A Lifes Mosaic

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Preferred Citation: Ntantala, Phyllis.A Life's Mosaic: The Autobiography of Phyllis Ntantala. Berkeley: University ofCalifornia Press, 1992. http://ark.cdlib.or/ark:/1!"!"/ft#f$9n9%r/

A Life's Mosaic

The Autobiography of Phyllis Ntantala

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESS

Berkeley Los Angeles Oxford

1993 The Rege!s of !he Ui"e#si!$ of Ca%ifo#ia

Preferred Citation: Ntantala, Phyllis.A Life's Mosaic: The Autobiography of Phyllis Ntantala. Berkeley: University ofCalifornia Press, 1992. http://ark.cdlib.or/ark:/1!"!"/ft#f$9n9%r/

P#eface&t 'as one evenin at the (incoln Center in Ne' )ork. Pavarotti*s voice filled the a+ditori+ 'ith*-aa*, one of those arias he sins so 'ell, and the a+dience, in appreciation, ave hi a th+ndero+sovation. s he cae back for yet another bo', y ind s+ddenly flashed back, and that other 'orld to'hich & once beloned cae into sharp foc+s the bends of the N0abarha iver, the eado's, theanials, the siple co+ntry folk, the school kids po+rin o+t of the schoolate at the end of the day. &sa' the all, as & had seen the so any ties in that faroff tie and place. & sat do'n, c+pped yhead in y hands and bo'ed y head, softly sayin to yself: *3o' strane4 (ittle do all these peoplekno' that 'hile & a part of the at this partic+lar oent, & a part of another 'orld of 'hich theykno' so little. & coe fro 50+beni alon the bends of the N0abarha iver. 6hat*s 'here y roots are.

6hat*s e4*

7oe years ao, y da+hterinla' Casey once asked e: *P, ho' did yo+ and 8oe eet 8+st tell +s.*

(a+hin, & disissed her 0+estion 'ith: *)o+ kno', 'here & coe fro, that is one s+bect parents donot disc+ss 'ith their children. -aybe one day &*ll tell yo+ ho' it happened.* ;e both la+hed and leftit at that.

fter that niht at the (incoln Center, it occ+rred to e that, perhaps, y other 'orld 'as part of e ina 'ay that not even y children kne', let alone the friends aro+nd e that niht. 3o' co+ld ychildren, born and raised in the city, kno' anythin of this other 'orld ;hat they kne' of this 'orld


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'ere snatches leaned fro e and their dad and all those other visitors fro the co+ntry 'ith 'hothey cae into contact 'hen

< viii periences that span three continents, e>periences that have shaped and o+lded e into the personthat & a.

& 'anted to leave a record of y life for y children and y randchildren and all those other friends &have et in y soo+rn thro+h life, for the to kno' and +nderstand that it 'as beca+se of these faroff roots that & a the person & a. &t 'as to say to the: 'Ndivel' eGqubeni nindibona n!e"'?)o+ seee here4 & coe fro 50+beni4@ )es, this is y story.

(ike 6rotsky, & did not leave hoe 'ith the proverbial oneandsi> in y pocket. & coe fro a failyof the landed entry in 6ranskei, the k+laks of that area. & co+ld, like any others in y class, have

chosen the path of cofort and safety, for even in apartheid 7o+th frica, there is still that path forthose 'ho 'ill collaborate. B+t & chose the path of str+le and +ncertainty.

& trace the fo+ndations of this attit+de to y +pbrinin in a hoe 'here the less fort+nate and destit+teal'ays cae and fo+nd help and s+cco+r. Aro a very early ae, & 'as ade a'are of the needs andprobles of others and & sa' all these people treated 'ith dinity and h+anity. 6his had a treendo+sipact on e as a child, even tho+h there 'ere never any lect+res on it. nd yet & a still very classconscio+s and, like ost people fro y class, very arroant. -y arroance, ho'ever, has al'ays beentepered 'ith concern, sypathy and carin for the less fort+nate. Aro this class position, & kne'0+ite early that & 'as as ood as the best, black and 'hite.

6his book is not a political thesis. B+t & have +sed the story of y life as a pe on 'hich to han life

and events in 7o+th frica and North erica as & e>perienced the. ;e have here a h+e canvas,depictin the osaic that is 7o+th frica, 'ith all its colo+rs, stron and s+bd+ed, its lines lon andshort, and the dots, lare and sall. &n social life, it is people 'ho ake +p that osaic it is they 'hoake thins happen. 6heir actions and interactions deterine the co+rse of events. t the very centre ofall this are h+an relations, and to +nderstand those h+an relations, 'e +st eet real people, hearthe speak, ho' they speak, and then 'e shall kno' 'hy they speak the 'ay they do. s+ary ofevents does not and

< i> plain and +nderstand 5ranny -atthe's, 'ife of the late Professor . D. -atthe's, so=nlish and yet so frican Ef the frican 'oen & kno', there are none as frican and a'are of theirreat frican heritae as she is. nd yet, on the s+rface, she is so =nlish. Er ho' can one +nderstandy h+sband .C., peasant in o+tlook, one 'ho reained s+spicio+s of city 'ays to the end of his life,


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and yet, as a Classical and =+ropean scholar of literat+re, history and +sic, one 'ho co+ld field 'iththe best Ene needs to kno' the roots fro 'hich s+ch people have spr+n.

3ere is also a slice of the osaic that is erica, a co+ntry not +nlike 7o+th frica in any 'ays. Bothare yo+n and vioro+s, the eetinplace of frica and =+rope. Nat+re has racio+sly siled on bothand endo'ed the 'ith riches +nder and above the ro+nd and 'ith a bea+ty +ns+rpassed. 6heirpeople are 'ar, kind, enero+s and 'ith a concern for others. Biotry and racis are a c+rse on both,

for in both colo+r is kin. rroance of po'er is a pla+e in both, po'er so r+thless and anip+lativethat it allo's nothin to stand in its 'ay. )es, so +ch alike and yet so different4 6here is a proiseand a f+t+re in erica, for the bedrock of her fo+ndation is a constit+tion that +arantees liberty,e0+ality, freedo and the p+rs+it of happiness to all her people. Aor 7o+th frica there is no#aproise, soe hope. B+t the f+t+re is still bl+rred.

6here had been stirrins in e even before & left the University of Aort 3are. 6he blatant racis at3ealdto'n 'here & 'ent to school had opened y eyes. 6his 'as not so +ch directed to'ards +s, thest+dents. fter all, the 'hite establishent there 'as a little distant fro +s, and the three 'hites on the3ih 7chool staff co+ld not be acc+sed of bein racists. &t 'as the attit+de of the 'hite colony to'ardsthe frican staff that dis+sted e. & resented this 'ith all y so+l and co+ld not 'ait to et o+t of thatplace. & stronly s+spected that the interests of this establishent 'ere iniical to ine. 7o by the tie& ot to Aort 3are, all establishents 'ere s+spect.

< > ploitation of -an by -an hadbeen sashed and disbanded co+ld there be freedo in the 'orld. nd it 'as people 'ho, by takintheir destiny in their hands, co+ld chane thins, t+rn the aro+nd and create for theselves a ne''orld, a h+ane 'orld of free, liberated people. 3avin +nderstood this, & co+ld not leave it to othersto do. & had to be part of it.

< >i ii v t seven years, akin the o+rney hoe only three ties.3o' his father, a policean in &d+ty'a, ever ot to hear of onnebloe, 'e do not kno'.

&t 'as a lon o+rney fro hoe first on horseback thro+h the Dei 5ore to aaBhele 'here oneca+ht the train to Cape 6o'n. Er on horseback to aaBhele, then the train to =ast (ondon, 'here oneca+ht the boat to Cape 6o'n. Cape 6o'n4 &n fara'ay Cape 6o'n, 'ho 'o+ld look after hi 'hen he'as not in school Aort+nately, 8aes 6olbatt 'ho hailed fro 5eore*s neihbo+rhood and his'ife 'ere there and they took chare of hi. &t had been arraned that beca+se of the distance, 5eore'o+ld 'ork d+rin the 'inter holidays and coe hoe once a year. 3e fo+nd 'ork in the ho+se of aLr and -rs ;aterkant as office boy, helpin the doctor in his s+rery and also as ho+seboy, helpin inthe kitchen. 6he 'ork in the doctor*s s+rery ta+ht hi a lot abo+t ho' to treat infection and 'o+nds. better edical assistant yo+ co+ld not find any'here. 6he ho+se'ork also helped rid hi of thosepre+dices so coon aon en. 6ata co+ld cook, clean ho+se, 'ash and iron, soethin +nheard ofaon en in those days and, in soe cases, even these days.

6he ;aterkants liked hi so +ch they 'anted to take hi back to =nland 'ith the 'hen they left7o+th frica, so that he co+ld

< 1" principal of 6rafalar 3ih 7chool,'ho 'as a +nior at onnebloe 'hen 6ata 'as there. -r 3eneke 'as e>cited to kno' that the 8ordanchildren he 'as teachin at thlone 3ih 7chool 'ere the randchildren of 5eore, one of the fello'she had adired and respected in onnebloe as a freshan there.

5eore Ndabakayise cae hoe in 19"2, after seven years in Cape 6o'n. 3e 'as t'entyt'o years,

old eno+h to take a 'ife. nd the bi 0+estion 'as: ;ho 'as he to arry ;ere there irls oodeno+h locally to arry this polished entlean fro Cape 6o'n 3is other, Noa0'elane, did notthink there 'ere any. Perhaps in the Colony, across the Dei, aon the first failies of converts, thereiht be one.

-y other 'as &da Balfo+r, one of the any da+hters of -akhaphela 7anani Balfo+r, eldest son ofNoyi, 'ho, on baptis as a Christian, ass+ed the nae Balfo+r, after that einent 7cottish scholar LrBalfo+r of 5laso'. -y other*s other 'as =a, randda+hter of -hala, kin of the Ndlabes.


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Cyril -hala, 'ho 'ent to Canterb+ry for his ed+cation, 'as one of her brothers. -y other 'as bornin 1%%$ at (ovedale, the hoe of the Balfo+rs.

Noyi Hno' Balfo+rI had helped the ev. 8ohn Bennie alphabetise hosa and, in 1%22, these t'o hadprod+ced the first hosa prier. t the Ncerha station, Balfo+r and Bennie copleted the translation ofthe Ne' 6estaent into hosa and in 1%!# 'ent to 7oerset =ast to print it. &t 'as on their ret+rn fro7oerset =ast that they fo+nd that the ission station had been b+rned do'n d+rin the recent 'ar, the

socalled ;ar of 3intsa. Balfo+r 'ent to 6yhali, the reent, to ask for another site. 6yhali ave theissionaries a tho+sand oren of land 'est of the 6yh+ie, to b+ild a school that 'o+ld be a

< 11 t t'o, &da, aed seventeen, and her sister, nnie, aed si>teen,'ere not. Both failies settled for the seventeenyearold &da, tall and strikinly bea+tif+l. 6his 'as herfirst year of teachin at the local school, havin finished her teacher trainin at (aplo+h 5irls*7chool in B+tter'orth. &da and 5eore 'ere arried at 6h+th+rha ch+rch in Leceber 19"!. 7he 'as+st eihteen years old.

&da had hoped that her favo+rite brother, -enFi'a Hor Bh+t* -'enye as they called hiI, 'o+ld bethere for her 'eddin. 3e did not coe, for he 'as r+nnin a b+siness in -ossel Bay. 3o'ever,-enFi'a cae back a year after her 'eddin and one of the first thins he did 'as to visit his sister tofind o+t for hiself 'ho this *l+cky yo+n an* 'as. ;hen he arrived, his sister is reported to havesaid, introd+cin her h+sband to hi: *-eet this boy that yo+r father arried e to. ;hat do yo+ think

of hi* t t'entyt'o, 6ata +st have looked a ere boy of eihteen. 3is looks belied his ae. tfifty he still looked a yo+n an of thirtyfive. ny'ay, 'hat the brother sa' pleased hi. 3ere 'asan eleant, handsoe yo+n an, 'ith a keen ind, kno'ledeable and sophisticated, a entlean tohis finertips.

