by N.P. Maake

Review by David Bogopa (Dept of Anthropology, NMMU)

The story is about a young teacher who was renting a backyard room at a certain house in the township. He was highly politically involved and he decided to quit teaching and further his studies at the university. He could not finish his studies and came back to the township. He decided to apply for a job at a certain company as a driver. Workers at his company were involved in a dispute with management and they decided to go on strike which lasted for a long time. He influenced many people at the company to continue with the strike until their demands were met.

Another important character in this story is the young girl who was staying in the main house where the teacher was renting. She fancied the young teacher from the first day she saw him. She tried every trick in this world to get the attention of the young teacher but all in vain.

There were many strange events that happened to the young teacher prior to his marriage, namely: he was involved in a car accident, he ended up in hospital. He was under a heavy police guard in hospital and he managed to escape through the window. He also escaped through the window at his room while police were looking for him. Police followed him until he was overpowered and decided to hand himself to the police. He could not attend his marriage ceremony due to the above-mentioned incidents.

One of the strong points in this story is the emphasis on township petty politics, showing women’s lives and the intrigue around the newcomer to the neighbourhood (young teacher). Old women were trying their best that the young teacher should marry their daughters while young girls also position themselves to get the attention of the young teacher. The issue of real politics within the context of the working environment comes out strongly in the story where the young teacher is at the centre of controversy and ended up in police hands. Corruption within the police system also comes out strongly where police investigators influence a young girl to be a state – witness. Finally, is the issue of true-love where the young girl could not stand the pressure of being against someone she loved so dearly. During the trial of the young teacher, the girl is forced by the police to be a state witness against him. She could not handle the pressure of being against someone that she loved for so many years. As she was standing in a witness box, she collapsed and was taken to hospital and on the arrival at the hospital she was certified dead. The big question is what is the cause of her death? There is a great need for the author to continue with this story so that many issues that were left hanging could be addressed.

Last Modified: Fri, 31 Mar 2017 12:03:10 SAST