2 Makana SHARP!
POETIC LICENCE HARRY OWEN
“Green, green, it’s green they say / on the far side of the hill. / Green, green, I’m going away / to where the grass is greener still.” So sang, way back in the mists of my boyhood, the New Christy Minstrels. ‘Green, Green’ was an enormously popular song in (aaaagh!) 1963. And I found myself humming this catchy tune as I joined so many other people concerned about our environment at the Makana Green Fund Run/Walk on a hot, hot Sunday afternoon this week. But it’s a fallacy to imagine that ‘the grass is always greener’ somewhere else. The trick is to appreciate the beauty of whatever lies in front of us now, even the ordinary or ‘ugly’, as poet Galway Kinnell, who died last year, points out: Saint Francis and the Sow The bud stands for all things, even for those things that don’t flower, for everything flowers, from within, of self-blessing; though sometimes it is necessary to reteach a thing its loveliness, to put a hand on its brow of the flower and retell it in words and in touch it is lovely until it flowers again from within, of self-blessing; as Saint Francis put his hand on the creased forehead of the sow, and told her in words and in touch blessings of earth on the sow, and the sow began remembering all down her thick length, from the earthen snout all the way through the fodder and slops to the spiritual curl of the tail, from the hard spininess spiked out from the spine down through the great broken heart to the sheer blue milken dreaminess spurting and shuddering from the fourteen teats into the fourteen mouths sucking and blowing beneath them: the long, perfect loveliness of sow. Galway Kinnell (From Three Books, Houghton Mifflin, 2002) I love the notion that “everything flowers, from within, of selfblessing” but that we sometimes forget this and need “to reteach a thing its loveliness”. Perhaps we need to re-teach ourselves too. Another contemporary American poet, Rebecca Dunham, does what I felt those of us walking and running around Grahamstown on Sunday were also doing in some mysterious way: addressing a letter to the earth. This Is a Letter This is a letter to the worm-threaded earth. This is a letter to November, its gray bowl of sky riven by black-branched trees. A letter to split-tomato skins, overripe apples, & a flock of fruit flies lifting from the blueing clementines’ wood crate. To the broken confetti of late fall leaves. This is a letter to rosemary. This is a letter to the floor’s sink & creak, the bedroom door’s torn hinge moaning its good-night. This is to the unshaven cheek. To cedar, mothballs, camphor, & last winter’s unwashed wool. This is a letter to the rediscovered, to mulch, pine needles, the moon, frost, flats of pansies, the backyard, hunger, night, the unseen. This is a letter to soil, thrumming as it waits to be turned. This is a letter to compost, eggshell’s bone-ash chips, fruit rinds curved like fingernails, & stale chunks of bread. A letter to the intimate dark – mouth-warm & damp as a bed. This is a letter to the planet’s scavenging lips. Rebecca Dunham (From The Miniature Room, Truman University Press, 2006) So thank you to all who turned out to remind us of what green, green wonders we possess here in Makana. Let’s continue to celebrate and safeguard them.
AT EASE
20 MARCH 2015 Grocott’s Mail
Makana SHARP! 3
AT EASE
CIRCUS COMES TO TOWN Despite controversy and protests about the ethics of using animals in circuses, the Brian Boswell circus performed in Grahamstown to enthusiastic audiences. Jane Berg took photos of both performers and protesters
Poetry corner
Hleze Kunju offers a brief explanation of these poems: In the first, Noluvuyo is encouraging young Xhosa women to be proud of who they are. They should be proud of their inner beauty and also remain humble, kind and loving, she urges. Amanda’s poem highlights the lessons she haslearnt from bad friendships.
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Wena ndoni yamanzi nguNoluvuyo Mgxotheni
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Wena ndoni yamanzi, ndoni ndini yamanzi Buhle bakho bufana nentyantyambo ezintabeni Similo sakho sihle, sizole njengomlanjana Ncumo lwako lunje ngeenkanyezi ziqhakrazile, Ziqhayisa ngokuqaqamba ebumnyameni. Nguwe indoni yamanzi, indoni yamanzi nguwe! Ndingathini na ngawe ndoni ndini yamanzi? Ndithi ndakukujonga ndingazi nokuba mandithini na. Ndithi sendiwalungisile lo maganyana ambalwa, Ndithi ntlaa ngawe lutsho lushwabane, luqhobosheke, lutshone ulwimi lwam, aphelel’emqaleni lo mazwi. Nguwe indoni yamanzi, indoni yamanzi nguwe! Nithi kutheni na, kanti nditheni na mna? Imihla nezolo ingqondo yam ikuwe Imihla nezolo uhleli usezingcingeni zam Busuku bonke ukho kumaphupha am Umntu ondim uyacinga akakwazi nokulala, Uyakhala, kambe ziinyembezi zokonwaba! Nguwe indoni yamanzi, indoni yamanzi nguwe!