-enFi'a and 6ata hit it off 'ell toether fro the start and reained the best of friends to the end oftheir days. 6o +s children, no +ncle 'as as loved as -al+e -'enye, he loved +s in ret+rn. 3is 'ife,Nobani, a Nc'elesha 'oan of the ho+se of 6sha'e, becae one of -aa*s best friends. 7he 'as aneleant to'n 'oan.

& think y parents 'ere a nearperfect pair. -y father 'as si> foot t'o, 'ell b+ilt, dark cople>ioned,dinified, 'ar, kind, enero+s, slo' to aner, +nderstandin, 'ith a healthy attit+de to'ards 'oen,

a entlean thro+h and thro+h. -any of his feale conteporaries often said that in his presencethey never felt inferior or

< 12 hibitions, choir copetitions she 'as also allo'ed to visit her n+ero+s sisters andbrothers 'ho, in t+rn, visited her. -any of the faily c+stos 'ere 'aived in her case. ll this 'as

done beca+se accordin to 5randa, *c+lt+red people* did not have to observe s+ch c+stos. 6o be freeto r+n their lives as they sa' fit as *c+lt+red people* the yo+n co+ple 'ere enco+raed to ove o+tof the bi hoestead H-Fikh+l+I to b+ild their o'n hoe. En this site they b+ilt their odern, threebedrooed s0+are ho+se, 'ith t'o rondavels on each side, and stables for the horses and their Capecart. 6hey ave their hoe a backdrop of trees, 'ith a veetable and flo'er arden in front, soe fr+ittrees at the back, beyond 'hich 'ere the plo+hin fields, all fenced in.

6his is y hoe, y birthplace and that of y siblins. &t 'as to this ho+se that the issionaries, theirfailies and the teachers cae. &t 'as here that visitors of all sorts local and fro abroad cae. &nthis ho+se & first et and sa' a black erican, Lr ;riht. nd beca+se 'e had been told thaterica 'as a co+ntry 'here the people had freed theselves, & tho+ht erica 'as a co+ntry ofblack people. Beca+se of the ev. 6hopson, any visitors to 6ranskei 'o+ld visit o+r ission station

and, invariably, he 'o+ld brin the hoe to eet y parents or to eet -aa if they had alreadyet 6ata. Besides, all the ed+cated failies in the district and beyond kne' each other and 'ere veryclose. Gisits aon the 'ere coon. ll this 'as in addition to visits fro -aa*s h+e faily.

-aa soon becae pop+lar as seastress and dressaker. ;eddin o'ns 'ere her speciality. H-ysister 5ranny 'as to follo' her in this.I 7he +st have been in reat deand, for & reeber piles andpiles of bridal aterial in one corner of the roo. 6he irls 'o+ld coe to o+r ho+se for eas+reentsand fittins, 'ith soe

< 1! trovert that & a, & pointed to y ne' dress. *Lon*t yo+ see*

7he had to la+h. No' 'hat teacher does not like a child like that


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Before the end of y first year in school, 'hen & 'as fo+r and eiht onths, -aa died. 7he had beenill early in the a+t+n, b+t recovered. 6hen she 'ent do'n 'ith pne+onia late in Ectober and died'ithin a 'eek. 7he had been n+rsin a+nt Laisy, 6ata*s sister, 'ho had been bro+ht very ill fro herhoe to 5randa*s ho+se.

< 2$ t day. 7he left, proisin to coeback on -onday.

-y cot 'as in the roo 'here y parents slept. En either side of the roo 'ere their beds, 'ith atable in the iddle, a dresser on the side of 6ata*s bed, and y cot bet'een -aa*s bed and the dresser.

& 'oke +p that 7+nday ornin, and looked across at -aa*s bed. 7he 'as lyin on the attress on thefloor, and her bed 'as folded and p+t behind the door. 6ata 'as sittin on the ede of his bed, dressed,and on one of the chairs in the roo Eo Papana, -aa*s co+sin, 'as also sittin. 7ohlophe cae in'ith a tray of ornin coffee, set it on the table, stood at the foot of 6ata*s bed, and looked across at theattress on the floor. 6hen 6ata broke the ne's to her: *Nonk+l+leko, -aa has left +s, y child. 7hedied early this ornin.*

7ohlophe stood there for a fe' in+tes, t+rned ro+nd and 0+ietly 'ent o+t. 6o this day & do not kno''ho broke the ne's to Ntanashe and 'hat her reaction 'as. Nor do & reeber seein either of thecryin. & do not recall 'ho helped e dress, nor 'hat the reaction 'as 'hen 'e three et. ;hat &reeber ne>t is the three of +s sittin on the steps in front, eatin $vubo'hich 6ata ave +s. & do not

even recall finishin eatin and 'hat 'e did after that. B+t & reeber 5randpa, coin fro-Fikh+l+, breakin do'n as soon as he entered o+r ate, and 6ata oin +p to hi, leadin hi tothe roo 'here -aa 'as. 6hen o+r co+sin N0alolo, 'ho lived at 5randpa*s, bro+ht o+t the o>en,inspanned the o>'aon and headed for to'n. 6hro+ho+t the day, people cae o+r relatives,neihbo+rs, -anci Nopitoli, +ncle 7oloon*s 'ife, and others. &t 'as a strane and f+nny day.

=arly in the evenin, the o>'aon cae back laden 'ith s+pplies and planks. &n it 'as o+r a+ntnes, 'ho 'e called *Colosa*, y other*s 'ido'ed yo+ner sister 'ho lived at Colosa, abo+tseven iles fro o+r hoe. +nt Colosa iediately took +s +nder her 'in, sa' to o+r cofort,oved e to the rondavel 'here y sisters slept and slept there 'ith +s. 7he took o+t soe of o+r bestdresses, se'ed black bands on the sleeves and did every

< 2J perience for children. &t can ake or destroy the, dependin ontheir aes and 'here they live. ;e 'ere fort+nate in o+r case for 'e had 6ata, lovin, patient,+nderstandin, enero+s, tolerant. 6ata played, as +ch as is h+anly possible, the role of father andother to'ards +s. =ven in o+r case the loss of a other affected +s profo+ndly, perhaps not soadversely for Ntanashe and e, as 'e had to learn 0+ite early in o+r life ho' to cope, fend foro+rselves and, above all, ho' to close ranks. ;e kne' 'hat solidarity 'as and 'hat it co+ld do for +s.6his lesson 'as to stand +s 'ell in later life.

7is* 5ranny, tho+h not 0+ite o+t of her teens 'hen -aa died, 'as by co+ntry standards ro'n +pand that 'as 'hy at nineteen she co+ld et arried. Besides, she had received all the trainin that

-aa co+ld have iven her. Beca+se of this, she 'as able to ake a s+ccess of her arriae and co+ldeven look after +s fro a distance of seven iles.

6he person, & think, adversely affected 'as 7ohlophe, +st thirteen at the tie of -aa*s death, noloner a child, b+t not yet a ro'n+p. 6here 'as no other to tide her over this period of p+berty, inspite of all the love and care 6ata ave. 7he needed a other to do it. (ike the three of +s, 7ohlophe'as stron, and in addition she had a char that 'as infectio+s and e>+ded 'arth. 7he 'as a entleperson. Beca+se of these 0+alities she dre' a lare circle of all sorts of people as friends. nd yet, forall these 0+alities, she tended to be less reso+rcef+l and leaned on 6ata, 5ranny, Ntanashe and e,even tho+h 'e t'o 'ere yo+ner than herself. Unfort+nately, she arried a very selfish an, a ale


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cha+vinist, 'ho 'anted to break her into 'hat he tho+ht a arried 'oan sho+ld be. Upinton Gillie,her h+sband, 'o+ld coplain: *)o+r father spoilt yo+ and ade yo+ think yo+ 'ere 'hite 'oen.* 6atanever ta+ht +s that. ll he ta+ht +s 'as that 'e 'ere the e0+als of everyone else and sho+ld nevertake second place to anybody, incl+din en. 7ohlophe co+ld not handle this sit+ation. 7he tried toeet the deands of her h+sband, b+t co+ld not, for she 'as not

< 2% en or the horse he +sed. &t'as oy 'orkin 'ith hi for he had a 'ay 'ith children, sho'erin praises on those 'orkin 'ithhi. t the end of a 'orkday, he 'o+ld stand in the kitchen door to reind those there that he 'o+ldneed a 'ar bath and 'o+ld say: *Please don*t foret Phyllie.* 3o' considerate4 ho' 'onderf+l4 ho'bea+tif+l4

6he herdboys co+ld not al'ays be relied +pon. 7oeties they absconded, leavin the stock+nattended in the past+re. En s+ch occasions 'e had to fill in +ntil a ne' herdboy 'as hired. Er theherdboys 'o+ld leave at critical ties stockdippin days and 'e, the irls, had to take o+r cattleto the dippin tank. &t 'as at these ties that & 'itnessed b+ll fihts. E+r b+ll, oland, 'as a chapionfihter. 6he inspectors at the dippin tanks 'ere al'ays very kind to +s. 6hey 'o+ld ask the otherherders to stand do'n for +s, so that o+r stock 'o+ld o in first, and 'e 'o+ld not 'ait lon in the0+e+e.

-y first lessons in the history of the ;ars of Lispossession 'ere fro 6ata. 3avin been born at theend of these 'ars, he had learnt fro those aro+nd hi a lot abo+t the and had ro'n to be a localhistorian of sorts. & 'o+ld soeties pick +p soethin, or bits of a story in his conversation 'ith

another an, sittin on the veranda or +nder the trees. 6hen 'hen 'e 'ere alone & 'o+ld ask hi: *6elle 'hat happened to -akana after he s+rprised the British at 5rahasto'n*.

6ata 'o+ld then relate the 'hole incident and ho' the British never forave -akana for their neardefeat at 5rahasto'n. nd that 'as 'hy they did not treat hi 'ith hono+r 'hen he cae toneotiate. 6hey capt+red hi and sent hi to obben &sland, 'here he and others escaped oneChristas ornin. 3e 'as dro'ned +st a fe' iles off the shore of Cape 6o'n, 6ata told e. B+t the

< #!


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hosa still believed that -akana 'o+ld coe back and lead the to victory, hence the hosa sayin',)u&a )u)a N/ele'.

Ene day, 6ata had been chattin 'ith his ood friend Eo 8oel Nobe'+ of ChiFele. & ca+ht this bitfro Eo Nobe'+:

Do+4 into ka -ati'ane4Usila oela phantsi k'e Ntab*e N0ad+Usidl* iiFila yaadodaUdada nesabhokb'e k+a Dh+sha.

7oe days later, 'hen 'e 'ere alone, & asked 6ata 'ho this '1ada ngesabho)h#e )u$a 0hu$sha''as.*6hat is -hlontlo, son of -ati'ane, kin of the -pondoise. 3e 'as the centre of the socalled-pondoise ebellion.* fter el+din the British forces for onths, -hlontlo fled to (esotho, 'herehe reained for soe years +ntil his capt+re, havin been betrayed by 8onathan, son of -oshoeshoe,and the oan Catholic priests. 6ata told e that -hlontlo 'as bro+ht hoe a prisoner. 7tandin onthe N0ad+ o+ntain, he looked aro+nd and sa' his land all fenced in. 3e cried like a child, sayin:*;here 'ere the people ;here 'ere the people that s+ch a thin co+ld happen* &t 'as years later,fro y h+sband, that & 'as to hear the details of the killin of 3ailton 3ope, aistrate of O+b+,

and the fliht of -hlontlo, ho' he hid for onths aon the -pondo of -0ikela, 'ho sheltered hi+ntil a place had been fo+nd for hi in (esotho.

;e 'ere sittin by the hede at hoe one day 'hen 6ata told e the story of the fliht of 7arhili andhis people after the ;ar of Ncayechibi. nd beca+se the places entioned in the story 'ere places in&d+ty'a Bende, Aalakahla, 5'adana, ChiFele, Ncihana, -bashe the story ass+ed a life of its o'n.3e +sed to like describin ho', after a niht on the banks of -bashe iver, 7arhili hiself, +ndercover of a thick fo, led his people across the river and not a beast 'as lost. 6ata 'o+ld say, *6he5caleka 'ill tell yo+ that the d+sky son of Nosa, after he had ordered all to 'ake +p, pointed so+th,pointed north, pointed east and pointed 'est, and a thick fo enveloped the and he led his peopleacross. &f yo+ 'ere to say that it co+ld not have been so, the 5caleka 'o+ld kill yo+.* nd then he'o+ld la+h.

