Txa Manyalo: constructive role playing between conflicting social paradigms of marriage in post-apartheid South Africa

Lenyalo or wedding as some call it is no longer a normal platform of eternal union. Unlike with past generations, the word marriage is no longer synonymous with sharing, love, kindness and friendship; it has become for our generation; an antonym to all the virtues it used to bring. Getting married is now feared by many and everyone has different explanations and plenty opinions about it. While some use plain words in normal conversations to say this, some use sermons in church to preach, some go with music as an instrument. We are all in need of answers and as everyone continues to  try in vain to find a solution, somewhere in Sekhukhune land; Limpopo province - a new artform has emerged amid all the distress and confusion. Started by young energetic artists turned musicians; this genre is something to take notice of. It doesn't have to be in your collection; at least try to listen and engage on the messages embedded in this music. Perhaps the answer to some of the questions you have been asking yourself for many years within this century might just be found herein.

The music; simply known as "Txa Manyalo" by those who dance to and take advice has become a household name after the now quite genre of the early '90's Kwaito came and went to God knows where with the emergence of the House music entourage led by Radio station DJ's and later almost anyone who concurred. Txa manyalo is a combination of traditional Sesotho sa Lebowa/Sepedi songs given a facelift by studio mixed electronic beats and a rhythm that leaves the typical rural village resident "stepping" ecstatically when the music plays. Among the household names of this genre is artist turned musician known as Pleasure.

The first time i heard about this new sound was coincidentally at a relative's wedding somewhere in the dungeons of Ga Molepo. Being naive like anyone who spends 80 percent of his life in the concrete jungles of the city i initially took this genre for a joke. But it wasn't the music that i initially took for granted -  it was the music video shoots these artists take to compliment the sound that is recorded on compact disc. Since most of them use home studios and the locations in the videos are usually real and live events and scenes from rural villages across Sekhukhune land, i guess i was fooled into believing that they had no chance of making it to the mainstream music platform until i heard the music play on SABC radio stations such as Thobela FM. Plus this music has a following.......jerrrrr...and errr.....before i get carried away allow me to mention that it isn't the quality of the music and motion which i want to emphasize here.

I took interest in this music and began paying greater attention when i heard most songs are orgy with social commentary which might sound somehow controversial in post apartheid South Africa where the institution of marriage as we have come to know it; has completely collapsed. Or has it not? Ever wondered why couples get married this month and file papers of divorce three months later? Has it ever occurred to you that something has gone terribly wrong with young males and females of our generation? Black Eyed Peas's "Where is the Love" might not be relevant here; however with the high rate of divorce, constant violence between the genders escalating we really need to ask where is the love. What happened to the love displayed by our grannies and gran-dads who took it up to 90 years plus of marriage? Is that a possibility or mere fantasy for you my brother and sister? Yes i am aware "times have changed" and we live in different era and YES; the challenges might be different but are we so obsessed with material things that the focus is no longer on grooming a society that one can be proud of to call their own? Whats going on?

As many of us continue to pose these questions in a quest for answers Txa Manyalo music is also here to offer us a perspective. From songs such as mosadi ke lefotwana(a woman is bird ling), sekgametse, sebodu just to mention a few; artist turned musician Pleasure and many others have dug deep into current societal thinking and are surely offering a perspective which could help explain the challenges we face as a generation. As some refer to it, tying the knot isn't about tying anymore; its disastrous, coercive; short lived and you just need to look around where you live at present to know this. No one wants to get married anymore? Those who do go into it with wild; misguided intentions? The message to those who attempt or plan to get married in the near future is usually nyala o nyele. Is that really true?

Txa Manyalo: constructive social role playing between conflicting paradigms of marriage in post-apartheid South Africa

Lenyalo or wedding as some call it is no longer a normal platform of eternal union. Unlike with past generations, the word marriage is no longer synonymous with sharing, love, kindness and friendship; it has become for our generation; an antonym to all the virtues it used to bring. Getting married is now feared by many and everyone has different explanations and plenty opinions about it. While some use plain words in normal conversations to say this, some use sermons in church to preach, some go with music as an instrument. We are all in need of answers and as everyone continues to  try in vain to find a solution, somewhere in Sekhukhune land; Limpopo province - a new artform has emerged amid all the distress and confusion. Started by young energetic artists turned musicians; this genre is something to take notice of. It doesn't have to be in your collection; at least try to listen and engage on the messages embedded in this music. Perhaps the answer to some of the questions you have been asking yourself for many years within this century might just be found herein.

The music; simply known as "Txa Manyalo" by those who dance to and take advice has become a household name after the now quite genre of the early '90's Kwaito came and went to God knows where with the emergence of the House music entourage led by Radio station DJ's and later almost anyone who concurred. Txa manyalo is a combination of traditional Sesotho sa Lebowa/Sepedi songs given a facelift by studio mixed electronic beats and a rhythm that leaves the typical rural village resident "stepping" ecstatically when the music plays. Among the household names of this genre is artist turned musician known as Pleasure.

