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....
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