;hen he 'as a st+dent at onnebloe in Cape 6o'n, he had seen in the Cape 6o'n Castle the cell'here Cety'ayo, kin of the +l+, had been kept, and also the cell 'here (analibalele, kin of the3l+bi, had been. & 'as to see these too 'hen & cae to live in

< ## ab* eFindlini Fabe (+n+k'eFo -ee no-adonela.

?6he h+e snake 'hose lon tail bars the entrance to the d'ellins of the 'hite en, eventhose of -aor ?=lliot@ and -cLonald@.


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ccordin to 6ata, 'hen the British capt+red 7ica'+ and locked hi +p in the ail in Dokstad, the-pondo follo'ed hi to prison, ref+sin to have their kin sleep there alone. 6here 'as no roo forall the cro'ds 'ho cae, askin to be locked +p 'ith their kin, and the British 'ere forced to let7ica'+ o+t.

6he praises of 7ica'+ -thikrakra contain these lines:

N+ahob* aFiFantanta nen>a yokhoFi,-ah+d+l+4 loFiliela nelis'el* aaphiko4

?3e, in 'hose doain the doves are afl+tter for fear of the falcon.& s'ear by the h+d+l+, 'oe +nto that one that has no 'ins@.

7ica'+ -thikrakra, & 'as told, 'as a cr+el kin 'hose people deserted hi and so+ht ref+e 'ithother kins.

Geldan Bikitsha*s praises have the line:

7iya'+bana loti ka Bhokolo.

?;e clai this tree of Bo'ker@.

6his 'as e>plained to e as referrin to a trader, Bo'ker, 'ho had a store in the area 'hen the Britishcarved +p 7arhili*s co+ntry. 6hey fi>ed this store as the bo+ndary bet'een the hosa and the belt of-fen+ 'ho the British had settled here as b+ffer. Geldan Bikitsha, a -fen+, collaborated 'ith theBritish thro+ho+t this period. s a re'ard he 'as iven a far in Nkond'ane in the district ofCentane.

7arhili, the hosa kin, is associated 'ith the line:

< #$ claiin: *7o any cattle4* =ven those 'ho 'anted to +l+late co+ldnot, 'ith a+nt Laisy cryin: *-y father*s cattle4 -y father*s cattle4*

)es, a+nt Laisy 'as riht, these cattle 'ere her father*s 'hich 'ere shared aon the children 'hen5ovan, their father, died. ;hat 6ata had ac0+ired d+rin his first arriae he co+ld not to+ch. 6he 'ill

he dre' +p did not allo' it. ll that property 'as to be divided aon +s, his fo+r irls. 3e had+s+fr+ct rihts to it for as lon as it reained 'ith hi. Ef his inheritance fro his father*s stock, 'iththirty head of cattle one, perhaps he 'as left 'ith only half.

6hey drove all that stock to Oh+anco. 6he third horse follo'ed after the 'eddin. 6ata and =d'ina6handi'e -+dl'a 'ere ar

< $2 celled in their caterin. -y people had heard that the -+dl'as 'ere asophisticated lot #ath'u$ntu )u&a)udlan'iintsi$bi na$hlan!e'e are oin to sho' the 'hat st+ff'e are ade of.

;hen y redblanket a+nts sa' the -+dl'a 'oen 'ho had coe do'n, accopanyin theirkins'oan, they said: *6he -+dl'as cheated 7a-Folisa ?6ata@. 6his 'oan is too short for hi.;hy didn*t they ive hi this one, 8+dith, the co+sin, or this one, Noben+la, the a+nt* 6his 'as thesae reark 5ranny and a+nt nes had ade 'hen they heard 'hich of the -+dl'a irls it 'as.

&n the afternoon of the 'eddin day, a+nt Colosa took Ntanashe and e to 6ata in the roo. 3e hadnot seen +s for a 'eek and in the e>citeent he did not kno' ho' 'e 'ere doin. 3e 'as sittin on hisbed, tie and acket off, in his stockined feet, restin. ;hen 'e sa' hi, 'e both ran to hi and hefolded +s in his ars, kissin +s all over o+r faces. 3e asked +s to sit at his feet and asked a+nt Colosato brin +s food.

*6hey have already been fed, Bh+ti,* Colosa said.

*No, & 'ant to see the eat,* he responded.


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;e sat in the roo there 'ith hi 'atchin +s eat. ;e did not have +ch to say to each other. People'ere oin in and o+t of the roo. 6hen it 'as tie for hi to o to s+pper 'ith the bridal party. ;ehad issed hi. 3e had issed +s too and +st have been feelin +ilty that in the e>citeent he hadnelected +s.

t the end of the 'eddin, the +ests left. -y a+nts, nnie, O+eenie and -araret, and +ncle Colensostayed for a fe' ore days to introd+ce theselves to their ne' *sister*. 6hey liked her and she liked

the too. Uncle -enFi'a stayed loner, and had nothin b+t praise for this princess so nobly born.Colosa stayed for t'o 'eeks ore.

6he first niht 'e 'ere alone as a faily, 'ith only a+nt Laisy

< $! cept se>I of the h+sband she 'o+ld arry, let alone his children orthe 'elfare of her o'n children 'hen they cae. ;hat 'as 'orse, she had never been ta+ht the art ofood h+an relations. Pl+ned into a position of reat responsibility, ho' co+ld she cope 3o' 'asshe to handle it s+ccessf+lly nd yet, if she had kno'n the art of h+an relations, any 'o+ld haveserved her 'ith pleas+re and copensated for all those shortcoins. B+t +nfort+nately, she tho+htthat every yo+n 'oan 'as there to sed+ce her h+sband. nd people left, even those 'ho tried tohelp.

3o' traic that soe parents, in brinin +p their children this 'ay, never think of the tie 'hen thechildren 'ill be on their o'n in the 'orld. ;hen her son -F+kisi 'as a year old, y stepother'anted hi to be bro+ht +p by her people. 6ata left the child there for only a year and had hibro+ht hoe, sayin: *& can never have y child bro+ht +p by the -+dl'as, people 'ho do notkno' ho' to train children.* 6his 'as fro 'hat he sa' of their

< $# her to take soebroth, ake her cofortable, and 'hen she fell asleep, he 'o+ld o to the ho+se. 3e 'o+ld coe backaain to sit +p 'ith Ntanashe in the niht. Not once d+rin that 'hole period did y stepother coeinto that rondavel 'here the child lay sick. 7he sa' Ntanashe aain 'hen she 'as stron eno+h todra herself to the kitchen.

L+rin this period of Ntanashe*s recovery, 6ata, on coin hoe one evenin, asked =d'ina ho'Ntanashe 'as. 6hey 'ere in the roo toether and & 'as in the dininroo, ettin teac+ps.


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*(eave e alone4* sho+ted =d'ina. *& do not 'ant yo+r children4*

& can still hear the pain in 6ata*s voice 'hen he asked: *8+st tell e, =d'ina, 'hy do yo+ hate ychildren ;hat have they ever done to yo+ Please, please tell e4*

No' that & have children of y o'n, & kno' +st ho' h+rt 6ata 'as 'hen he heard that o+tb+rst, *& donot 'ant yo+r children4*, that afternoon in the roo.

+nt Colosa had told +s to o to o+r stepother for anythin that 'e 'anted. ;e did, tellin her 'eneeded this and that for school. B+t she never did anythin abo+t o+r re0+ests. 7o on one occasion indesperation, 'e 7ohlophe, Ntanashe and & sent a oint letter to 6ata 'ith the list of the thins 'e'anted for school. ;e slipped the letter +nder his pillo', each one fearin to ive it to hi. ;hen hesa' it and read it, he cae to +s in o+r roo to ask +s 'hy 'e had 'ritten hi a letter.

*Beca+se Colosa had told +s never to coe to yo+ direct, b+t ask thro+h -aa. ;e have done so. B+tnothin has happened and

< $J t day he took +s to to'n 'ith hi to b+y the thins 'e needed. 5ranny ade and se'edall o+r dresses. 6he aterials 'o+ld be sent to her or 6ata 'o+ld send her the oney to b+y theaterials. 6hen she 'o+ld coe to o+r school to take o+r eas+reents, and 'hen the dresses 'eredone, she 'o+ld brin the to school. &t 'as not +ntil 'e 'ere in boardin school that 'e 'ent to herplace on s+ch occasions, and reained 'ith her for a fe' days.

t that early ae, 'e learnt to close ranks, especially Ntanashe and &. Bein older, she took e +nderher chare, protected e and established a ro+tine for copin. ;e had learnt to 'ork at a very earlyae, even before -aa died 'e ot soe ood trainin +nder a+nt Laisy. ;e fed o+rselves before andafter school, ade o+r beds, 'ashed o+r clothes and 6ata*s, cleaned the kitchen and tidied the dininroo. 6'o children 'ho the -+dl'as had sent to coe and help their da+hter, -bikreni and(eFina, co+ld not take it they ran a'ay. 6hey had never been in a sit+ation 'here children fended fortheselves. Ntanashe and & did. ;e s+rvived.

;e 'ere to do the sae for =d'ina*s children 'hen they cae, for at eleven o*clock in the ornintheir other 'as still sleepin, blissf+lly +na'are perhaps that there 'ere toddlers to be fed andschoolchildren to be fed before they 'ent to school. s a res+lt, her children, especially those 'ho 'ereborn 'hen 'e 'ere still at hoe, becae very close to +s, in spite of 'hat their other 'as teachinthe, that 'e 'ere not their sisters. 3o' in the 'orld is anyone oin to convince a threeyearold, asevenyearold, a tenyearold, that this person 'ho feeds yo+, b+ys yo+ nice clothes, 'ashes yo+ anddresses yo+, sho'ers yo+ 'ith love, is not yo+r sister, and yo+ sho+ld ive s+ch a person a 'ide berth

&t is 'ellnih ipossible, & think.;hat y stepother 'as teachin her children bore fr+it 'hen her third son, 'elebh+na, otarried. Er rather booeraned. ccordin to c+sto, there are lots of ifte>chanes bet'een theroo*s and bride*s failies. ;hen the bride arrives, she brins ifts for her fatherinla', her otherinla', the h+sband*s senior sister and other relatives 'ithin the faily. 'elebh+na*s 'ife hadobserved this c+sto, brinin ifts for her senior sisterinla'. &n o+r case, this 'as 5ranny, andeverybody kne' this. B+t y step


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< $K t train, p+t +p at soe hotel in Utata, to see 'hat'oen her h+sband 'o+ld be oin aro+nd 'ith. 7he failed to realise that 'ith her there, no 'oen'o+ld be b+FFin aro+nd hi.

-y poor stepother, 'hose parents sent her o+t into the 'orld never havin prepared her for life. 7heco+ld have been a s+ccess, for there 'ere ties 'hen she sho'ed she co+ld do thins and do the'ell. B+t like all people 'ith a 'eak sense of responsibility, there 'as no consistency. 6hro+ho+t herlife there 'ere ebbs and flo's 'hen thins 'ere not done riht or not done at all, and then chaosreined. Children cannot be bro+ht +p in s+ch an atosphere. &f 6ata, Laba'o and all those otherpeople 'ho 'ere present had not been there on and off, & sh+dder to think 'hat

< $9 i had coe to pick =d'ina fro the ho+se, the day she left. B+t strane, 6ata said,she had not 'ritten since she left, even to say ho' her randfather 'as. *)o+ kno',* 6ata contin+ed, *aday after =d'ina left, & et co+sin Ared 'ho told e he 'as on the ornin train to =ast (ondon 'ith=d'ina. & 'as s+re he 'as akin a istake, that it +st have been on the afternoon train. 7o Ared 'asriht. ;o'4 6hat is =d'ina, all riht4*

3e sho'ed +s the letter that a+nt -araret had 'ritten to hi. 6he ne>t day 6ata sent a telera to her+ncle 3arold 5+leni -+dl'a, askin hi to find o+t if =d'ina 'as in =ast (ondon. 3er +ncle actedat once and sent 'ord to another +ncle in =ast (ondon, 'ith 'ho =d'ina 'as stayin. 7he 'enthoe to Oh+anco and cae back to +s +st t'o 'eeks before & left for Droonstad. 6hat incident 'as

to have a profo+nd ipact on e. &t chaned the co+rse of y life.