The first time i heard about this new sound was coincidentally at a relative's wedding somewhere in the dungeons of Ga Molepo. Being naive like anyone who spends 80 percent of his life in the concrete jungles of the city i initially took this genre for a joke. But it wasn't the music that i initially took for granted -  it was the music video shoots these artists take to compliment the sound that is recorded on compact disc. Since most of them use home studios and the locations in the videos are usually real and live events and scenes from rural villages across Sekhukhune land, i guess i was fooled into believing that they had no chance of making it to the mainstream music platform until i heard the music play on SABC radio stations such as Thobela FM. Plus this music has a following.......jerrrrr...and errr.....before i get carried away allow me to mention that it wasn't the quality of the music an motion which i want to emphasize here.

I took interest in this music and began paying greater attention when i heard most songs are orgy with social commentary which might sound somehow controversial in post apartheid South Africa where the institution of marriage as we have come to know it; has completely collapsed. Ever wondered why so called couples get married this month and file papers of divorce three months later? Has it ever occurred to you that something has gone terribly wrong with young males and females of our generation? Black Eyed Peas's "Where is the Love" might not be relevant here; however with the high rate of divorce, constant violence between the genders escalating we really need to ask where is the love. What happened to the love displayed by our grannies and grandads who took it up to 90 years plus of marriage? Is that a possibility or mere fantacy for you my brother and sister? Are we so obsessed with material things that the focus is no longer on grooming a society that one can be proud of to call their own? Whats going on?

As many of us continue to pose these questions in a quest for answers Txa Manyalo music is also here to offer us a perspective. From songs such as mosadi ke lefotwana(a woman is bird ling), sekgametse, sebodu just to mention a few; artist turned musician Pleasure and many others have dug deep into current societal thinking and are surely offering a perspective which could help explain the challenges we face as a generation. As some refer to it, tying the knot isn't about tying anymore; its disastrous, coercive; shortlived and you just need to look around where you live at present to know this. No one wants to get married anymore. Those who do go into it with wild intentions. The message to those who attempt or plan to get married in the near future is usually nyala o nyele. Is that true?

Whats the difference between Traditional African religion and Christianity?

A very inspiring discussion took place on SA FM’s Morning Talk on the 24^th of September 2013. In the guest list was a panel of experts and those included Mr Ntshangase -  a retired lecturer at the University of Kwazulu Natal and Chief Sefogole Makgeru – deputy Chairperson of the House of Traditional Leaders. By conception the discussion was relevant given the fact that South Africa was celebrating Heritage Day – a day that was formerly known as Shaka Day and since adjusted into Heritage Day with the dawn of democracy in 1994. The question asked: what is the difference between Traditional African religion and Christianity? was pertinent to present day South Africa where we have a diversity of belief systems manifesting themselves into different religions.

vs

It is very interesting the topic of religion and given the sensitivity of the topic, it was to be expected that the discussion would become heated. But what is the difference between Traditional African religion and Christianity? According to Christianity, believers are taught to connect to God through the one and only son of God Jesus Christ. 

In contrast, Traditional African religion puts emphasis on praying to God through the ancestors who due to their perceived spiritual essence, are acknowledged as a closer link to God. But it doesnt stop there, on the one hand, Christians have been taught to believe that the manner in which Traditional African religion connects with God is inappropriate and thus there is a need to “repent” or “convert” or “be born again” -  a call that appears, at least from where one stands, more subjective than fair. 

It is this sort of persuasive language that leaves one with more questions than answers given the fact that on the other hand, there is less evidence to suggest that Traditional African religion perceives Christianity as inappropriate. In the Christian faith, there are quite a number of words and concepts used to refer to other religions as inferior.  Words like “demons”,” heathen” and “pagan” have been recorded in the Bible – which is instrumental in Christianity. 

Although some people have gone on to deny Christianity calls Traditional African religion names, it became clear that there is a polarity of views within the Christian cohort. We could sense that when one caller who claimed to be a Christian smsed “ Traditional African religion is demonic period, for one to connect to God they need to be cleansed with the blood of the only messiah – our Lord Jesus Christ” but the laughter that came from Chief Makgeru and Ntate Ntshangase suggested otherwise. According to Chief Makgeru: “African religion is not a church, its a way of live. You don’t need an instrument like the Bible or a Koran to connect to God. It is a home grown faith similar to breathing and therefore was never necessary to go to  church to pray, its all in the  nature of humans that they know there is a higher being connected to them via the spiritual world: Modimo ”.

The question posed, as provocative as it is, is quite heavy given the fact that there is a dominant worldview that suggests one religion is better than the other. If one was to ask people who follow the Christian doctrine; it is to be expected that the perspective would be skewed towards their choice of religion and vice versa. Through the information explosion that came with the missionary education that was brought to Africa and other parts of the world during the hey days of colonisation and subsequently, Apartheid; it has become a normality for the Christian faith to present itself into a religion “of all” and ultimately; the perception since then has been that for someone to connect with God; they ought to pray God through Jesus Christ. One interesting caller on the radio show responded to the question by claiming that the main purpose of missionary education was not to belittle other religions but to merely teach what the Bible had purported ought to be exported to other nations in the world, for enlightenment?