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Umntu nguwe, wena ndoni ndini yamanzi! Ndithetha ngawe nzwakaz’ enobuntu nobubele. Ndithetha ngawe nzwakaz’ enembeko nomonde, Ndithetha ngawe nzwakazi yomXhosa. Ndithetha nawe, ndithetha nalo, nalowo nalowa! Phambili mXhosakazi, uthando nentlonipho phambili! Nguwe indoni yamanzi, indoni yamanzi nguwe!
Ubom! takes you on a brand new adventure By DAVE MANN
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icture a place that’s dark and dreary, devoid of any colour or joy, where its residents are lonely, unfriendly, and unhappy. What would you do to change a place like this? With its latest children’s theatre work, Ubom! aims to educate its audiences on how a little good can go a long way in your community. Under the combined direction of Kyla Davis, founder of the environmentally-conscious
Well Worn Theatre Company, and local theatre director Ntomboxolo Donyeli, Ubom!’s new show Bleek Island Adventure will adopt the African philosophy of Ubuntu as their key theme in this humorous, physical theatre adventure. The Ubom! team has been visiting local schools for the past few weeks, discussing the notion of Ubuntu with school children and how they connect with it. “We spoke about Ubuntu dying out. Not just here, but
everywhere,” said Davis. “What we found was that most of the kids identified with the main ideas of the philosophy in their own small ways.” With the cast comprising eight community performers, the show will tell its story through the heightened physicality and musical performance of its characters. Having an extensive background in physical theatre as well as children’s theatre, Davis expressed her excitement about
working with an ambitious, talented cast on a show with a simple, but powerful project. “Physical theatre is my training and my passion. I’m a fan of physical comedy and big, stylised characters,” said Davis. “It’s my first time working with Ubom!, but I’ve long admired them. Not just in terms of their work and the amount of children they reach with it, but the amount of artists they’ve employed and the amount of time they’ve been around.
Satire takes centre stage at NAF By CHELSEA HAITH
Instead of announcing a featured artist for its 2015 edition, organisers of the National Arts Festival has decided to put satire at the forefront of the programme this year. This decision was made with the current political and artistic climate of South Africa in mind. Ismail Mohamed, the Festival’s Artistic Director said the programme champions freedom of expression and that the Festival will therefore prominently feature South Africa’s best satirists, including Chester Missing, Loyiso Gola and the infamous Pieter-Dirk Uys. The programme is intended to foster debate and to spur festival goers to engage with issues that concern all of South African society. “In taking a strong advocacy and agitating angle, this year’s programme not only
honours South Africa’s constitutional right to free speech, but also creates opportunities for South Africans to do what they do best – engage passionately and honestly about life in our country,” explained Mahomed. Mahomed emphasised the importance of supporting satire particularly in South Africa. He said the self-reflexivity inherent to satire allows those voices fighting tooth and nail for our freedom of expression to hold up a mirror to the face of our society. “South Africa’s satirists, cartoonists, commentators and court jesters need, now more than ever, to be given the opportunity to be the public voice, the conscience, of the nation,” Mahomed said. A first for the Festival this year is the Arts Icon series which will pay homage to Pieter-Dirk Uys. This series will
feature four of his productions and will include screenings of three of his films on the Film Festival circuit. Evita Bezuidenhout will also be in attendance. The theatre circuit sparkles this year with three world premieres, three South African premieres and five new South African productions, including the Market Theatre’s writer and director Craig Higginson’s The Imagined Land. While the Standard Bank Jazz Festival is always well attended and this year features international acts from Taiwan, Austria and America and Holland, there will also be local acts such as Beatenberg, Shortstraw, Thandiswa Mazwai and MiCasa on the Main programme. The official programme is expected to be released at the end of April and bookings for the festival open on 8 May.
“I’m very excited to have been invited to direct a play for them.” A large part of the play will also rely on the innovative set design by Rhodes University Drama Department designer, Illka Louw. “Illka has designed a very beautiful set,” said Davis. “It’s big, interactive, there are things that fly in and out. I’m really excited to see what that brings to the story. “I think kids very rarely get to see a play with a professional
designed set and concept, so it will be lovely for them to experience.” This year, the show will be performed in the Rhodes Theatre. This means increased capacity for audiences, so there’s no excuse to miss out on this family fun adventure. Bleek Island Adventure will run from 23 to 27 March. For more information, contact Zipho Mqingwana at 046 603 8771 or email dramaco@ru.ac.za
Easter Cantata for Lent STAFF REPORTER
Missing! The conscience of the nation. Photo: Supplied
The Diocesan School for Girls, St Andrew’s College and the Cathedral invite members of the public to join them for a service of worship in Lent that explores the Easter message through words and music. The service features music from Fauré, Handel, Vivaldi, Karl Jenkins and others. Musical items will be performed by four of the five choirs available from the DR Wynne Music School and the Cathedral Choir. Accompaniment will be by the DSG/SAC String Ensemble and Brass Quartet plus various instrumentalists, as well as by Andrew-John Bethke on the Organ. The music will be interspersed by thought-provoking readings taken from the Bible and elsewhere. The dates are Tuesday 24 March and Wednesday 25 March at 7pm in the Cathedral. All are welcome.