< J" claied. *Eh, 6ata, yo+ think & cannot anae*

*& had to coe back, +st in case,* replied 6ata.

;e boarded the train, bade fare'ell aain, and off & 'as to 3ealdto'n.

6here is nothin as e>citin to yo+n people as those train o+rneys to and fro school. 6here is a lotof la+hin, teasin and eetin of old friends after a lon Christas holiday. 6he ne' st+dents areintrod+ced to these friends, and 'ith hope and apprehension they sile back and shake hands. 3o'any ties on that first train o+rney did & not hear y co+sin (inda say to her friends: *6his is Phyllis,y co+sin. 7he is y ne'coer and nobody is oin to to+ch her.*

6he ne>t day abo+t t'o o*clock 'e 'ere at Blaney 'here 'e had to chane trains. 6hereafter there 'asanother t'oho+r stop at Din ;illia*s 6o'n 'here the train picked +p ore st+dents. 3ere (inda


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introd+ced e to her friends, aon 'ho 'as -+riel

< J2 en fro the plo+hin fields, even tho+h this 'as still a b+sytie of the year. ll seeed desolate.

;here & cae fro, there 'as no istakin a an*s hoestead, even if it did not have any iposinrondavels. 6here it stood 'ith its three or fo+r b+ildins, the co+rtyard, and beyond that, the cattlefold.;hat had happened to the people here 'as the 0+estion in y ind. -y first letter to 6ata, aonother thins, dealt 'ith this desolation & had fo+nd in the Ciskei. 6he ca+ses & 'as to +nderstand later'hen & ot to learn abo+t the ;ars of Lispossession and their conse0+ences.

s the train approaches -0akh'ebe, past the iosa roves in and aro+nd Din ;illia*s 6o'n, onecan see the athole -o+ntains 'ith their hihest peak, the 3osback. Belo' the are the 3ohoforests, in 'hich is fo+nd the iNtaba )a Ndodathe peak that has inspired hosa poets. 7. =. D. -0hayicalled it the *footstool of y ods*. &t 'as fro these o+ntains and in these forests that 3oho, the

Dhoikhoi 0+een,?M@ carried on her +erilla 'arfare aainst

?M@ M Before the van+ard hosa, the harhabe, crossed the Dei iver, this 'hole area 'as occ+pied bythe Dhoikhoi +nder their kin, 3intsathi. fter years of protracted +erilla 'ar, the hosa offered theDhoi over a tho+sand head of cattle to allo' the to settle here. 3oho, the 'ido' of thekin,coanded the Dhoi forces after the death of her h+sband. 6hese forests are naed after her.

< J! c+se to involve theselves in the affairs of the hosa +nderthe prete>t of helpin N0ika. Aor havin involved the British in hosa affairs, N0ika is kno'n as thefirst frican 0+islin. 6oo late 'as N0ika to realise 'hat he had done 'hen the British, no lonerneedin hi, thre' hi o+t, an epty shard. &t 'as then that he cae to call the British '4o(hina )a(honono $ayi&al' i$a&' en)o$o si&e )udl' isigqo)ro'?6hose 'ho 'ill tie +p fast the prenant co', so


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that 'hen it calves, they, and they alone, 'ill have the ilk c+rds@.

s the train passed Ncerha HliceI, beyond 'hich one sa' the trees s+rro+ndin (ovedale, & co+ld notb+t think that here y other*s forebear had iven his life in the service of his people, that soe'hereaon those trees 'as the spot 'here -aa 'as born. Passin lice, the train 'o+nd itself alon thevalley belo' the 5aa rane and reached Aort Bea+fort at si> o* clock in the evenin. ll these scenesfascinated e, for & had heard the spoken of 'ith nostalia by -aa*s people, the Balfo+rs.

3ealdto'n lies at the end of a ravine in the -ankaFana rane of o+ntains. &t is sit+ated in one ofthose fertile valleys of the Dat iver, 'ith the -ankaFana as backdrop. 6he ev. 8ohn yliff of the;esleyan 7ociety 'as ranted this land by the British overnent shortly after the ;ar of 1%!#!$. 6othis ission station yliff, 'ith the enco+raeent of the British, bro+ht soe of the -fen+ 'ho hadsettled oriinally at Peddie. 6hese -fen+ established theselves in three co+nities iediatelyaro+nd the ission station 6yatyorha, (ayeni, N'ev+ and another, Nobhanda, soe five ilesa'ay. 6hey 'ere placed here as a b+ffer bet'een the colonists and the hosa 'hose land this once 'as,and 'ere to be the eyes and the ears of the colonial overnent.

< J# en 'as 6yhali*s area 6yhali, N0ika*s son by his favo+rite 'ife, Nonibe. North of -o+nt -o>en to'ards the Datberrane 'as -a0oa*s area -a0oa, 'arriorkin, firstborn son of N0ika. -a0oa held his co+rtnot very far fro 'here the to'n of Aort Bea+fort stands. &t 'as in this area at -thontsi near theDatber that -a0oa once ro+ted the British forces. 6he hosa 'ere thereafter driven o+t of the areabeyond the 6yh+ie iver, and the land they vacated 'as declared a *ceded area* in 'hich nosettleent 'o+ld be allo'ed.

;hen & ot to 3ealdto'n, the -fen+ co+nity 'as aitated. 6hese people had been allotted land ona 0+itrent syste, 'hich ave each faily a piece of arable and residential land accopanied by a titledeed. year before y arrival the overnent had deanded that the people s+rrender their titledeeds. 6he people ref+sed and a co+rt case ens+ed. =very 7+nday st+dents and the co+nity'orshipped in the sae ch+rch special prayers 'ere said for the case of *the titledeeds* iTyala leTayitile and a special collection 'as taken for the pendin case. Aort+nately for the people of3ealdto'n, after years of litiation the overnent 'ithdre' its deand.

6here 'as in those days no transport for st+dents fro Aort Bea+fort station to 3ealdto'n, a distanceof ten iles. 6he instit+tion sent lorries to pick +p the st+dents* l+ae, 'hich 'as all d+ped in thedininhall at the boys* school, 'here st+dents collected it the ne>t day. ;e had to 'alk those ten iles

in the darkness, reachin the school at eleven o*clock or idniht, tired, dirty and h+nry. 6ho+h'alkin or doin anythin as a ro+p can be reat f+n and tho+h the distance 'as reat, & did not feelit +ntil & reached the school. 7ince 'e co+ld not et o+r l+ae +ntil the follo'in day, it eantcarryin o+r provision baskets 'ith +s as there 'o+ld be no food 'hen 'e ot there. & do not kno''ho carried ine as & co+ld not have carried it all that distance. & can only +ess that (inda*s or5aase*s friends helped e.

;hen at last 'e reached the school, 'e 'ent to the bathroos for a cold sho'er. 6hen accordin toarea and friendship each ro+p


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< J$ ebers of staff, incl+din the principal, -r Ball, a;elshan. 6he others 'ere -essrs 5eore Caley, son of the principal of the trainin school,-acpherson, son of a issionary, 8ohn -ilton akade Noah, one of the first rad+ates fro Aort 3areand son of the principal of the B+ntinville ission school in the 6ranskei, 7eth -okitii, 'ho 'as tobecoe the first black president of the -ethodist Ch+rch in 7o+th frica, and Arank Noble Black(ebentlele, 'ho ta+ht at 3ealdto'n for thirty years, before takin +p the principalship of -aser+3ih 7chool in (esotho. 6here 'as no 'oan staff eber. B+t before & left ore staff had oined thehih school black and 'hite incl+din ;eaver -th+th+Feli Nc'ana.

& +st have been bored ost of the tie in class. & 'as so fidety, talkin, playin and prickin theother st+dents 'ith pins. 6hey 'ere forever tellin e to be 0+iet. 6he teachers 'ere very tolerant,

e>cept -r -okitii 'ho 'o+ld send e to the office. & soon learnt to behave in his class.6he irls* school 'as abo+t half a ile fro the boys* school, at

< JJ pelled for infrinin this re+lation.6ho+h 3ealdto'n 'as a coed+cational school, it 'as only in the hih school that classes 'erecond+cted coed+cationally. &n the trainin school, the irls occ+pied one side of the block and the boysanother. 6hey 'ere not s+pposed to talk to each other even if they et in the 0+adranle. &t 'as only inthe senior teachertrainin school hiher priary that the boys and irls sat toether in class.L+rin y last year i>ed dinners 'ere introd+ced, 'hich 'o+ld becoe an iportant feat+re of

3ealdto'n instit+tional life soe boys 'o+ld coe to eat dinner at the irls* school on 7+nday and acorrespondin n+ber of irls 'o+ld o to the boys* school for dinner there. Both irls and boys likedthese occasions, for they 'ere allo'ed to dress as they pleased. 6hen one sa' the children 'ho caefro hoes 'ith oney. 6hey 'ent to those dinners dressed to kill.

3ealdto'n4 ;hat a c+lt+ral desert4 6here 'as nothin to do b+t o to class and ch+rch, eat, sleep andplay sport. & liked tenni0+oits and soon becae one of the star players. Aro +nior netball, & rad+atedinto the senior tea, playin centre. & had played netball

< JK in freely 'ith 'hites. 6hey said very little abo+t theposition of blacks in the United 7tates. &f they had et Pa+l obeson it 'as beca+se he 'as a siner.Professor . D. -atthe's, the first rad+ate fro Aort 3are, 'as an e>ception in this reard.

;hat a racist place 3ealdto'n 'as and contin+ed to be +ntil its deise in the afterath of the 19KJst+dents* protest4 E+tside their vario+s departents there 'as no i>in bet'een black and 'hiteteachers. t the irls* school, the t'o atrons both 'hite ate alone in their dininroo, 'hile thefrican 'oen teachers ate 'ith the st+dents in the dininhall. t the boys* school, the 'hite+narried teachers ate 'ith other staff in the 5overnor*s livin 0+arters, 'hile the frican staff ate 'iththe boys in the boys* dininhall. -ost of the staff played tennis, b+t they never played toether. Ene'hite staff eber, 5eore Cook, son of the 'arden of ;esley 3o+se at Aort 3are, had to resin histeachin post at 3ealdto'n beca+se the other 'hites coplained that he 'as fraternisin too +ch 'ithblack staff, fello's he had kno'n at Aort 3are 'hen they 'ere all st+dents there.

t least at (ovedale there 'as soe seblance of interracial livin aon the staff ebers. 6here

'ere interracial i>ed choirs of teachers and st+dents, i>ed social atherins, staff teas and dinnersat the principal*s residence, and black and 'hite here kne' each other. Not at 3ealdto'n4 & co+ld not'ait to et o+t of that place4

< J%


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Fo#! )a#e

;hen & 'as fifteen & 'as a'arded a 6ranskeian Bh+na 7cholarship to Aort 3are. 6he 6ranskeianBh+na 'as one of the fo+r pillars that s+pported Aort 3are. 6he other three 'ere the PresbyterianCh+rch, the -ethodist Ch+rch and the nlican Ch+rch, or the Ch+rch of the Province as it is kno'n inthese parts. ll their contrib+tions to Aort 3are 'ere financially atched on a po+ndtopo+nd basis bythe overnent. part fro the Aort 3are A+nd, the 6ranskeian Bh+na had set +p a -erit 7cholarshipA+nd for boys and irls fro 6ranskei or 'ith roots in 6ranskei to o to Aort 3are. &t is these Bh+nascholarships that have iven 6ranskei an ede over the other areas in the n+ber of collee rad+ates itcan boast.