The connection one can trace between the vociferous conquest of broad based education by western nations into Africa and the belittlement of the existence of African religion by this sort of subjective Christian worldview is immense and has caused so much tension, wars, terror  and the eventual hatred between human beings; in particular Africans. In the world today we continue to see a battle of ideology in religion between religions such as Islam, Judaism and Christianity just to mention a few. This battle, one could claim, has nothing to do with natural competition but the desire by one religion to rule over the other. And this has been so since the earliest centuries.  

As we continue into the 22^nd and 23^rd centuries, one wonders whether the hatred that has become between people of different religions will ever cede? There is no religion that is better than the other, that’s a subjective worldview, retorted Ntate Ntshangase. It became clear from the discussion that day as Chief Makgeru concluded, that “the differences in religion will be with us for years to come”. 

What we have gathered thus far is that the only way to a peaceful future of religious justice is for people to be tolerant towards each other.  For most people in the Traditional African religion, the future means that they will have to learn to live with the damage that has been done by certain quarters of the Christian faith. As already divided as we are in the African nation, it would be crazy for anyone to suggest those who have been converted and influenced by the Eurocentric way of life would suddenly revert back to Indigenous Knowledge Systems. By the same token, it is unacceptable that in a democratic society like South Africa, the perception that Traditional African religion is inferior continues to manifest amid the many attempts made since 1994 to address the injustices of the past. It is clear that Christianity is instrumentalist and persuasive in nature while Traditional African religion is introvert and non-partisan. Let everyone stick with what works for them and continue to learn from one another as one human family.

Rainbowism: a concept of wraps and traps

Will the problem of racism ever end in South Africa? South African society seems to be at odds when it comes to issues of cultural identity. After much work had been done by different stakeholders since the birth of a democratic society in 1994, the progress made seems to backtrack every-time racist tendencies protrude themselves. This is against the backdrop of an ideology which the democratically elected government of the day proclaimed and the masses embraced. In the following discussion we ask: does the rainbow nation exist? For many, rainbow ism remains an ideal concept for nation building but at what cost to the cultural identity and liberties of individual race groups?

The Rainbow Nation is a concept that was coined by Arch Bishop Desmond Tutu after the success of the national elections in 1994. The concept was further elaborated by the then president Dr Nelson Mandela when he proclaimed:  "Each of us is as intimately attached to the soil of this beautiful country as are the famous jacaranda trees of Pretoria and the mimosa trees of the bush-veld - a rainbow nation at peace with itself and the world". What this simply suggested was that from 1994 on-wards, South Africa would become a united country where everyone was represented by the colors of the rainbow, united in diversity. Although the concept earned the respect of many, both black and white, this move by the newly elected government came as a bit of a surprise to certain sections of the black community radical voices of black community. 

For sections of the white community, rainbowism was a advantageous in that it did not only dash some of the hopes that black radical thinking had during the fight against apartheid - a thinking which suggested that blacks were "going to chase away whites towards the sea after the struggle against apartheid was won". Of course, this radical thinking was not only a black thing since there also existed voices of dissent and radical white conservative thinking. During apartheid, Pan Africanist and Black Consciousness Movements were founded to align members of the black community with a political ideology which reinforces self knowledge and self pride. This political ideology was by then appropriate given the many decades of colonization where African cultural identity was nullified as barbaric and belonging to the dark ages. Has the struggle for cultural affirmation being won since 1994?

The idea of introducing the issue of race and racism in South Africa to this blog to try and understand the qualms, misconceptions and perpetual stereotypes which exist within society today. And although the discussion was not meant to be exhaustive, the amount of wording already here suggests that there is so much to be questioned, so much to be investigated, so much to be empathized as long as we dont go off topic. So, before i get carried away by the magnitude of the racism problem in South Africa allow me to make reference to Professor Louise Mabille's recent racist remarks regarding rape. 

After 20 years into a democratic dispensation, South Africa is still home to individuals in the white community who still perceive blacks as inferior and therefore deserving of the insults such as the one which Professor Louise leveled against blacks and in particular black culture. From where i write, it seems like the problem of racism is complex and transcends many dimensions. That still, the dimension i intend to highlight has more to do with the broader political ideology which was introduced by the then incumbent president Dr Nelson Mandela; who contrary to what many black political radicals in movements such the Pan Africanist Congress of Azania (PAC) and the Black Consciousness Movement(BCM) thought would happen -  and that is "sending all whites back to their homelands via the sea". When that did not happen, many of those who were affected and  traumatized by decades of apartheid rule had hoped that the process of healing through reconciliation that was started by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission(TRC) would give justice where its due. But all of that did not happen. In fact looking back, for many in the black community in 2013, the TRC was nothing but a slap in the face mockery kind of an exercise which did nothing to sort out the social, political and economic problems emanating from the past.

