The  Children  of  Soweto: A Trilogy
by Mbulelo  Vizikhungo  Mzamane  (Longman)  1982

It is ten  years  since the  first  Soweto uprising.  But these are not  forgotten
years. Soweto is a living legend, a memorial to the fighting spirit of the youth
who have taken  the  frontline  of  what  Mazrui  calls  'warriorhood'.  But the
events of  Soweto,  more than  anything  else demonstrates quite clearly, the
determination of today's youth, to challenge the might of the apartheid state
and its western supporters. It is an indictment to the career 'revolutionaries'
who junket  round  the world  and  make news. To the rest of Africa,  it is a
symbol of  resistance,  of  defiance  in the  face of repression, and a veritable
proof  that  resistance  is  possible  even  imperative  in  the  face  of  severe
repression.

Those who  had  only heard  of  Soweto through  the air waves might have
been amazed at the courage and organisational ability exhibited in those days.
The seventies however, was a period of intense struggles between rulers and
student movements throughout Africa.  Soweto gave this struggle a new im-
petus.  Mbulelo  did  not  only  witness this historical  sage; he was a partici-
pant,  part  of  the process itself.  He did not stand on the sidelines, only to
write long stories and fairy tales of what was or might have been. Being part
of the process gave him a greater insight into the inner feelings of the Soweto
youth, their attitudes and spirit in those days. Mbulelo's account is chilling-
ly compelling  and  captivating.  Even though a real life story, Mbulelo does
not glorify  himself.  It is much more about Soweto than an autobiography.

The book  is divided  into three parts: his schooldays in Soweto; the days
of the riots; and  finally  the children  of Soweto. In all these parts, Mbulelo
gives an account of the political, social and religious undercurrents develop-
ing in  Soweto  before  and  during the riots, and how'these affect  the main
actors: the children  of  Soweto. It is much about political economy as it is
about  social  relations.  He therefore  explores all aspects of life  in Soweto:
school teachers and their relationship with their pupils; parents and their at-
titude towards their children, how these children see their parents; the state-
pupil relationship; prison life and how it affects  the combatants; how black

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130  BOOK  REVIEW

collaborators are treated; the socio-political role of  funerals  in Soweto; and
how  the  state  and  its victims  see violence  in  the  South  African  context.

Two teachers whom one could find amusing are Pakade and Phakoe who
incidentally were held in high esteem by the students. These characters  also
provide the most  hilarious  moments  in  the novel;  a useful  break  from  the
tension that builds up in the book. The alcoholism  of the two blends  rather
well with  their  serious moments.  Unlike  some of  the elders,  these  teachers
saw the students struggle in a positive light, and sometimes encouraged them.
That makes them rare species in the trouble torn  Soweto. Most  elders were
contemptious of the "decadence of the new generation." On the other hand,
the  new  generation  also  opined  that  had  their  fathers  devoted  'more  time
to the overthrow of the system first, instead of trying to carve out a  comfor-
table niche in this faggot ridden country, we wouldn't have been in this mess
.  .  .'  Perhaps  the children  are  overstating  their  case. Their  elders have  not
been passive or wilful accomplices in the colonising process. On the contrary,
they  resisted  and  fought  hard  against  Afrikaaner  intrusion.

Beyond this elder-youth wrangle however, Mbulelo delves into more soul
searching questions such as what prison does to the detained. For the children
of Soweto,  'detention  confers  a new status and authority'.  For anyone who
has gone through  the mill of  detention  (a small cell, dark,  threatening  and
oppressive) should be listened to. An example of this is one of  the  heroines
of  the  struggle,  Bella.  She  was  a  'true  witness  to  the  struggle'.  Bella  was
'transfigured,  metamorphorsed,  utterly transmutted by her gruesome prison
experiences'.

Funerals are important  political and  social events.  The  funeral  of  a  col-
league could become 'some big religious revival, political rally, and a  major
social event.  It is also a time when mourners become generous with  praises
— 'qualities would be discovered in him (the deceased) which if he were pre-
sent,  he'd  have been  surprised  to  know  he  possesed.'

But  such  is life  in  Soweto.  For  those  who were in  the  frontline,  it  is  an
unforgettable  experience, an ongoing one. Mbulelo does admit some of  the
glaring unavoidable excesses on the part of some colleagues, such as the treat-
ment  meted  out  to  some  black  collaborators  of  the  apartheid  regime.  But
opportunism  can  only  be  combated  by  such  severe  punishment.  To  allow
it to grow is to encourage a degenerate tendency in the liberation  movement.
Counterposed  to the children  of  Soweto  are the  self  acclaimed  'leaders  in
exile', some of  whom  are too  far  away  from  the  firing  line and  can  never
appreciate  the immense sacrifice  of  the  Soweto youth.  The real  makers  of
history in South Africa  today will be the youth,  now  called  'the  comrades'

THE  CHILDREN OF SOWETO: A  TRILOGY  131

and their  organisations. African  history is replete with leaders in exile who
are always  the .first  to  sell  out  to  the enemy  when victory  is in  sight.

One has  no  choice but  to  agree with  Mbulelo that  when  'the history of
Soweto in those few weeks is written, our struggle will be shown to have been
plagued by fratricide,  senseless carnage, and considerable duplicity.' Sitting
on a hotel balcony in exile, Mbulelo's mind is still in Soweto, his home and
roots.

Soweto changed the political map in Africa  and brought a new awareness
to the problems  of  living under apartheid  where Botha and his group seek
to impose their neurosis on Africans. Perhaps, it is true that 'peace will come
when we have the power.'  The whole work is summarised in the  following
words:  'We the  children  of  the new diaspora,  we, the children of Soweto,
germinating everywhere we went', little new seeds of vengeance, hatred, bit-
terness, wrath, on the fertile soil of our hearts, watering our cherished seeds
with our  blood,  sweat  and  tears  and that  of  our people.' Truly,  liberation
will  bring  peace  to  the  children  of  Soweto.

Zaya  Yebo
Instimism