. I even forgot to greet you. How are you?”
said Ntsakisi.
“ I am fine thanks maam. Thanks for letting me in,” replied
Mokoena.
“I am also glad that you are not bringing dreadful news. I
am not ready for such news. Otherwise this heart would stop ticking
immediately. It has seen enough and it cannot take the bullet anymore. I may
not be too old but I have seen the worst in my short lifetime,” remarked
Ntsakisi with a short grin that represented a sense of welcomed relief.
Mokoena’s voice was a grand contradiction of his stature. He
was a very big man yet his voice would fit in well in the soprano group in a
church choir. It was too soft and bit squeaky for a man that gigantic. A man
who would just look at a lion in the eye and order it to run away.
In spite of his no-nonsense approach to life issues, Mokoena
was a well-respected man at both his school and community. A teacher who loved
his work. He would laugh if the need arises, and act all serious when
circumstances dictated so. In his nine years of teaching, Mokoena had seen it
all. He was reprimanded by the provincial education department on numerous
occasions on his approach to child discipline. Contrary to the law of the
country, which totally abolishes corporal punishment, Mokoena was one teacher
who would occasionally apply corporal punishment to his learners. “I cannot be
part of the generation of parents who contribute to ill-discipline by sparing
children the rod. They need to learn at a young age that ill-discipline cannot
be tolerated.” He would often say.
Despite the serious face, Mokoena was an eligible bachelor.
At the age of 40, many people and relatives had expected him to have settled
down and have his own family. But that was just the Mokoena they wished for,
not the real one. He was single and still stayed alone. He was not one to be
convinced to tie the knot. Not by anyone.
“So, tell me sir. What do you want to discuss about Hector’s
school work? Is he underperforming?” asked Ntsakisi.
“Not at all maam. Hector is one of the best performing
learners in my class. He is an exceptional case,” replied Mokoena. “I just came
here to see the woman who gave birth to him so I could give her a pat on the
back for making my job easier,” he continued with a faint giggle.
“I am happy to hear that. He is doing well indeed. He took
after his father I guess. Samson was such an intelligent man. More intelligent
than many men in this area. Even the local headmaster knew that with him
around, there was no community issue that was impossible to unscramble,” said
Ntsakisi. Her face beaming with confidence and pride to prove that she knew
what she was talking about.
“He sure was… He must have been very intelligent,” reacted
Mokoena with a dejected voice.
The poor teacher immediately directed his eyes to the
surface: an unconscious sign of defeat and disappointment. For a second he
regretted visiting the household. As it is the case with all men, Mokoena
became uncomfortable listening to a woman praising her husband, in his
presence. Worse, it was not just a husband, but a husband who had passed on.
How unintelligent could he be to be outshined by a departed soul? Mokoena asked
himself in vain. His heart started beating furiously. His soul was extremely
wounded but his face partially succeeded in trying to contain and hide the
inner pain. It became self-evident that Ntsakisi’s praise for her late husband
had pierced the heart of Mokoena and successfully stripped him of his manhood.
His mind immediately became very busy. It embarked on a
racing competition with itself. Mokoena was having silent conversations with
himself. ‘Yes, Samson may have been an intelligent man, but he was just a
construction worker. Mokoena is a teacher. An educated somebody’. He said to
himself just to resuscitate his fading status.
“So sir,” said Ntsakisi, whose words awoken Mokoena from his
forged sleep, “Are you satisfied with Hector’s performance? Are there areas he
needs to improve in?”
“No. I mean… yes. Yes he is doing a great job. Very great
job and everything is balanced. He just needs to keep going,” said Mokoena,
whose short slumber almost exposed him.
“I am glad to hear that sir. With a teacher like you, he
surely is going places. I am very thankful. I have heard a lot about you. I
guess all the stories are true based on our conversation and your voluntary
move to come and check on your favourite learner. May God bless you sir,” she
said with an innocent smile.
Her words shot straight to Mokoena’s heart and suddenly
revived the wounded ego in him. He felt special, all of a sudden. He felt big,
not only in stature but also in spirit. These were not only sweet words directed
to him, but words coming from a woman. Priceless.
“Thank you for your kindness maam, I am really…”
His words were cut short by an opening door. It was Hector.
He looked amazed at seeing his teacher in his own house. What could he have
done? He thought. At the back of his mind he knew he was not a troublesome boy.
But what if he is being accused of something that he never did? He sat on a
chair next to his teacher and extended his right hand to greet him.
“Good evening sir. I was not expecting to see you here,” he said.
He then turned to his mother and asked: “Everything okay mama?”
“Yes son,” said Ntsakisi with a smile of both joy and relief
to see her son back at home. “Your teacher just came to greet us. He must
definitely be on his way out now. It is getting late.”