Since the ideology of "forgive and forget" was advocated for, problems for the South African population have escalated more than subsided. Every-time a white person calls a black person a baboon and a black person calls a white person master, local black residents fight, loot or even kill non South African black people from Ethiopia or Mozambique  we are reminded of a reality that many have lived to deny for twenty years: South Africa is divided and we are living an illusion. Say whatever you like about social cohesion but the phenomenon of claiming social cohesion or unity or reconciliation through dubious measures such as sport is not working. No one can deny the fact that blacks and whites attend different sporting codes in stadiums and when that happens; we all seem united. Is that an illusion? With that in mind it is important to understand the ideology of rainbowism against that backdrop of the critical question of whether the ideal has helped restore pride and dignity of black people as the previously disadvantaged bloc or served to reinforce(sort of cover up) some of the racist beliefs white South Africans became notorious for during colonization and apartheid periods?

#Online Presenter Search hosted by Flo - Top 3 Polokwane SABC Sports Presenter Set

Embedded in this post is a video clip created by a local artists once a part of the BWARF movement's initial top six executive members - Onkabetse Flo Hlabyago. Now a graduate in Media and  Communication Science, Flo is out there carving a name for herself. A dream she has had for twelve years. WOW!!!

The most vivid memory i have of Flo is the meetings, interactions and sessions we used to have with other fellow artists like Noko a.k.a Camilleon and Mercy a.k.a Concrete Ground  at the University of the North now University of Limpopo, Mankweng Campus. She was always clutched  in a guitar and spotted dreadlocks almost similar to those of the late Zimabwean musician Chiwoniso Maraire.

In this latest video clip she introduces us to her newly found passion; which is presenting. She is participating in the Top 3 Polokwane SABC Sports Presenter Set. Congratulations to her and the many others who came shared the same passion for art when BWARF was still in its prime, now plying their trades in different career fields and disciplines.

The moral of the story here is: children hold on to your dreams, as musician Wee Gee once sang.

And as the saying goes;

ONCE a BWARFer ALWAYS TALENTED...WORD!!! 

Musicality of the word

Music plays a central role in every human's life. By composition, music was created to serve a particular purpose. As many would relate, the nature of music is that the composer plays both the role of a scribe and a performer. This post is going to introduce the reader to the type of music artists in the BWARF movement listened/listens to, explain the allegiance to this type of music and most importantly review the music video embedded in this post. The ultimate aim here is to highlight the relationship between what others often refer to poetry and that which others call hip hop. What are the similarities? Any differences?


Type of music
Throughout BWARF's trotting of Limpopo province's landscape, music has always played a central role. It is not surprising to note that most of the preliminary engagements between local artists at our weekly poetry sessions would include introducing new members, the state of the arts and culture industry, the exploitation experienced by artists, the line up for that day and most importantly; what everyone who was part of the movement was/is listening to and by that i mean the type of music they had in their MP3 players, mobile phones and computer hard drives - that is music.

For BWARF, hip hop has always been the number one choice. And by hip hop we are not just talking hip hop, but Underground Hip Hop -  a mixture of ghetto life experiences, jazz, gospel djelis and hard hitting lyrical content marinated with cultural, social, political and economic commentary. It cuts across cultural, social and economic divides. For those in the crucible, listening to one type of genre was never encouraged and so the slogan was always "explore the adventure like End Beginnings". Suffice to note that our understanding of the concept underground simply means the raw often uncensored not easy to find on the mainstream media type of music for obvious reason: its too educational to be allowed to dominant the Free Market Economy.


Allegiance with hip hop
As the mission of the movement stated, our role was to create a local platform from where artists can grow and this meant that a visit to our sessions encouraged artists to share what they were listening to and that in itself helped shape and increase their music collection. Perhaps our love for hip hop was/is also inspired by the fact that out of all available genres in the world, hip hop captures black culture and talks the musical language taught by the socio-economic conditions we face as a black nation worldwide. Of course we were/are poets and authors; not Mcees although the two are closely inter-related and separation thereof could mean a death of either one of them.

Music video review
Anyone who listens to Underground Hip Hop should know who KRSOne, Zac De la Rocha and Last Emperor are. Perhaps considered heavy weights alongside Public Enemy, Rakim, Wu Tang Clan, Afrika Bambaata & the Zulu Nation, Grand Master Flash, these three Mcees are known for writing and reciting lyrics that are astute in observation and politically relevant in a time when the black nation is under siege from forces hard to identify? Wonder why i chose this music video in the first place? Hip hop is a spiritual genre; meaning; it allows the third eye to protrude and shine the way when things arent going right. BWARF was/is a movement of symbolic resistance and we were/are activists through the spoken words we scribed/scribe and "by all means necessary". So now lets look at the lyrics as Zac De la Rocha introduces: "...and shatters the calm of the day/like an alarm/so wake up brad and you/take up arms...".