Aort 3are is naed after Colonel 3are, one of the British officers in the socalled ;ar of -a0oa. 6hefort he b+ilt here still e>ists and is no' an historical on+ent. 6he collee itself 'as the brainchild ofLr 8aes 7te'art, principal of (ovedale fro 1%K2 to 19"$, b+t the oranisation and the plans 'ereonly set in otion after his death by ch+rch leaders and fricans 'ho athered at (ovedale for acoeoration service, 'here the idea of startin a collee as a fittin eorial to Lr 7te'art 'asebraced by all 'ho cae. 6he deleates 'ere each instr+cted to preach the idea of a collee for theirsons and da+hters to their o'n co+nities and to collect f+nds for its constr+ction. ll 'ho 'ere

there did +st that. t the ina++ral eetin the 0+estion arose of adittin 'oen. ;itho+t adissentin voice, the deleates decided that 'oen sho+ld be aditted fro the start. ;hen Aort 3areopened in pril 191J, of the forty st+dents fo+r 'ere 'oen, t'o fro 6ranskei.

6he first ebers of staff 'ere Lr le>ander Derr, fro 5laso', and Professor Lonald Lavidson8abav+, 'ho 'as the only black

< J9 )eran, his 'ife 7+sie and their children. Lr

)eran, a black erican, had been sent to 7o+th frica by the erican 7t+dent Christianssociation.

6he Aort 3are 'oen H& 'as no loner a irl no', & 'as a 'oanI 'ere ho+sed in akeshift c+biclesattached to the 8abav+ ho+se on the banks of the 6yh+ie iver, +st across the bride fro lice.6here 'ere only nine 'oen 'hen & ot there. 3ere aain & et NoFipho Ntshona, 'ho had shared'ith e her 'ild t+rnips at recess on y first day at school at L+ff ission. 7he 'as copletin herderee. 3ere also 'as 5aase Ntloko, 'ho had taken chare of e at Din ;illia*s 6o'n on y firsto+rney to 3ealdto'n. 5aase had preceded e to Aort 3are and 'as finishin her atric+lation.=>cept for NoFipho Ntshona, all the irls 'ere fro 'ellkno'n 6ranskeian failies 7oa,-ahlaneni, NoF'ana, Ndaase, another 7oa, +nrelated to the first, Ntloko, -adap+na and Daoli.

E+r 'arden 'as Alorence 6handis'a 8abav+, 'ife of Professor 8abav+ and da+hter of the ev. =liah-aki'ane, an intellect+al iant aon fricans and one of the best brains that ever cae o+t of(ovedale. Ef all his children that & kno', his da+hter Alorence 6handis'a 'as the one 'ho inheritedhis depth and breadth of intellect and o+tlook: a 'oan in a an*s 'orld4 B+t as 'arden, she 'as acoplete fail+re. 7he had no interest in +s, her 'ards, nor in o+r 'elfare, and no faith in 'hat she andher h+sband 'ere doin at Aort 3are. -rs 8abav+ told +s any ties that 'e sho+ld not even iaineo+rselves in the position she 'as in. 7he, too, had been fort+nate to have a fatherinla' 'ho had theforesiht to send his son for ed+cation overseas.

;hile 'e 'o+ld be invited for teas or dinner by -rs Cook, 'ife of the 'arden of ;esley 3o+se, or by


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-iss 7yth, sister to Bishop 7yth, 'hen they 'ere still there, 'e never had any s+ch invitations fro-rs 8abav+. 7he 'as not even there 'hen soe of the irls ot bad ne's fro hoe the death of aother, father, sister, or brother and she 'o+ld only becoe a'are of it 'hen she sa' the irl inblack and 'o+ld ask: *-ahlaneni, 'hy is soandso in black* 6he irls looked after each other,coforted each other and loved each other. 3ere 'as another case of benin nelect.

6he other black faily on cap+s, the )erans, froericans,

< K" ties, Lr -a> )eran 'as one of the lobbyists for7o+th frica in ;ashinton, L.C. t the tie of the Cono tro+ble, he 'rote a ost stinin article onthe back'ardness of the frican. 3e kne' the, he said. 3e had lived there for over t'enty years. No'onder 'hite 7o+th frica loved Lr )eran.

s soon as Beda 3all 'as copleted for the en st+dents, 'e the 'oen 'ere oved to the oldfarho+se that had ho+sed the en. s 'arden 'e had -rs 5raves, 'hose h+sband 'as a eneraloverseer of the 'hole instit+tion. ;hat a difference4 ;e 'ere ade to feel at hoe, 'hich 'as neverthe case at the 8abav+s. 6he 5raveses 'ere a very +sical co+ple and 'hen they discovered that 'ekne' any of the =nlish chor+ses and adrials, +sic evenins 'ere oranised in their livinroo,and 'e all san and had reat f+n. 6he 5raveses 'ere ood to +s and 'e enoyed the.

=ven as 'e started the year 'ith the 5raveses, 'e 'ere told that they 'ere only a stopap, for o+r'arden 'o+ld be coin in si> onths. 7he 'as oin to cobine the d+ties of 'arden 'ith those oflibrarian. 6r+e eno+h, 'hen 'e cae back after the 8+ne holi

< K1 t, & 'ondered if the historian had all his facts riht. )ears after, 'hen & 'as in Arance, &had to o to 7aint ntoine to find the 'ine shop 'here

< K2 tend to the banks of the6yh+ie. lon the river are the ost roantic foottrails, leadin soeties to a ford in the river,soeties stoppin +st at the 'ater*s ede and other ties contin+in endlessly alon the banks.;alkin alon these foottrails, one can hear thes#ish6s#ishof the 'ater as it 'ashes over the rocks,or the #hoosh6#hoosh+r+r of the 'ater in the deep pools as it lides alon. bove are the noises ofthe treed'ellers the t'itterin of birds or the bang bangof the 'oodpecker, +st ahead of one.

3o' & enoyed follo'in those foottrails on a 'eekend afternoon 'ith a friend, ale or feale4 & 'asyo+n life 'as ood. & 'as a yo+n lady, bea+tif+l, eleant, hotly so+ht after by the yo+n en at the

collee. 3avin been bro+ht +p by a an, & like en. & a, in fact, ore cofortable 'ith en than &a 'ith 'oen. t Aort 3are & liked the attention that so any en paid e. ;hile & disco+raedsoe, there 'ere a fe' that & kept aro+nd e, played 'ith the as a cat plays 'ith a o+se, kept aleash on the, 'ith each one of the hopin that soe day he 'o+ld carry hoe the priFe. -eas+rinthe distance, & al'ays ade s+re that & 'as in coand of the sit+ation all the tie. & do not think & didthis beca+se & 'anted to h+rt anybody. & kept these en aro+nd e beca+se & liked their copany. & didnot ean to be cr+el to the. 6o e it 'as +st a ae. & a ratef+l that none of the hates e forthis. -any have reained friends 'ith e since o+r Aort 3are days.


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;hen y f+t+re h+sband, .C., first sho'ed interest in e, & 'as shocked. 7+ch an old an4 Lid hethink & 'as eant for an old an & 'asted no tie. & told hi to foret it. 3e left e alone. 3e 'as+ch older had been o+t in the field, teachin had coe back to f+rther his ed+cation and he 'as oneof the serio+s senior st+dents at Aort 3are. & 'as only seventeen and a freshan. 6his 'as

< K! ainations. &t 'as areed +pon five o* clock ons+chands+ch a day. & told y boyfriend the ne>t day and 'e both la+hed. *3e still is keen on yo+,-iss Phyl,* y boyfriend said and 'e la+hed.

& copletely forot abo+t the date 'ith -r 8ordan, reeberin it only 'hen & sa' hi oin to'ards7te'art 3all, apparently fro o+r hostel. -rs 8abav+ told e that -r 8ordan had been to see e. & hadbeen in lice the 'hole day to see off y friends fro (ovedale. & 'as b+sy 'ith y o'n packin and

preparin to leave the ne>t day, 'hen -rs 8abav+ cae to the roos: *Phyllis, Phyllis, here*s 8ordan tosee yo+. Cob yo+r hair and tidy yo+rself +p a little.* & did not even have a decent dress o+t to p+t on. &rabbed 5aase*s and 'ent in to eet hi. ;e et in -rs 8abav+*s pantry this 'as the only privateplace, as the 8abav+s had +ests and the ho+se 'as f+ll. -r 8ordan bro+ht +p the s+bect aain. & adeit 0+ite clear aain that it 'as *no*. & 'as polite, civil and dinified. Partin, he said: *&f & ever brin +pthis s+bect aain, don*t blae e.*

& la+hed inside, thinkin: Poor fello', 'here in this 'ide 'orld is he ever oin to eet e 3e 'asoin to his part of the 'orld and & 'as oin to ine. ;here 'as he ever oin to eet e aainPoor fello'4

*re yo+ contin+in 'ith (atin, ne>t year* he asked.

*& think so.*

*)o+ ay find this +sef+l,* Hhandin e a key toPro Milone'hich 'as oin to be one of the (atinte>tbooks the follo'in yearI.

*6hank yo+4* nd 'e parted.

-y boyfriend and & left for hoe the ne>t day, ade an overniht stay in Din ;illia*s 6o'n andcontin+ed the o+rney the ne>t day. En this train 'as -r 8ordan 'ith other Aort 3are st+dents oinhoe.

fter playin these cr+el aes 'ith en 'ith very little reorse, & decided to o steady at seventeen.& realised that the ae & 'as playin, tho+h not cr+el in y eyes, 'as danero+s & 'o+ld not al'ays

be in coand. &f thins ot o+t of y control & co+ld be h+rt. & settled on a handsoe, tall fello',eleant, charin, 'ar,

< K# plain that the -+dl'as are, in fact, y stepother*speople. ;hen 'e visit any of the 'e are e>tended the sae favo+rs and privilees enoyed by niecesany'here in o+r part of the 'orld.

3alley did not coe back to Aort 3are the follo'in year and the year after. 3e had to o and 'ork, asno' his yo+ner brother, 7onto, 'as at Aort 3are. B+t nothin 'o+ld shake e. -en 'ere b+FFin

aro+nd e, tryin their l+ck. & hoofed and kicked the 'ith a veneance and in the end only the ostdarin cae any'here

< KJ onths of y final year at Aort3are, he 'as 'ith his sister, -rs Dabane, at (ovedale. 3e had an e>aination to 'rite and had coe+p to prepare. &t 'as a ood thin he 'as aro+nd, beca+se the arriae of Ntanashe in 7epteber thatyear had +pset e. Not that & did not kno' Ntanashe*s 'eddin 'as pendin. & kne'. 7he had beenenaed for over a year. ll the sae, the fact that she 'o+ld not be there 'hen & ot hoe 'as nonetoo pleasant for e. 3alley helped e over this diffic+lt period.

7oeties & think it is +st as 'ell that 3alley and & did not end +p toether. 6here 'as a lot of

e>citeent and any e>pectations on both sides of the faily. 6o the 8ordans & 'as a total straner andso 'ere they to e and y faily. ;ith the there co+ld never be: 3o' co+ld soandso, of 'ho 'ee>pected so +ch, 'ho 'e tho+ht 'e kne', do this and that No, not 'ith the. Perhaps byreflectin in this 'ay & a able to ease y +ilt, +ilt that has stayed 'ith e for years. En occasions'hen there 'as a lot of is+nderstandin bet'een e and y h+sband, the tho+ht that it 'as notyself and 3alley al'ays coforted e and & co+ld et over the 'hole thin and foret it. 7trane4

3alley and & never et aain e>cept once in Din ;illia*s 6o'n in 19$9. ;e 'ere both arried andhad children. & 'as on y 'ay to Cape 6o'n and had ade a stop at Aort 3are to visit an old st+dentfro Droonstad. ;hile there & heard that he 'as still in the civil service in Din ;illia*s 6o'n, and &visited hi in his office. ;hen & told hi it 'as a friend 'ho had infored e he 'as in Din;illia*s 6o'n, he siply said: *3o' strane that yo+ sho+ld not even kno' 'here & a and yo+

sho+ld be told by soeone4 3o'

< KK t day she and & et in to'n tob+y a fe' thins & iht need. -aa pitched in too, preparin and packin y provision basket. &t 'ashectic +p to the tie the ta>i cae to fetch e to take e to the train station. &n to'n & sent thistelera to 3alley: *(eavin for Droonstad, E.A.7. to teach. ;ill eet in O+eensto'n in 8+ne. (ove,-iss Phyl.*

6ata cae to the station to see e off. 3e 'aited there 'ith e +ntil the train steaed in. 3e 'as veryapprehensive and 'as reatly relieved to see that a faily friend, -rs Ntlabathi, 'as on the

< %" i and 'e drove to 'here & 'as to live. (ate in theafternoon .C. and -iss 7oa took e to the principal*s, to eet hi and his faily. ;hen -iss 7oaand & et, 'e h+ed and kissed.