“Yes Hector. I need to get going,” said Mokoena, preparing
to stand up. I just came to say ‘hallo’ to my favourite learner, and
unfortunately you got home at the time when I was about to leave. Good night,
young man.”
“Good night, sir,” replied Hector.
Mokoena opened the door, looked at Hector, then at Ntsakisi.
He smiled, waved and submitted himself to the outside darkness..
(To be continued)
Wednesday, 13 July 2016
Dry Tears Count Not
CHAPTER ONE
As the night grew older, Ntsakisi waited patiently for her
son to come home from the sport field. Like all mothers would, it became
difficult for her to steal a sleep without knowing her son’s whereabouts. She
sat on the mat in her three-roomed house, humming what seemed like a church
song. Ntsakisi is a strong woman. Maybe not physically, but hers is a solid
heart that managed to raise two children after the death of her husband, Samson,
over two years ago.
Her husband’s death was a tragic experience for her, given
that the man was the sole breadwinner in the family. How could she forget that
fateful night? She was sitting on the same mat one evening just after bathing
her second-born child, Risima, when she heard a soft knock on her ailing door.
It was her husband’s colleague, Musa, who was in the company
of two other men whom she could not recognise. The three men had brought with
them, faces that had no happiness engraved on them. They looked like they had
just lost all their life’s savings to an Internet crook. They sat down, with Musa
looking at Ntsakisi straight on the face, yet struggle to utter even a single
word. His face was heavy.
Despite all his efforts of putting a brave face, uncontrollable
tears of sorrow found a way out of his big red eyes and greeted his cheeks on
their way to his mouth and eventually, his chin. He could not hold it any longer.
Ntsakisi could see that something unpleasant had happened.
Of course she recognised Musa, and she could see the other two men, and that none
of them was her husband. Where could he be? It is late and he is not here. What
may have had happened to poor Samson? She asked herself. Knowing exactly that
she had no answers for all these questions.
Deep in her heart she still had hope despite all her
negative thoughts and baseless imaginations. The worst news would be, she wished,
that Samson was injured at work but still alive. It could not be death, she
convinced herself, and without realising it, a single teardrop sneaked through
her left eye. She wiped it with a face cloth she had just used to bath her
child. She looked at Musa hoping for a different facial reaction. There were no
changes. Musa, together with the other two men, were equally shattered. But
none of them had guts to spill the beans.
“On our way from work…” mumbled Musa. “A truck came from
nowhere. It was speeding. We were walking on the roadside. Apparently the
driver lost control. And, and, and unfortunately, in the process, we lost your husband.
Our dearest colleague whom we dearly loved…” before Musa could finish his
statement, Ntsakisi fell on her back. And what followed was a loud cry that
would even stop the rain. The poor woman cried hysterically over hearing the dreadful
news that his only hope for a better tomorrow was no more. The three men tried
to comfort her, but their deeds fell on deaf ears. She was just too devastated
to listen to any of them. No amount of words could reverse the unfortunate
event that had just befallen her. She was drowning in the pool of sorrow. The
three men let her cry. She needed it. Who would not? This was the most tragic
news she has ever received.
***********************************************************************************
It was for this reason that Ntsakisi could not sleep without
ascertaining her son’s return from the sport field. Since the death of his
father, Hector, at the tender age of 14, was all his mother had. “I will strip
you of poverty one day mama, worry not,” he would say to his mother whenever he
noticed that she seemed devastated.
For a woman who sold vegetables and fruits at the market
place to survive, these are the words she needed to hear. Ntsakisi had faith in
her son’s abilities, despite him being young. Hector was a top learner in his
class. He was a promising young man.
It was getting late and Ntsakisi was becoming more worried.
She stood up and resolved to walk few metres down the road that leads to the
sport field, just to check on her beloved son. As she stood up, she heard a
soft knock on the door. Her heart started pounding heavily. Hector would always
accompany his knock with a “Hello mama, it’s me”. She knew it was not him. Who
could it be? She took a deep breath and told herself: “It cannot be bad news
again. I am not looking forward to hear this again. Not now. Not ever.”
She stepped to the door and pulled it. Standing outside was
Mr Mokoena, a school teacher at Hector’s school. A tall dark man with strong
arms and huge chest. He was standing there like a giant waiting for Ntsakisi to
say something. In turn, the woman looked at him, hoping for a smile or something
positive. Mokoena was not smiling. Neither was he sharing a positive story.
“May I come in?” he asked. She nodded in agreement and also offered him a
chair. The look from Mokoena sent shivers down Ntsakisi’s spine. She bit her
lower lip. Mokoena just sat there and said nothing. He then cleared his throat…
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