Mhlob’ongumlahlekisi nguAmanda Somyalo Yhini! Yhini! Ukubhaduliswa, ndilahlekiswa. Ndilahlekiswa, kumatyhol’ amxinwa obomi. Yhini ukundijula kwimikhuba engendawo. Uyandikhwankqisa mhlobo, gxebe mlahlekisi! Nditsho kuwe ‘mhlobo’ ndini ongumlahlekisi! Ubungathi uya kuba nam lonke ixesha na? Kowu! Bendithabathekile, ndikuthembile ‘mhlobo’ wam! Kowu! Bendisithi uyandiphucula kanti uyaziphucula! Kowu ndibe sisidenge ndathemba wena likhona ilitye. Uthi unayo intliziyo? Hleze kuthi kanti nayo yaba lilitye. Ewe amanzithi-nzithi obomi ndiwafunde kuwe. Ewe umntu lilahle elinothuthu, ndibone kuwe. Ewe umntu ukwa yi’tyhini phi’ ndibone kuwe! Ndindwanyile, ndiwakhuphile, ndiwavulile, ndilumkile! Yanga ungalungelwa apho uya khona ntombi kaNantsika, Kaloku ukuqumba nokuqalekisa akusoze kundakhe.
Radio to keep you safe, sober STAFF REPORTER
A radio drama series airing on The Masigduke show on Umhlobo Wenene FM between 4 and 6pm is creating a stir, driving hundreds to declare that they will not drink and drive. The Aziwe Ke radio drama was launched by beverage company, Brandhouse, in its aim to raise awareness of the perils of drinking and driving. Aziwe Ke aims to tap into consumers’ ambitions by highlighting how a promising future can be stripped and dreams crushed in an instant, just by choosing to drink and drive. “Brandhouse is committed to promoting responsible use of alcohol. We hope this campaign will get the young people of South Africa to think again before drinking and driving,” said Sibani Mngadi, External Affairs Manager . The 13-week drama series is
being aired on major SABC African language stations, ThobelaFM, LesediFM, UkhoziFM and Umhlobo Wenene FM, as well as community stations like Jozi FM. Within two weeks of being on air, Aziwe ke radio drama has encouraged people to visit the campaign website – www. drivedry.co.za – where they can pledge to either drink and not drive; or drive and not drink. The drama follows the lives of university friends Tumelo, Chippa and Richard who regularly go out drinking over weekend and drive home while under the influence of alcohol. Caught by police, they bribe their way out of being arrested. The five-minute radio drama will be aired once a week for 13 weeks on Fridays on The Masigduke on Umhlobo Wenene FM between 4 and 6pm.
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Bridge results Grahamstown Bridge Club Thursday 12 March 2015 6½ Table 21 Board Mitchell Movement NORTH/SOUTH 1 Sheila Hicks and Ern van Hille 62.86% 2 Maureen Clayton and Pat Shepherd 57.14% 3 Margaret Banks and Jo Fitzhenry 53.81% 4 Pair 4 48.10% 5 Pair 5 42.86% 6 Pair 6 35.24% EAST/WEST 1 David Gain and Lettie Rivett 62.22% 2 Mary Birt and Maureen van Hille 58.89% 3 Peter Midlane and Mary Schudel 56.11% 4 Pauline Henson and Allon Poole 52.22% 5= Pair 12 43.33% 5= Pair 14 43.33% 7 Pair 13 33.89% Grahamstown Bridge Club Monday 16 March 2015 5½ Table 24 Board Mitchell Movement NORTH/SOUTH 1 Derrick Newson and Jay Stauffer 62.50% 2 Maureen van Hille and Ern van Hille 57.81% 3 Pair 3 49.48% 4 Pair 2 46.88% 5 Pair 4 33.33% EAST/WEST 1 Mary Schudel and Pat Shepherd 63.13% 2 Peter Midlane and Torquil Paterson 59.38% 3 Pair12 48.75% 4 Pair 11 45.63% 5 Pair 10 41.88% 6 Pair 9 41.25%