.C. rearked: *Phyllis, yo+ did not do that 'hen yo+ et e. ;hy are yo+ so partial*

En the train -rs -a+ane had iven e her address in 7ophiato'n and invited e to visit her sho+ld& o +p to 8ohannesb+r. & 'rote to her d+rin y first year in Droonstad, b+t never 'ent to visit her.fter 'e 'ere arried .C. often said ho' he 'ished to eet her to tell her that he 'as still keepin

his proise to her that afternoon at the Droonstad train station, akin s+re that no har cae to e.;hen the rest of y faily heard that & had one to Droonstad to teach, a place beyond Bloefontein,they 0+estioned 6ata*s 'isdo in allo'in e to o that far. 6ata al'ays told the: *7he 'ill be allriht. 7he kno's 'hat & e>pect of her.*

B+t ho' did Cino kno' of e and that & 'as lookin for a teachin post a 0+estion 6ata had asked.& 'as to et the ans'er fro .C. a onth after y arrival in Droonstad. *)o+ kno', coin back toDroonstad, & et Nosithe on the train,* he said. *&n fact it 'as fro her that & ot to kno' yo+ 'o+ld notbe oin back to Aort 3are, if yo+ ot a teachin post. strane coincidence4* he rearked. *& 'as tohave taken the second train o+t of Utata. B+t &


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< %2 posin theselves to death anddaner en like 3enderson Binda, obert 7ello and others. 6he NC had once had its stronest


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branch in the Erane Aree 7tate here in Droonstad. &t 'as in the Droonstad ail, aon others, that'oen protestin aainst passes had been held d+rin the Airst ;orld ;ar. 7o the people 'erepolitically conscio+s. 6heir co+nity eetins in the co+nity hall on civic atters 'ere not onlyinterestin b+t very ed+cational. En co+nity affairs they tended to act toether reardless of ethnicand lan+ae differences.

& boarded 'ith -rs -onyake in B (ocation. 3er ho+se 'as a 'oodandiron b+nalo' and 'as one of

the better hoes in this section of the location. -ost 'ere flatroofed +d ho+ses 'ith three or fo+rroos. -rs -onyake*s ho+se 'as one of the fe' that had a coal stove the rest +sed open braFierso+tside in the yard. None of the ho+ses had r+nnin 'ater or an inside toilet. t strateic points at theend of streets 'ere co+nal 'atertaps. Aort+nately each ho+se had to have its o'n individ+alo+tho+se. & 'as reatly relieved to kno' that & 'o+ld, at least, have a place that & co+ld call a *ho+se*and co+ld point it o+t to y friends.

Poor as the people 'ere, ost of the 'ere standholders that is, they had bo+ht the lots fro the+nicipality and b+ilt their ho+ses. 6his 'as the pattern for ost of the Erane Aree 7tate, and beca+seof this one did not find in this province the +ly sl+s 'hich are a feat+re of frican +rban livin. &nost cases, as soon as the econoic sit+ation iproves, the people tear do'n the +d

< %# ty teachers, all +nder one head, einald Nd+iso Cino, a rad+ate fro Aort3are 'hose hoe 'as at e-f+ndis'eni, Pondoland, 6ranskei, 'here his father, ;alter Cino, had beenprincipal of the priary school. 6he hih school 'as yo+n, only five years old and 'as the second dayhih school for fricans in the 'hole co+ntry. H6he first 'as in Bloefontein location, also in theErane Aree 7tate.I 6here 'ere seven teachers on the hihschool staff five en and t'o 'oen. Efthese seven, fo+r 'ere fro 6ranskei, incl+din the only t'o collee rad+ates on the staff. & had coeto fill in the place of a feale teacher 'ho had failed to report for d+ty 'hen the schools opened.

6hese hih schools had started as contin+ation classes beyond 7tandard J, an idea of the then Chief&nspector of Native =d+cation, -r D+schke. -r D+schke had been appalled by the n+ber of frican

children still of schooloin ae 'ho had to leave school after 7tandard J, beca+se their parents didnot have the oney to send the to feepayin schools. -r D+schke had then coe +p 'ith the idea ofcontin+ation classes, 'here st+dents co+ld be prepared for the 8+nior Certificate e>ainations. &nDroonstad these classes started +nder 8oe DokoFela, onetie teacher of . D. -atthe's in Diberley.-r Cino had s+cceeded -r DokoFela 'hen he left.

-r D+schke had ot the frican ch+rches the -ethodist, the Presbyterian and the nlican to pooltheir reso+rces and ere their schools into one *Bant+ United 7chool*. ;hen this had been


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< %$ epted fro fees. & have yet to see children as h+nryfor ed+cation as those frican children & ta+ht in Droonstad. 6hey liked school, liked their school'ork, and becae lovers of books, literat+re and everythin that sti+lated the ind. nd yet any ofthe cae fro illiterate and seiliterate hoes, 'here the parents did not even read a ne'spaper, letalone a book.

;hen & first cae there, & co+ld not +nderstand ho' st+dents 'ho co+ld not pay fees only t'opo+nds a year co+ld afford to have bicycles. & soon learnt that these bicycles 'ere not for pleas+re.6hey 'ere +sed for cartin -aa*s loads of 'ashin to and fro the 'hite hoes in to'n and the

s+b+rbs. ll ablebodied ad+lts, en and 'oen, apart fro 'ives of inisters, teachers and b+sinesspeople, either 'orked in to'n or took in loads of 'ashin. &n the afternoon after school, the boys'o+ld cycle to to'n 'ith a b+ndle

< %J i to N0abarha. H3e never referred to y place as L+ff.I En secondtho+hts & chaned y ind for fear yo+ iht set yo+r dos on e. B+t & did follo', for abo+t threeiles, the road that oes there.*

*Eh, 8oe4 7et dos on yo+4 ;ho 'o+ld do that*

*Not the other people for they don*t kno' e. B+t & feared yo+ iht.*

*Lo yo+ think & a that bad then*

*3o' a & to kno'*

;e travelled back toether. En ettin to Droonstad, & fo+nd & 'o+ld have no place to stay as ylandlady 'as oin to le>andra, in 8ohannesb+r, to oin her h+sband. .C. 'as very +chconcerned. &n three days, he fo+nd e a place 'ith -r and -rs 3enderson D'ayani Binda in L(ocation. -rs Binda had, as a tableboarder, a edicine an, kno'n thro+ho+t the location and itsenvirons as Lr hadebe. Lr hadebe 'as in reat deand aon the blacks in the location and aon

'hites in the city and on the fars. =very Ariday evenin a line of cars co+ld be seen alon the fence,borderin the open space in front of the ro' of ho+ses in this part of L (ocation. 6hese beloned to'hites 'ho had coe to cons+lt Lr hadebe. Ence or t'ice a 'eek, he 'o+ld anno+nce at table that he'as oin o+t to s+chands+ch a far and the farer 'o+ld be coin to pick hi +p. &n theornins after s+ch trips, he 'o+ld coe in, all siles, and take o+t of his briefcase a 'ad of notes,oney he had received the previo+s niht, anythin fro !"" to $"" po+nds sterlin. *)o+ see, -issBinda, 'hat & et fro one Boer 3e pay e ood. & does a ood ob too for hi. 3is calves 'ill notdie any ore, or his nooi'ill no' ets a child. 6hey be arried for si> years. 6hey*s can*t ake achild. 7he 'ill et it this tie. & ive her ood edicine, -iss Binda, ood edicine.* HLr hadebe did


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not kno' the difference bet'een *-iss* and *-rs*.I

En those days 'hen he had been to the ho+se of a teacher, n+rse or priest, he ade a point of tellin +sabo+t the visits. & s+ppose it 'as his 'ay of inforin e that y collea+es 'ere his clients too. Lrhadebe 'as also fao+s for his *divinin bones*, +nlike any that people in this part of the co+ntry hadever seen. C+rio+s, & asked hi if he co+ld let e see the. 3e sho'ed e. (a+hin, & said: *&s thisall*

< 91 perience, too, in (ana location in Cape 6o'n.;hen & talked abo+t this 'ith Ntanashe at one tie, she advised: *8+st listen don*t even try to ar+e'ith the for they 'ill not believe yo+. &f anythin, they 'ill think yo+ are pretendin.*

&t 'as in the Binda ho+se in the evenins that & heard of the escapades and advent+res of the en in the&CU in its heyday in the Erane Aree 7tate. & listened fascinated as Ntate Binda related these stories.6here 'o+ld also be tales fro frican history as 'ell the attack on 6haba Bosi+ by -panaFithaand his 3l+bi, and ho' the Basotho h+rled bo+lders at the and repelled the the fliht of-panaFitha and his en and their last stand on the banks of the Caledon, 'here the 3l+bi eneral fell.& heard the 7otho version fro Deable -ote, reat friend of Ntate Binda, and the 3l+bi version fro.C., as told hi by his father. Both versions 'ere s+bstantially the sae. &t t+rned o+t that this 'asanother area 'here & shared an interest 'ith .C.

< 92 plainand apoloise. & 'as feelin too h+rt and ashaed to eet hi. En the train & et NF'anenk+l+ Ainca,a friend.

*-nt+'ak+sasa, 'hy here & tho+ht yo+ 'o+ld be in Utata.*

*7chools are openin in a 'eek. & have to be hoe,* & said.

*No4 Aort 3are is not d+e for a onth. )o+ ean to tell e yo+*re not oin back ;o'4* he la+hed.

*& don*t kno'. & think & like teachin. -oreover, 'e have to disc+ss the 'hole atter 'ith 6ata,* & toldhi.

;e parted in &d+ty'a, he oin hoe to Colosa, & to L+ff.

*& tho+ht yo+*d be in Utata,* rearked 6ata 'hen he sa' e.

*& tho+ht & sho+ld coe hoe so 'e can disc+ss the 0+estion of y oin back to Droonstad.*

*6hat 'as decided before yo+ 'ent to Droonstad, that yo+ 'o+ld be a'ay for +st one year and then oback to Aort 3are. No, Phyllie, yo+ have to o back and finish yo+r deree. & 'on*t have yo+ leave inthe iddle. )o+ have to coplete that deree.*

*& +nderstand all that. B+t this 'as only y first year of teachin, a year of trial and error, learnin ho'to teach. No' & think & kno' 'hat & 'ant to be & think & kno' 'hat it is to be a teacher and &*d like too back and teach.*

*;ell, & don*t kno', y child.* pa+se. *;hat abo+t yo+r st+dies*

*6ata, &*ll coplete y deree, & proise yo+. ct+ally, & think &*ll do it privately.*

*nd ho' yo+ kno' ho' to ar+e yo+r case4 &f that*s 'hat yo+ 'ant, then o ahead. 5et yo+rself ready.

;hen do they open in

< 9! c+se 'hen they invited eo+t to oin the. .C., noticin that & 'as not y +s+al self, backed off. 3e 'as very ood to ed+rin this period and +nderstood & 'as oin thro+h soe crisis. &n school 'e contin+ed to 'ork asif nothin 'as aiss.

& did not coe hoe that 8+ne. .C. attended a vacation co+rse at Aort 3are on frican lan+aes r+nby Professors 5. P. (estrade and C. -. Loke of the +niversities of Cape 6o'n and the ;it'atersrand. to+rin Aort 3are soccer tea stopped in Droonstad. &n the tea

< 9# pectin s+ch +ests. -aa 'as in her best ood, and she 'elcoed and received her +ests 'ith allthe 'arth they deserved. 7he co+ld be very racio+s 'hen she chose.