As one would imagine, the existence of secret societies on the planet is a reality we wake up to everyday. As the content in the lyrics attest, secret societies like the CIA(Central Intelligence Agencies) or Criminals In Action as the Mcees call it appear to have a dual nature. On the one hand the public knows that the main objective of secret societies like the CIA is to gather intelligence for national security reasons but according to the assertion made by these three Mcees and many other activists of the underground, the CIA is simply saying one thing and doing the opposite -  and this is often manifested in; like Last Emperor retorts "as the Free Market Economy of Crony Capitalism advance", the  selling of "rocks" is orchestrated and encouraged against the democratic principles of constitutionalism and social liberty as represented by nations such as the United States of America. And all this, as KRSOne remarks; is: "all in the name of intelligence gathering?". 

Does that ring any bells or listeners will take this music video for just another unreasonable tounge lashing cum forever whinging attitude of artists in the underground? Be that as it may, the content is as was/is as prophetic as the words written in the Bible. The last line of verse "in the new millennium/there will be no central intelligence"  in the music video by KRSOne illustrates this prophecy. Since the birth of hip hop after Jazz and Reggae as an instrument of inspiration and a symbol of black resistance, freedom of expression and the promotion to access to information through art; the new millennium has seen a rise in new social movements of resistance against secrecy and censorship. Who would have thought an organisation like Wikileaks for instance; would ever emerge and continue the resistance on a scale that its founder Julian Assange has come out and given us a new interpretation of resistance, using new ways nogal? Who would have thought Edward Snowden; a agent of the NSA in the United States; would bow the whistle and  reveal so much about CIA surveillance programs to a point where the world super power(US) was left bitter and shaken; fearing the unknown?

Its is clear from the points highlighted above that the power of Underground Hip Hop is endless. That the genre plays a vital role in our everyday lives. The fact that hip hop is able to come forward against the world's most powerful systems and secret societies is indicative of its intellectual form and the inspirational nature of the music given the existence of problematic social paradigms, oppressive political and economic systems across the world.

Next Event: Heritage Day

Our next event was hosted on the 24th of August 2007 and was organised to commemorate heritage day. Although this event was planned well in advance, it was a low key event when compared to the Hip hop & Poetry Concert. As the mural above depicts, the main objective was to consolidate on the gains made during the previous event and to send a strong message of embracing our culture as embodied in Sesotho sa Lebowa/Sepedi cultural dance and song. Here we tried to draw a paradox between early forms of cultural activism and modern ones.


Unmagnified characters

Our research into the arts and culture industry of Limpopo was that there was a huge gap that existed between ancient art forms and modern art forms. Does this gap really exist? In the next lines we will try to elaborate on this point. A distinction will be drawn between these two identified seemingly unmagnified characters: the ancient and modern cultural activist. Empirical evidence shows that most cultural activists who embrace modern art forms such as Slam Poetry, Hip Hop Emceeing, B-Boying etc are not hands on when it comes partaking in ancient art forms such as Dinaka/Kiba and Mmapadi.  Where modern cultural activists are involved, its only a fraction of it, through reactive lip-service and not pro-active action. For instance, on the one hand, its seems quite easy for a modern cultural activist to write and rhyme about messages of self knowledge and cultural affirmation on a stage in theater or perhaps through the use of the more modernized equipments such as microphones. On the other hand, it is rare to find an ancient cultural activist partaking in modern art-forms with an all embracing attitude.

Language issues

During our years as practicing performing artists, a debate has been raging as to the use of the English language amongst African cultural activists. This debate is not an easy one to engage in given the well known fact that politically and economically, languages across the world dont seem to match the attention and extensive use afforded the English language.  But why is this an issue given the fact that English itself appears to have been formed out a number of languages(Greek, Latin, Hebrew etc)? While the argument against the use of English continues to exist within the arts and culture sector, especially amongst so called Africans on the African continent, the African diaspora seems to not have much of a choice since English is their, should we say, perceived first languge given the political-social and  economic conditions they are faced with. So what is the role of the cultural activist on the African continent?

Radical vs liberal cultural activism

When considering the difficult linguistic situation faced by our generation, one wonders whether its even worthwhile to ask this questions. We wear non traditional clothing, we were schooled and "educated" in the ways of our former colonial masters, our nutrition has drastically changed to mimic whats served at the places we frequent on a daily basis, we speak, write and engage in the language of the former colonial master. Some(if not most), even feel the language of our former colonial masters if better when put side by side with our Indigenous languages. This begs the question: is there such a thing as a radical and a liberal cultural activist?

