Author and political activist Letlapa Mphahlele recently launched his latest book Mafofora, a collection of poems in an unlikely venue – the Solly Colman Hall, an old dilapidated structure in the rural village of Seleteng under the Mphahlele Traditional Authority in Limpopo.
A sizeable crowd, most of them local folk who had never attended a book launch before turned out to grace the occasion.
Mphahlele is a former president of the Pan Africanist Congress of Azania (PAC). He gained cult hero status among the oppressed masses as director of operations of the now defunct Azanian People’s Liberation Army (APLA) in the early 90s.
It was no wonder that many turned out for the occasion kitted in the black t-shirts emblazoned with the party’s Africa emblem. Mzwanele Nyontsho, the current president of the PAC delivered the keynote address.
Mphahlele, known by close relatives in this village where he spent his childhood by his praise name Ngoato, is the author of three other books. But this was the first time he was launching a literary project here where he was born in 1960.
His celebrated autobiography Child of this Soil – My Life as a Freedom Fighter, originally published by Kwela Books in 2002 and was prescribed to university students, is currently being turned into a film.
He has published two other books, a poetry collection titled Mantlalela – The Flood is Coming [Mwalimu Books -2005] and a collection of his speeches and articles Shining the Searchlight Inwards [Reach Publishers 2012].
In his short address at the launch Mphahlele emphasised the importance of literature saying that while everyone is technically a writer, it is however, important to work hard towards getting their work published.
“What is written cannot be unwritten. I’m encouraging everyone to write and get their work published,” Mphahlele said.
Mukurukuru Media editor Lucas Ledwaba spoke to Mphahlele after the launch on Saturday 17 February.
Lucas Ledwaba: Mr Mphahlele thank you for inviting us to your book launch. Very interesting that the book is launched in a rural area, in a village. Usually, people associate book launches with hotels in glitzy parts of the country. Tell us about the decision to launch the book here.
Letlapa Mphahlele: As you have correctly pointed out book launches become very fancy affairs held in urban areas, near the freeway and of course the people who normally attend the book launches are those who are already inspired. But in a village set up like here, we need people really to be empowered and to be inspired. Most people were just coming to witness what a book launch looks like because it’s a very rare occasion in rural areas. So, my regret, especially for this occasion, is that we did not have many young people. Perhaps it’s because we did not mobilise learners enough.
Ledwaba: it was a very good turnout. Usually, book launches Don’t get such good turnouts. Are you planning to extend any literary programs in the villages, seeing that you have planted this seed here today?
Mphahlele: It’s just that I’m cautious not to make my plans public. But I’m planning something bigger than a book launch. Perhaps I must share it so that I could get ideas and funders etcetera. My next project in a village, not necessarily selecting any village anywhere, would be [hosting] a book fair because as I came here, most authors wanted to be part of this. Just imagine if we can have a gathering of writers interacting, not just me by myself interacting with the public on one title. I think that will go a very, very long way in inspiring people to write. Yes, my next project is a book fair.
Ledwaba: You grew up in this area. Would it be correct to say this is the first book launch ever?
Mphahlele: It’s my first book launch in Seleteng and I don’t want to claim credit and say first ever book launch in Seleteng. Let me simply say it’s the first book launch that I know of in Seleteng,” he said.
Ledwaba: And then just tell us briefly about the book. For those who would be interested in Where do they get the book? What is the book about?
Mphahlele: It’s a collection of my poems, ranging from my days in exile, my days underground, my private life, or should I call it love life? It touches on philosophy, on the day of judgment. I’m an atheist, but of course, I cover how most people talk about the Day of Judgment. But it is about philosophy in the sense that for me, the day of judgment is every day and the judge is yourself because you know whether what you’re doing is right or wrong. Yet there are people who think that they must wait until another day [that’s] coming.
It also covers things like Palestine, but not the normal stuff of big politicians, big decisions made by the International Court of Justice. It was dedicated to a friend of mine. The poem is dedicated to a friend of mine who happens to be a Palestinian and who also knows my village.
He was once a visitor in this village. So, each time I speak to him he has lost a relative, his elderly parents [and many others]. It also covers Ukraine but not from the perspective of Russia – Ukraine as it is viewed now, but from the perspective of those who have power and those who are powerless.
And the prejudice that we have, I mean, that comes in the form of religion etcetera, so it covers quite a lot of subjects. I think altogether there are 30 or 33 poems.
Ledwaba: I know you said today is not a day for political speeches, for politics. We are going to an election. We don’t know when, but sometime this year. What are your impressions about issues that face residents in this village and rural areas in particular? What would you say are the most pressing issues?
Mphahlele: The common thing is always services, services, services because I mean in this village things that are taken for granted [things like] running water. And of course communities like this one are hygienically compromised. I don’t want to talk about roads because even those that were there [in the past] have since, you know, lived out their use by age and that’s why they are starting them all over again. However, there’s something that we rarely talk about, and that is the spectre of crime and violent crime. I think less than a month ago, a person in Sefalaolo, not very far from here, was hacked to death, you know, and died. I don’t want to talk about people who are found, as corpses. [In the past] this was a once in a blue moon [thing] but it’s no longer the case. So if you ask me, the pressing issues here would be services. Poverty is everywhere and of course, crime as well.
Ledwaba: Is your vote still a secret?
Mphahlele: No, no, no. It has never been. Even when someone whose face I did not like and paraded themselves as PAC president I voted PAC even when everyone thought that it was a waste of my vote. So my vote is no secret. I’m going to vote for the PAC.” – news@mukurukuru.co.za