6he 8ordans 'ere not a kno'n faily in o+r part of the co+ntry. Enly one person by that nae hadbeen heard of this 'as 8ohn 8ordan, .C.*s +ncle, 'ho had been in the civil service in &d+ty'a. 6atakne' hi and had 'ondered, as he 'as talkin to 7ohlophe, if this 8ordan in Droonstad 'as notperhaps the son of 8ohn Nel, the nae by 'hich they kne' 8ohn 8ordan. 7o, before any disc+ssionsco+ld be entered into, the 0+estion of *;ho are yo+* had to be cleared. 6his 0+estion is asked ofanyone 'ho seeks a arriae relationship 'ith a faily. 3e has to ive his credentials to establish hisstat+s, either on acco+nt of birth or service to the co+nity. =ven a an of lo'ly birth 'ho has ivennoble service to his co+nity can arry into the nobility. &n o+r case, too, after the introd+ctions, the0+estion of *;ho are yo+, 'hat are yo+r roots* 'as asked.

.C.*s father ans'ered the 0+estion and, as one of the yo+ner +ncles later related, he 'as in his

eleent. *& a =liah 8ordan, son of Nelani, son of 8ordan, 'hose real nae 'as Ndianele. & a a3l+bi by birth, a citiFen of the -pondoise kindo. Ndianele, 'ho later ass+ed the nae8ordan, 'as a co+rtier of -a0oa at Nc'aFi. & 'as born at Nc'aFi in -a0oa*s co+rt. fter thearrest of -a0oa and the dispersal of those aro+nd his co+rt, Ndianele, like any others, 'ent to'ork for a 'hite an, 'ho ave hi the

< 9J citeent in Droonstad 'hen 'e ot back. -any had e>pected the enaeent tohappen. 7ol 6hlapane, in conrat+latin .C., said: *& +nderstand no' 'hy yo+ never invited any of +sto the train station, the day she arrived.* pparently, 'henever a ne' lady teacher 'as arrivin, thebachelor teachers 'o+ld all o to the train station to see if she 'as 'orth a shot at. ;hen the ne'sreached Aort 3are, the reaction 'as: *;hat 3e ot her 3o' did he do it* 6hey all decided it 'asteachin toether that did it. nd ho' tr+e4 &t 'as +st that4

-y sister 5ranny 'as not too pleased. t this tie she 'as correspondin a lot 'ith 3alley, of 'hoshe 'as very fond. ;hen she heard that & 'as enaed to .C., she 'rote to hi in Droonstad to


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conrat+late hi and ended her letter, sayin, *& hope -aa*s baby 'ill not be the eat, 'ith yo+ beinthe cat.* 6hat 'as y sister 5ranny all riht.

=ven tho+h 6ata had no' et .C., he too 'as not cofortable. 3e 'rote to a co+sin of ineteachin at the oan Catholic school in Droonstad, inforin hi that & 'as enaed to .C. andasked hi to keep an eye on .C. and see that he did not play aro+nd 'ith e.

No' that 'e 'ere enaed, .C. took e o+t alone ore often. ;e did thins toether and ot to kno'each other better. ;e both 'ent to 8ohannesb+r for the 'inter holidays, he to his brother in -odder=ast, 'hile & 'ent to y co+sins, the -dinis, in Erlando =ast. .C. cae +p to Erlando =ast one'eekend to see e and eet y folks there. -y co+sins liked hi, especially co+sin Arank*s 'ife, 'hotho+ht he looked a reliable fello'. En the day & left for the beinnin of the ne' ter in Droonstad,.C. bro+ht his t'o

< 9% people 'o+ld accopanye. 6here 'as oin to be no dress+p parade at -bokoth'ana, as is +s+ally the case. -y people'o+ld leave 'ith e the follo'in day and .C. 'o+ld leave 'ith +s as 'ell. &n spite of this, 5rannys+ested that at least the bridesaids and y best an sho+ld o, lest the people at -bokoth'anasho+ld 'ant a dress parade. *)o+ never kno' 'hat fricans 'ill do. 6hey 'ill 'ant to see their son inhis 'eddin o+tfit 'hen 'e et there,* she said. nd ho' correct she 'as. No one reebered any

areeents ade before the 'eddin 'hen o+r party ot to -bokoth'ana.

;e left hoe shortly after breakfast on 6h+rsday, in a party of t'elve, incl+din the drivers. -aa,6ata, 7ohlophe and other ebers of y faily 'ere on the veranda to bid +s fare'ell. Ntanashehad slipped o+t of the ho+se before this oent to avoid the fare'ell. & 'as lad: there 'ere never anyfare'ells bet'een +s. .C. 'as to tell e later that 'hen 6ata took his hand, he held it for soe tie,looked hi +p and do'n, siFin hi +p, then looked hi straiht in the eye before he dropped thathand.

*& kne' 'hat responsibility & had,* said .C. *&f & ever essed aro+nd 'ith yo+, yo+r father 'o+ld havekilled e.*

;e stopped at Utata 'here 5ranny bo+ht bo+0+ets, one for

< 1"2 perience for +s 'ehad never seen it before. ;e did not even kno' 'hat $)hupha'as, and it 'as only d+rin o+r staythere that 'e learnt it 'as stonero+nd corn bread. &n a neihbo+r*s rondavel 'here 'e 'ere ho+sed,the rindstone 'as b+ilt into the floor. s thins 'ere beinnin to ac0+ire eanin, -al+e-enFi'a, in his h+oro+s 'ay, said: *3ey4 6hey do rind corn here4 6he rindstone is part of the floor,not soethin that a 'oan brins in 'hen she has corn to rind. 3ey4 3ey4 & 'onder if y sister*s

child 'ill be e0+al to the tasks here. & s'ear by y sister =llen, da+hter of -akhaphela4* 3e 'asreally concerned and so 'ere all the others. 6he 'oen o+tside had not ceased their ockperforance. No' and aain, they 'o+ld appear and contin+e 'ith it. 6his 'as soethin4

n ho+r after o+r arrival, 'ord cae that 'e sho+ld dress for the 'eddin parade. 7aid 5ranny: *Lid &not tell yo+, -al+e & kne' they 'o+ld 'ant +s to dress +p, and that 'as 'hy & insisted that thebridesaids and best an sho+ld coe 'ith +s. 6here is not even a 0+estion of 'hether 'e areprepared or not. 6hey ass+e 'e are. fricans4*

7o 'e dressed +p first it 'as the 'eddin dress, and 'e paraded in that. ;e had l+nch at .C.*s andthen ret+rned to o+r 0+arters. &n the late afternoon, 'e chaned into the second dress and paraded inthat. & 'ore a kneelenth t'opiece.

&n the evenin it 'as the sae handover cereony aain, 'ith speeches and e>hortations, no' ostlyfro .C.*s people to their son and to e as a ne' eber of the faily. &n his speech, .C.*s father'arned e not to drive a 'ede bet'een .C. and his other. *Lafie is his other*s son no one is asiportant to Lafie as his other. & hope yo+ 'ill not 'ean Lafie a'ay fro his other. 6o +s here,yo+ 'ill be kno'n as 8No6Tuis8, 'hich 'as 8ordan*s 'ife*s nae Nokhaya in hosa.*

s if in reply to 'hat .C.*s father had said, his +ncle ;illie -ehlo

< 1"! +k+fana ?a nae he al'ays +sed@, yo+ have been a ood son, reliable and dependable.

& hope yo+ 'ill hono+r and respect yo+r 'ife and listen to her advice. &f yo+ look aro+nd and co+nt then+ber of en 'ho have ade soethin of theselves, yo+ 'ill find it is only those 'ho heededtheir 'ife*s advice. 6hose 'ho never did are nothin in the co+nity.*

6hen an old an, a -adikiFa, kinsan of the 8ordans, ot +p to add his piece. *& a lad to be here. &'as lookin for'ard to the 'eddin of this yo+n an for 'e are all pro+d of hi. 3e has bro+hthono+r to this ho+se of Nobhad+la and ade o+r nae kno'n aon nations. B+t to yo+, yo+n'oan, & +st say this: to e yo+ have disraced yo+rself, paradin in short skirts 'hile yo+ are aarried 'oan.*

Behind +s, & co+ld hear the rearks of the 'oen sittin there, in coplete areeent 'ith the oldan. *3e is riht4 3e is riht4 )h+4 Loes fashion ean this Lid yo+ see her 7he did not even closeher eyes4 6hey 'ere 'ide open4 7he sa' everythin4 )h+4 &t is too +ch4*

-y folks 'ere offended. B+t they did not say anythin in that atherin. s .C. 'as takin e andy sister 5ranny back to o+r 0+arters, y sister rearked to hi: *;ell, 7bali, & do not kno'. &t seesyo+r people are already findin fa+lt 'ith y sister even before they have kno'n her. ;e tho+ht yo+'ere an ed+cated an, a collee rad+ate, 'ho 'anted a odern 'oan befittin his stat+s. 6hat is'hy 'e bro+ht 'ith +s a odern 'oan. B+t it sees 'e 'ere 'ron. &f yo+r people pick on thischild no', even before 'e leave, 'hat 'ill they not do 'hen 'e are one & sh+dder to think of it.*

.C. left +s at the door and 'ent back. &nside o+r 0+arters y folks 'ere talkin abo+t the rearks ofthe old an 'ith reat concern and also abo+t the perforance of the 'oen o+tside d+rin the day.


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*;ill Phyllie anae here* 'as the 0+estion on everyone*s ind. Beca+se of their concern, they hadalready pers+aded a+nt Nosithe to reain 'ith e to help e 'ith all these tasks & 'o+ld be re0+iredto do, soe of 'hich 'e had never done before. Perhaps bet'een the t'o of +s, 'e co+ld anae.Poor Nosithe 'as so concerned. (ike Ntanashe, she never 'anted anythin to h+rt e.

8+st as 'e 'ere ettin ready to sleep, .C.*s father and his brother Aottie cae to apoloise for therearks of the old an.

< 1"# t day. 7o after leavin e and a+nt Nosithe at .C.*s, they 'ent.

-onths later, & 'as to la+h at -al+e -enFi'a for rearkin abo+t y short skirts. 3e had coe +pto Droonstad after Nandi 'as born to see the baby. & 'as e>cited and b+FFin all aro+nd hi. (ookinat e, he said: *Phyllie, these skirts are rather too short. & hope yo+ let the do'n 'hen yo+ visit theold people in the co+ntry.*

& la+hed. *6hat cannot coe fro yo+, -al+e. ;hen they coplained abo+t y short skirts, yo+'ere the first to defend e and deand an apoloy. No, not fro yo+, -al+e4*

*No, it 'as not that 'e did not appreciate their point. ;e did. ;hat 'e 'ere obectin to 'as to be toldto o+r face abo+t o+r fa+lts. 6hat is not the 'ay to treat people. )o+ speak behind their backs abo+tfa+lts yo+ think they have, especially if there is nothin yo+ can do abo+t the. )o+ don*t tell people totheir face. No, that is not the 'ay. 6hat 'as o+r obection.*

;e had taken -al+e to the school on this visit, 'here he addressed the teachers and the st+dents.6his 'as one feat+re of Droonstad 3ih 7chool. n+ber of people, ostly fricans, 'ere attractedby the e>perient and 'o+ld, on passin thro+h Droonstad, stop at the school to see for theselves.Cino al'ays invited the to address the teachers and st+dents. 6ata had done the sae too 'hen hecae +p to visit +s in the 'inter before Nandi 'as born. -al+e cae back ipressed so did anyof the R

?M@ M 7ir (anha Lale 'as 7+perintendent 5eneral of =d+cation in the Cape Colony in the days 'hen

-al+e and .C.*s father 0+alified as teachers.

< 1"$ pert on the history of the-pondoise and their neihbo+rs, the -pondo, Bhaca and hesibe. .C. 'as to develop that interesttoo 'hen he re' +p, an interest that led to his becoin one of the fe' e>perts on oral frican history,told fro the point of vie' of the frican people, the history that one seldo finds in books 'ritten bythe historians of the con0+erors. By the tie of his death, he 'as keenly so+ht after by st+dents offrican history, in 7o+th frica, =+rope and in the United 7tates of erica.

6he faily*s oriins 'ere at Nc'aFi in the co+rt of -a0oa, 'arriorkin, 'here their forebear

Ndianele 'as co+rtier. =liah, son of Nelani, son of Ndianele no' kno'n as 8ordan 'as bornat Nc'aFi. 6he 'hole area 'here Nc'aFi is sit+ated is the hoe of the hosa lan+ae here hosa'as first red+ced to 'ritin. 3earin ood hosa spoken ade Nelani, =liah and later .C. verysensitive to the bea+ty of the lan+ae, 'ritten or spoken. =liah ade it his d+ty to instil in all hischildren, ro'in +p in an area 'here one seldo heard ood hosa, a love of the lan+ae.Unfort+nately, only .C. sees to have capt+red this fro his father the other children speak thedialect of the local people.