Heritage day

From the aforementioned its quite clear that there is still much to engage on. That the existence of BWARF as a movement was symbolic in that it represented a platform from where this issues and more could be tackled for solution giving. Although our critics were always there to pounce on what they perceived as weird to find in our movement or in their own words; "not an archetype kind of activism", our deeds and actions have always suggested that we held our own in as far as the definition of realness is concerned. We also held our own on what heritage day means contrary to what the government of the day in South Africa has led the masses to believe heritage day means.

By the same token, we had our own reservations on issues such as whether modern art forms such hip hop and slam poetry for instance, could be traced from the existence of traditional oral literature against the backdrop of a notion that seems to suggest that these art forms owe their allegiance to certain geographic locations.

Demystifying the notion

Through this event, we wanted to drive one message home and that is; to demystify the notion that poets and mcees in the modern age dont owe their allegiance to ancient art-forms such as Mmapadi and Dinaka/Kiba dance and music for example. We wanted to emphacise our grounded belief that its not enough for modern cultural activists(especially those on the African continent) to write and rhyme about self knowledge from the peripherals of theater stages and seats while neglecting(by choice or fate) the essence of it all. Through our interaction with young and upcoming artists from the rural, semi-urban and urban locations around Polokwane, we came to the realization that there was an unfounded attitude that seemed to suggest; as our critics would claim: "the modern cultural activist was perceived as owing their allegiance to urban locations". Therefore, although by our own admission we are well aware the Land Act of 1913 is to blame for the geographical segmentation we all find our-selves in; to us rural is urban and urban is rural; that sort of trajectory. Ours was more of a unifying stance more than anything; and this BWARF Heritage Day Event had such objectives. Our acknowledgements go out to all those who were part of this event: Mr Theledi Mahlare of Boapara-Nkwe Heritage Foundation and formerly Drake-Skull FM for sponsorship, Theo- Mavundla for the mural, Mashobela a Mapangula Cultural Dance for performing Mmapadi during the event and all poets and emcees who came through to the event.

Hip hop & Poetry Concert - in commemoration of Black August: 2007

The year 2007 was the year of implementation for the BWARF movement. Apart from hosting Weekly Poetry Sessions we had managed to get the word out and attracted a sizeable audience. It had become common knowledge that the movement’s principles revolved around self-knowledge through some of the materials that were published. It’s therefore not surprising that most people came to know the acronym BWARF as Black Writers and Artists Forum. In all the materials such as leaflets and brochures, there was a clear indication that blackness was the core of our existence: that black consciousness was in actual fact, the ideology behind the words and the mental attitude initially embraced.

During the first half of the year we had attracted strategic partners such as DJ SOJ, Graffiti and graphic designer artists such as a.k.a Imo who would later help gather a team of competent like-minded individuals in organising our very first concert in our three years of practice around Limpopo province, Polokwane. Imo and company painted the mural as seen in the picture(above).The people we attracted were strategic in that they all saw, through our formal involvement with Polokwane Municipality Cultural Services, an opportunity to grow their respective talents beyond their individual selves, although many never became registered members of BWARF, and they were very close to the operations one would say they were registered as members.

Of course who would blame them for believing the time had come for local artists to emerge and get recognised for their talents given the sad state of affairs we as a forum had found locally. Apart from the ideological mission of the BWARF movement, the main objective was to create a platform from where local artists can grow and shine. Given the many emerging artists that we were able to unearth during the weekly poetry sessions, we were quite satisfied that we were achieving that goal. There were many young aspiring poets, authors, fine artists and singers the BWARF movement help shape and groom during its prime – they know themselves and there is no need to mention name here.

When a decision was made during a joint meeting with one representative of Polokwane Municipality Cultural Services and the rest of supporting artists that the time had come to host a concert, everyone was exited. We started off preparing for the concert with BWARF playing a sweeping role in as far as shaping the concert purpose and organising performing acts was concerned. By then, BWARF was a registered NPO with both a logo and a letter head which was enough to attract external sponsorship and donations. Unfortunately, the problems of incapacity and the forever absence of executive committee members prevented the forum from applying for funding. This was a huge obstacle towards progress and it was also a great impediment during the planning of our very first provincial concert: the Hip Hop & Poetry Concert   - in commemoration of Black August of 2007.  

Together with a.k.a Con Artist (self-confessed), BWARF planned, organised and partook in the concert both as host and a pool from where performing acts for the day came. It was during the planning that a few surprises came on board as we continued building on momentum. Corporate giants Cell C and SAB Miller became part of the planning and their involvement was clearly recorded in the concert marketing material such as the famous leaflets which had a black clinched fist alongside “The Backyard” as the host. What many people weren’t aware of is that the involvement of the two giant corporates was just strategic and a non-monetary sponsorship and therefore no monies were made from this partnership. What’s available for people to know though is that some people invested some money into the planning and coordination of the concert.

