“Three generations of white South African men were bound together at that table. Vermuelen was the first generation. He defined Africa, made it safe for Basson to defile. I was the last generation, the last to grow up in segregated neighborhoods. Between us was the silent photograph of Wouter Basson. Like a distant father, Basson was absent at the dining table.” – Henk Rossouw (Hole in the White ‘Hood). Also Mahmood Mamdani on Bantu Education at UCT, Gael Reagon on sisterhood, Binyavanga Wainaina on dis-covering Kenya, Gaston Zossou on African intellectuals and more…
Cover:
Strange Fruit by Lewis Allen
U Grand Malume? Sizakele Nkosi (Botsotso, 2023)
In this debut collection of 48 poems, Sizakele Nkosi reflects on her childhood and daily life and relationships in Soweto, the heartbeat of Black Jozi. Her parents, her own children and extended family provide a rich context for characters like gog’ sis Phakama who, while flaunting her renewed, middle-aged sexuality, is the chief mourner at family burials, and her BEE mzala (cousin) who evokes reactions of envy and disapproval because of her nouveau riche lifestyle.
Ever-present is the energy of the erotic life which charges the poet with the will to continue despite the restrictive hold of a strict Catholic upbringing, as well as a sense of profound disappointment with the rising social crises that afflict our society. Lastly, one should mention that Nkosi’s free-flowing style and careful use of Zulu phrases root the work in kasi life and make it a remarkable record of our times.