INTERVIEW
Africa Maqolo
The HI-FI of the UDF A half-an-hour long interview of Africa Maqolo, the songbird of the pre 1994 pro ANC RALLIES, tracing back the impact of his singing and articulation of the Freedom Songs during the Apartheid era, till the dawn of the New Democracy in South Africa. Interviewed by Sandile Matebese (Founding Editor of My Leader Magazine)
The beginning of an Interview: Hello Mr.Afrika Maqolo, My name is Sandile Matebese from the editorial of My Leader magazine Good Day… SM : People they call you Africa, tell us more about the name Afrika ?
Maqolo : Listen My brother, It feels so good about this question, and I love this question of Africa. There, at my home, we are nine children, my father in 1964 was incarcerated, and sent to Robben Island, was sentenced in 1965, and was released in 1972, and he went to Linge (rural area in the Eastern Cape) , he stayed there up until his death at Dongo in 1994. But; nevertheless, I am Africa, and my elder brother is Russia, as my father never assigned names to female children, he named the male borns only.
The male first-born of my family is named Hitler,his also known as Ladzudzu, he grew up with my martenal inlaws, after him is Crosby, the third is Russia, and Africa, my younger brother is Kruschev (Nikita Kruschev) and the small one is Brezhnev and Stalin the last born. Even if I’m having an interview with radio I don’t want that to be left out, and the failure if most interviewers, do not sometimes ask as to why were you named Africa. I remember when my family arrived at Kwazakhele in 1956, as I was born at Korsten, it was the time of the resistance against ANC Volunteers (Amavolontiya) till 1960, and I realised that in the 70s that, what was said in the 60s when the Apartheid boers, where doing door to door in our townships taking anything weapon-like or weaponry from each house, there was a long queue of soldiers, an amry, I’m not talking of Hippos (Caspirs) I mean armed soldiers standing in a queue from Njoli Square up to New Brighton, Njoli at that time was called KwaNdlebe. I then realised that OK, that was the reason for this door to door search for weapons in every house, that was during the time of the banning of the political organisations, and it was also the launch of the MK Umkhonto we Sizwe. as my father was imprisoned in the process, and served his sentence years in Robben Island.
Interview cont’d SM: What was your father’s name? Maqolo: My father’s name is Chicken Kekeni Maqolo, that is my father, he was also known as Joni (Soldier) and also with the people of the Congress were very close to leaders like Hashe, and Ngoyi and Henry Fazzie, those were people who were very frequent to my home during the times of the Volunteers (Amavolontiya). His name Joni(Soldier) was questioned by us as children, and my mother explained the origin of this name, that; my father was working in the Military Base, and he then fought with a soldier there, and hit the soldier, and the Volunteers of the Congress, after that fight with a soldier, named him Joni (which means in Xhosa language soldier) and the name was assigned to him.(Laughing)
SM.: You have been known as a songbird of the Revolution Pre 1994, How would you classify your self ? Maqolo: Yes, infact; a question of singing as I was called a musical Hi-FI (Music System) of the UDF(United Democratic Front)….(Laughingly) in that I must be honest that, I was influenced by the Volunteers of the African National Congress.
Maqolo cont’d : There, not far from my home, there is a church of the Dutch Reformed Church Kwazakhele, that is where, meetings of the ANC Volunteers meetings where hosted, there was an old man, very close to my father, to such an extent, that old man was a Life Speaker during the funeral of my father, that was Tata Koyo, I think his son (Thandaza Koyo) is in the Board of Directors of Radio Nkqubela (KQFM), Tata Koyo was a singer and the song bird of the ANC Volunteers. That old man (Tata Koyo), uSukwini was a singer of the ANC Volunteers, known by everybody in the Congress, he is even know by the president of the African National Congress, he was brutally tortured by the apartheid security forces, and when he was released from Robben Island as a blind man, he lost his sight after he was mercilessly tortured by apartheid security forces, and was released as a permanently blind man, uSukwini. Everyone has his/her own role-model to look up to. I used to go Dutch church, as a small boy in the 60s to listen to the songs of the ANC Volunteers, and that influenced me so much, and that made me to be a singer of the African National Congress, and my elder brother Russia, was mistakenly apprehended, and tortured by security forces as Africa, and he has testified in the TRC (Truth and Reconciliation Commission) that he was mistakenly identified as Africa, he was saved by Butler (Bahlekazi Thungatha) and Butler said, “No, this is not Africa, this is Russia, his elder brother” and he was saved from torturing. My mother went to TRC, to testify about Russia’s mistaken detention and consecutive tortures, that had left my brother permanently disabled, and Thungatha saved his life from death, for not being Africa, but Russia. My brother Russia is permanently disabled today, and can not work anymore, he was compensated by the TRC, so this thing of Africa as a singer, was not an easy thing, at one stage, Apartheid securities, has issued a pamphlet in Port Elizabeth after the State Of Emergency, that stated: “Africa Maqolo, We want Him, Ons Soek Hom”, after that pamphlet, another one followed with the leadership of PEYCO (Port Elizabeth Youth Congress)including Mike Xhego, Mzi Mangcotywa, as highly wanted during the State Of Emergency, so, I’m saying; my brother was caught up in that dangerous and deadly situation, that is why I’m saying singing for ANC at that time also threatened my life.
Maqolo cont’d :There is a book, even Mike Xhego can tell you that, and it is even available at CNA (Central News Agency)that, the NIS (National Intelligence Security) of the then SADF (South African Defence Force),the army, that there was a meeting that was discussing about (Africa Maqolo) myself, that I must be eliminated, and in that list of the people to be eliminated, so; I’m saying this thing of Africa singing revolutionary freedom songs, was not easy, at all material times… I sang in many political venues right around the country, Johannesburg, The funeral of Cradock Four, Matthew Goniwe, Fort Calata, Sparrow Mkhonto and Sicelo Mhlawuli……..
To be continued……..