The only misgiving unto this day was that since the people who invested money had corporate interests in the concert, a lot of injustice was done on the performing acts of that day since most of the entrance fee intake went the way of the investors and not of the artists: a move that would later cause a great fall out between BWARF and the Polokwane Cultural Services Unit. We were co-nned.
We were less concerned with getting paid ad more with preaching a message of cultural affirmation and self-knowledge. Prior the concert, a lot of people had asked why BWARF wasn’t recorded as the host and the explanation we gave then was that due to the incapacity and disagreements between executive board members in as far as the operations of the forum were concerned, it was decided in a joint meeting with supporting artists that the alias “The Backyard” be used on the marketing material instead of BWARF – this move would keep individual BWARF movement members on the safe side since doing the opposite would mean they would bring the forum into disrepute according to its organisational constitution which was binding at the time.

During that time, author and performing artist Mahlaga Molepo was visibly the only executive member , out of the original executive four, who was hands on in as far as planning, organising and coordinating the weekly poetry sessions and later the concert  was concerned. The disagreements and incapacity was slowing sending off the organisation to its death. It was during this period that new members came in and helped fill in the gap but the fact that the BWARF movement was a registered organisation meat that for decisions to be taken, a quorum was needed and this never happened as fellow executive members were always absent during meetings. Due to these internal problems, BWARF became an acronym used to refer to the movement instead of the much contested then registered name: Ba-Pedi Writers and Artists Forum - which in short meant two people had founded the organisation. The name had in fact, caused the disagreements and internal infighting for opinion as some executive members had argued the name send out a wrong message – that the word Ba-Pedi relayed a message of ethnicity and not “two” as originally thought when the forum was registered. The forum continued to exist amid these internal shenanigans and so the concert happened.

After much media publicity through articles written in the Capricorn Voice, and a big mural was painted outside the walls of the Polokwane Art Gallery and interviews done on local radio stations such as Thobela FM, the 31^st of August 2007 17:00pm sharp came and the concert began. The Polokwane Auditorium was abuzz with activity as local Poets, Mcees, B-Boys and Singers strutted their stuff from the stage to the amusement and delight of the crowd. It was estimated that the auditorium was full to capacity and the number of people had exceeded the 250 capacity crowd minimum the auditorium was allowed to accommodate. There were many standing in between the seats and others waiting outside. In the crowd were socialites, celebrities and lay people and the event went on until 11:00pm when the audience left behind artists to finish off the days commemoration until the wee hours of the morning. What a day to remember for local artists, what an achievement by the BWARF movement. The downside of it was that the video footage of the event somehow got lost?; a careless mistake on the part of the photographer.The message had sunk deep into the conscience of the provincial population and had even ringed in the ears of people as far as Gauteng, Mpumalanga. We continued to attract a huge following….

The Marketing strategy - Weekly Poetry Sessions

After the forum was registered in the Department of Social Development's database as a Non Profit Organisation(NPO), the executive committee started desposing off its duties. The executive was initially tabled as follows: Chairperson - Silas Makhubela, Secretariat -Mahlaga Molepo, Communications Officer - Onkabetse Hlabyago with Dr Leketi Makalela as the Treasurer. However, the initial executive committee setup did not jell as expected and this was the beginning of the problems which rocked the forum from the onset. Since most of the forum duties were vested on the Chairperson and the Secretariat, the two took it upon themselves to ensure internal activities ran as smoothly as possible although this would seem an unbearable task in the months and years to come.

The first search for BWARF's artistic voice started off with a written request the then chairperson and the secretariat wrote to Limpopo Arts and Culture Association(LACA) for a physical space to host weekly poetry sessions at its then arts space in down town Polokwane. On accepatance, BWARF began hosting weekly poetry sessions twice a week from 16:00-18:00pm. Although not much can be said about the weekly poetry sessions became a meeting place for local artists. It was at the LACA arts space that BWARF came into contact with Timbila Poetry's Vonani Bila and David Maahlamela. It wasnt long after the weekly sessions were in full swing that LACA decided or was persuaded by local corporate interests to close the arts space and move shop to elsewhere. This was also to be the beginning of a rocky turf for the forum since we had no office and merely relied on LACA's art space to reinforce the already shabby internal affairs.

Next, the forum was again on the road looking for a space to host its crucial(at the time) weekly poetry sessions. The forum did not only need a secured space to market itself and its activites, networking and getting the word out to local artists and the local population. Soon, BWARF found itself at the uptown complex of the Brazilian Coffee Shop - where the owner had fallen prey to the forum's chairperson and secretariat's plea to introduce something artistic to the place. We came up with a saturday poetry slot and although at the begginning it looked all weird and all that: imagine so called radical poets and artists spitting words of self knowledge at a corporate space like that? The air, the people and the environment at the Brazilian was just different from that of LACA'a arts space and so the stay wasnt going to last either. To cut a long story short. From the Brazilian Coffee Shop, BWARF went to a Chicken Restaurant opposite the Library Gardens(on Schoeman street that is). But alas, the stay wasnt long either. And so we continued to roam around the town of Polokwane and its surrounding areas hosting and attending sessions(Timbela's occassional orgy and University of Limpopo's weekly sessions at the campus Ampi-Theater) , networking. What a hustle!