-bokoth'ana 'as an o+tpost of 7t C+thbert*s ission at Ncolosi, and there 'as +ch interaction


74/154

bet'een the t'o. 6he issionaries at 7t C+thbert*s had a treendo+s infl+ence on all the 8ordanchildren, especially .C. and the sister +st after hi, Nontsikelelo, 'ho at the ae of seventeen oinedthe Erder of 7t 8ohn the Baptist for frican n+ns. Contact 'ith the fathers at 7t C+thbert*s, soe of'ho 'ere scholars fro E>ford, opened ne' vistas for .C. and ade hi look beyond hisiediate horiFon.

fter copletin his priary schoolin at -bokoth'ana and then 7t C+thbert*s, he 'ent to 7t 8ohn*s

Collee in Utata 'here he 0+alified as a teacher. 3e ta+ht at 7t C+thbert*s for a year, 'here hee>celled as choiraster, the second best in the 'hole district of 6solo after Lini'e -adala, no'principal of -bokoth'ana after the

< 1"% a and the

< 112 tras. & cae fro a siple r+ral hoe too. B+t 'e had a fe' e>tras that ade life a little easier andore cofortable. Aor e>aple, at hoe 'e al'ays had a barrel of 'ater for cookin, besides the'ater in the tanks 'hich 'as +sed for drinkin. Ene 'ent to fetch 'ater fro the river only 'hen the


77/154

barrel 'as epty and the boys 'ere not there to refill it. 3ere at -bokoth'ana one had to fetch 'aterfro the river for cookin, and in y case it eant 'ater for the baby*s diapers as 'ell. & 'as on yfeet oin to and fro the river. ain, at hoe, Nkoo, o+r eneral factot+, chopped and split thelos for fire'ood before he did anythin else. ;e chopped and split los only 'hen Nkoo*s pile 'asfinished. t -bokoth'ana, this 'as 'oen*s 'ork since they 'ere the ones responsible for cookin. &told .C. that this & 'as not prepared to do and, f+rther, that to e it 'as scandalo+s that his sister

NoaFa sho+ld be splittin los 'hile he and his yo+ner brother -onde 'ere there. day or so after &had told hi this, & sa' -onde choppin and splittin 'ood before oin on to the past+re. .C.helped, too, no' and aain.

&t had been a terrible tie. Beca+se of the strain and e>ha+stion, y ilk dried +p and y baby criedall the tie. & tho+ht .C. +nderstood that thins 'ere ro+h for e. pparently he had not, or+nderstandin, he tho+ht & sho+ld be p+t thro+h it aain. & asked yself aain and aain: Lid he not+nderstand 3e 'as there and sa' it all. ;as observin a 8ordan c+sto ore iportant to hi thanthe cofort of his 'ife and children & 'as anry, h+rt and bitter, and & a afraid that bitterness neverleft e.

En leavin -bokoth'ana that first tie 'ith Nandi, & ade +p y ind that & 'o+ld not aain s+bectyself to s+ch conditions. &f the parents 'anted to see +s, & 'o+ld send the tickets to coe toDroonstad. B+t no', here 'as y h+sband insistin that & o there 'ith a baby and a toddler. & told hi& 'as not oin. ;e had reached an ipasse.

.C. 'rote to y sister 5ranny, tellin her & 'as ref+sin to take his son to his hoe in -bokoth'ana,beca+se & felt it 'as not ood eno+h for e. B+t h+ble tho+h it 'as, it 'as his hoe and he 'aspro+d of it. -y sister 'rote e a lon letter, endin it: *)o+ foolish child, do yo+ not kno' that the-fen+ are a people of c+s

< 11! onths. &t 'as anoverniht visit. 7o the shades did spread their spirit over the and athered the in their ars. 6heyno' rest in peace.

s years 'ent by & soon noticed that clashes like these affected Nandi, o+r da+hter, 'ho 'o+ld etvery ill 'hen the relations bet'een +s 'ere not noral. &t 'as o+r concern for her that 'o+ld brin +stoether. Nandi 'as the baroeter of o+r relations. ;hen thins 'ere ood bet'een +s, Nandi 'as in


78/154

the pink of health. & 'as also at+rin and learnt to avoid confrontations 'ith .C.

.C. 'as ro'in too. 3e 'as becoin less conservative, thanks to o+r ovin to Cape 6o'n. &t 'ashere that he 'as to shed a lot of his conservative 'ays. 6his 'as thanks also to his best friend, &. B.6abata, an advocate of 'oen*s rihts, 'ho helped .C. ebrace the ne' 'ays and attit+des.

3o' does one reconcile the tastes of t'o people one e>pensive, the other siple and fr+al & al'aysla+h 'hen & read .C.*s description of the roo of the teachers at Ncolosi, in his book

?M@ M Leroatory e>pression +sed for anybody 'ho behaves in a 'ay strane to the frican people.

< 11# actly .C.*s idea of 'hat f+rnit+re sho+ld be fo+nd in a roo abed, a table to 'ork on and a s+itcase for one*s clothes. 6he only addition he 'o+ld have 'as abookcase, recordplayer and +sic records. &t is very diffic+lt to reconcile tastes that are so different.7oeties it is better not to try at all. ealisin that o+rs 'ere so different, & decided early in o+r lifethat & 'o+ld al'ays 'ork, so as to have y o'n acco+nt and +se y oney to b+y the thins & 'anted,and let hi pay the ho+se bills. & never asked hi for perission to do that. & +st told hi this 'as ho'

& 'as oin to do it. & had seen this done by y redblanket a+nts back hoe, 'ives of en of eans.;henever these 'oen 'ent o+t to earn oney, it 'as kno'n by their h+sbands that s+ch earnins'ere for their personal +se, to b+y theselves beads and other ornaents they 'anted. 6heir h+sbandshad no say in s+ch earnins.

6ata had never ind+led +s. B+t he al'ays bo+ht the best that his oney co+ld b+y. 7o 'ith yoney & dressed yself and y children, f+rnished y ho+se 'ith the best 'ithin y eans, and avethe children oney to b+y books and alb+s they 'anted and other thins that ro'in children 'ant.6his 'orked 'ell for all of +s. &f & had the oney, & co+ld o any'here & 'anted. &n this respect, & 'asa free and eancipated 'oan. B+t & eancipated yself, and fort+nately for e .C. ade no f+ssabo+t it.

3o'ever, on one occasion in Cape 6o'n, & bo+ht ne' sittinroo f+rnit+re. .C. 'as not s+re if thisacco+nt 'as in his nae and, an>io+s, he never said anythin abo+t the f+rnit+re, 'hether he liked it ornot. 3e 'as reatly relieved 'hen the sales papers cae in the ail and they 'ere not in his nae.Enly then did he say he liked the pieces & had bo+ht. 6he children and & la+hed, for by no' they toohad coe to kno' +st ho' fr+al their father 'as.

En another occasion, 'hen the bill fro o+r cheist cae and it 'as rather hih, .C. 'as anry hepaid for all s+ch and cae askin: *;hy is this bill so hih 6here are three kinds of toothpaste here.;hy* & e>plained that t'o of the kids liked one kind 'hile the other t'o liked another, and the thirdone 'as for the t'o of +s.

*No, no4 6he children +st +se ash to clean their teeth.* H6his 'as 'hat children +sed in the co+ntry in

his days of ro'in +p.I 3e had forotten that his children 'ere to'n children 'ho had never evenseen people +se ash for cleanin their teeth. Besides, 'here 'as & to et the ash in Cape 6o'n & 'asnot +sin a coal stove, b+t

< 11$ perience in the Erane Aree 7tate that really ro+sed to aner ysocial conscio+sness. s & looked at y class of forty or fortyfive st+dents, kno'in that of these only

abo+t ten co+ld say for certain that they 'o+ld o beyond 'hat o+r school ave, & often asked yself:*;hy B+t 'hy* & had been bro+ht +p in a hoe 'here the destit+te al'ays cae for help. 7o & 'assensitive to y p+pils* needs and sit+ation.

t 3ealdto'n, (ovedale and Aort 3are, the st+dents 'ith e, e>cept for a fe', had kno'n fropriary school that they 'ere headed for these places. -ost of o+r st+dents in Droonstad did not seeany f+t+re for theselves beyond their school. 6hey reained in school beca+se it 'as a ood place,better than life in the location. & kne' that soethin 'as 'ron soe'here. ;hat it 'as & had notfi+red o+t.

&n y last years at Aort 3are, a n+ber of +s bean to 0+estion soe of the thins 'e 'ere beinta+ht. ;e cae o+t 'ith the sloan *7o+th frican history is a lie*. ;e did not have all the facts to

prove o+r stateent, b+t 'e kne' 7o+th frican history 'as like the story of an anial h+nt thatlorified only the actions of the h+nters and said nothin or very little abo+t the herois and strateiesof the h+nted. 6he early history & learned fro 6ata told e that the frican people had been cheatedand robbed. 6he reasons for this 'holesale robbery had not been clear to e. 6hey 'ere to be adeclear in Droonstad, d+rin y years as a teacher there.

;hen & cae hoe in 19!J, & fo+nd 6ata and any others ettin ready to o to Bloefontein to hearthe reply of the overnent to their *no* to the 3ertFo Bills, 'hich proposed to take a'ay their vote.O+alified frican ales in the Cape Province had e>ercised the

< 11K a. 7'ept into the tide ofthe deonstration, & arched 'ith the teachers to the offices of the 7ecretary of =d+cation. ;hen 'eot there his assistant cae o+t, 'ith the ne' service contract, tryin to tell the teachers that this 'asthe best ever in the 'hole co+ntry. 8oey 8acobs rabbed it o+t of his hand, tore it to pieces and thre'the pieces into his face. & 'rote the e>aination the follo'in day still f+ll of the e>citeent of the daybefore. &t 'as ood & had been there for & co+ld report firsthand to .C., 'ho 'as no' president of

EA76, on the ood of the teachers in Bloefontein and its environs.L+rin the t'o years of .C.*s presidency, ne' branches of the oranisation spran +p in the ost+nlikely places in the Erane Aree 7tate Clocolan, ;epener, 7teynsr+st, and other little places thatone hardly ever heard of. 6he teachers* involveent in the Basner capain had sho'n the that there'as soethin they co+ld do abo+t their lot. &t 'as an e>citin tie.

Plans to liaise and coordinate 'ith the 6ransvaal frican 6eachers* ssociation 'ere initiated. By 19#$this body and EA76 'ere the ost ilitant in the 'hole co+ntry. ;ho 'o+ld have tho+ht then thatEA76 'o+ld be the first frican teachers* oranisation to 'elcoe Bant+ =d+cation 6he oldstal'arts left the province on retireent, transfer, prootion or death, and ne' en took over theoranisation 0+islins and collaborators. ;hile in the Cape Province and the 6ransvaal theovernent had to create ne' frican teachers* oranisations to proote Bant+ =d+cation, in theErane Aree 7tate the onceilitant EA76 'o+ld proote it for the.

6hat niht in 8+ne 19#2 at the Basner eetin, & obtained the ans'ers to soe of y 0+estions. & kne''here y place 'o+ld be in the 7o+th frican set+p. & +nderstood even the sliht racis of

< 121 cited, even o+r littleNandi. 7he told all 'ho passed by o+r ate that *;e are oin back to the Cape. ;e 'ill not be coinback.* Nandi 'as +st threeandahalf years old.

& had not been to Aort 3are since y st+dent days. .C. had been there t'ice once for the vacationco+rse and aain for his -.. rad+ation. B+t no' 'e 'ere oin back peranently to o+r Aort 3are.&f, in the years in the field, 'e had ro'n this +ch, ho' +ch f+rther co+ld 'e ro' in an intellect+alcentre like Aort 3are

6here are places in this 'orld 'hich are not of this 'orld, little islands 'here the inhabitants

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A Lifes Mosaic