It was during the beginning of Spring 2006 that a letter of request was dropped off at the famous Mamohuba Jazz Tarven in the township of Mankweng. A week later, we received a call from the owner of the place Mr Enerst Mokaba(a brother to the late former ANC Youth League President Peter Mokaba), who was quick to offer us yet another space, to perform and entertain the patrons at least once a week. Mamohuba was a great place to be, especially for poets, authors and mcees - the latter of which had already joined the movement and added a bit of spice to the forum. Speaking of those local Mcees; names like Noko a.k.a Kamelleon come to mind, what an interesting figure. Wondering where he is now? He is such a talented wordsmith.

Fast foward into 2007, after a short spell at Mamohuba Jazz Tavern, the forum decided to pay a visit to Polokwane Cultural Services Unit under the Polokwane Municipality at the Danie Hoog Center in the city's CBD. We had come to realise then, through our obvious impact and growing following, that perhaps the time had come for the forum to do something bigger, on a much more bigger space. First it was the calling, then the  ideal, the artistic passion and then accepting our limitations. We had in mind what most available but concealed audience never thought would happen at the center: that a bunch of poetic rascals(sic, we were by admission and not by guilt) like us would be offered a place to recite lines about self knowledge and affirmation at a time when Polokwane City was nothing but a "dead" atmosphere when it came to arts, especially the kind of content we became appreciated or infamous for. Remembering the first time we knocked through the doors of the Unit's doors. We came in contact with, first the Library Unit -  which offered us a space down the stairs of the library foyer. We began hosting there; very quitely, our weekly poetry sessions under the watchful eye of the center's management.  When the following grew bigger and new faces entered the fray, the forum came into contact with heads like George Kambwiri a.k.a Serene Noyz now Amun Sun and Lesiba Manaka -  who by fate, became the forum's Ex-Offico member from day one. Soon the noise from the stairs grew bigger and began to irritate the management of the library and through the Cultural Services Unit we were moved outsite the building -  at the space which was latter termed "The Backyard". This move wouldnt have been possible if it wasnt for a.k.a. Con Artist's compassionate(although later we were proved otherwise) plea of course. He was the one, together with his partners of the Cultural Services Unit, insisted that we get together and plan ahead. Then came Katlane Seema a.ka. Kat, Mahlogonolo Moloto, Keith Mathabatha, Nkeisi Mathuisa, Mosima Rasesemola a.k.a Imo the Graphic/Mural Design and Theophelus Mavundla and Takalani a.k.a Dread King and then a.k.a DJ SOJ just to mention a few. Thats when the fire began....

The Founding Statement

In 2007, two practicing artists and poets Silas Makhubela and Mahlaga Molepo were resting after a poetry session at University of Limpopo(formerly University of the North) when the idea of getting formed into an organisation was conceived. At first, the idea of getting formed into an artists forum was like a far away dream since most artists around Mankweng and its surrounding areas were aware of the absence of a typical Newtown jam type of art presence and so were worried that such a vibrant environment was rare locally.

Mahlaga Molepo came from the outskirts of Mankweng in a rural area called Ga Molepo and had spend years in the already vibrant arts and culture industry of Braamfontein and Newtown respectively during his years as a scholar of African Literature and Linguistic at the University of the Witwatersrand while Silas Makhubela came from Seshego and was a campus resident at the University of Limpopo studying Psychology. Through consistent interaction and the sharing of "artistic" ideas at the University of Limpopo weekly poetry sessions, the two musketeers met other fellow artists and followers. Those included Koketso Marishane, Mercy "Concrete Ground Dliwayo, Onkabetse "Flo" Hlabyago, Noko a.k.a Kamellion and others.

The idea of getting formed into an arts movement started gaining momentum throughout the formal and informal poetry sessions taking place within campus as well as in other places such as Mamohuba Jazz Tarvern. A lot more people were for the idea but very few were interested in taking the idea further into the implementation stages. It so happened that one day Silas and Mahlaga decided "enough with the talking" and started engaging more on the road ahead.

The plan of action started with the circulation of formal invites to interested artists, followers of the word and the community at large. Most of the invites were well received by enthusiasts who also filled in membership forms for a small contribution or free of charge. The most interesting part of BWARF's formation was, it should be confessed, the use of campus facilities such as fax, email and photocopier with the exception of a phone of course. In a few instances, we were able to get access to the phone through one humble sould and fellow writer and academic, Dr Leketi Makalela - who was also running the poetry session at UNILIM as part of the Arts School there. Seeing that we were committed, Dr Makalela offered to contribute as an Associate Committee member during the early days of the formation.

After many months and weeks of organising on the ground, the draft constitution of the organization was tabled with an initial 10 members as founding members. The constitution, together with all the necessary requirements, were later send to the Department of Social Development for registration as an Non Profit Organisation (NPO). BWARF was registered on the department's database mid-April 2007.