Poet Laureate Wally Serote’s epic poem goes on stage at State Theatre

He explains the rationale of turning the poem into a play Sikhahlel’u OR – A Tribute to Oliver Reginald in a wide ranging exclusive interview with CITYLIFE/ARTS

By Edward Tsumele, CITYLIFE/ARTS Editor

When celebrated poet, ANC struggle veteran and intellectual, poet Laureate Professor  Mongane Wally Serote presented a report about the activities in Botswana of Medu Cultural Ensemble to OR Tambo in Lusaka in 1978, the late leader of the then exiled ANC’s response left Serote in awe.

“He said let us use culture to unite our people. It is then that I became seriously immersed culturally even more strongly having been encouraged by OR Tambo’s response to my report,” Serote told CITYLIFE/ARTS in a wide ranging interview held at his home east of Johannesburg on Human Rights Day, March 21, 2023,  ahead of the opening of a play based on his epic poem. The poem published in 2018 is a conversation between Serote and the late leader of the ANC, interrogating the space post-Apartheid South Africa is at the moment.

The poem itself is a deep contemplation and introspection by Serote about the uncomfortable space South Africa currently finds itself in.

“Nelson Mandela warned us in 1997, saying that we need to be careful about people who were joining the ANC for their own selfish reasons and not to promote the values of the ANC developed since its formation such as non-racialism, democracy and social justice.  Those are the values that OR Tambo promoted and respected.  Today there are people in the country, unfortunately some within the ANC who have organised themselves to negate those values for selfish reasons, and issues such as xenophobia are part of those problems.

The ANC in terms of its values has always stood for the progress of South Africans, the African continent and the world at large. That is why when Tanganyika (Tanzania became free, whites in that country decided to leave as they did not want to serve under a black government, and OR Tambo had a conversation with Julius Nyerere. And that resulted in 28 nurses from South Africa, including Ma Sisulu (Albertina) going to Tanzania via Botswana to work as nurses, assisting in that country.

Tambo also held a conversation with Agostinho Neto of Angola, resulting in the ANC having a camp in that country. Similarly a similar conversation was held with Kenneth Kaunda, resulting in the ANC having its headquarters in Lusaka. All these developments took place with the leaders being very much well aware of the risks involved as apartheid South Africa had the strongest army on the continent and was going to respond accordingly.

Even when the first team of negotiators was dispatched to South Africa in the early 1990s, Kaunda offered his plane instead of using the plane from the South African government that they had offered the ANC team,” Serote reflected.

He added that that showed the ANC’s commitment to working with other African leaders to unite the continent for human progress.

“The ANC then fully embraced the Organisation of African Unity values, the fore runner to the AU, and Tambo played a crucial role to lead the ANC in that direction.

This play based on that epic poem is me talking to OR Tambo in relation to where we are now as a country and whether or not we still represent those values of non-racialism, democracy, African unity and world progress. Ntshieng Mokgoro, the director and I sat down and decided that for our people to access that poem the best way is to turn it into a play  that asks these complex questions.  We know that as a play the message contained in the poem will reach our people as our people love theatre because for some reason poetry, just like mathematics, tends to be inaccessible to a majority of our people,” he explained the rationale being the staging of Sikhahlel’u OR – A Tribute to Oliver Reginald Tambo.

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In essence therefore this work celebrates the life of OR Tambo directed by Mokgoro and Ntsika Ngxanga (The Soil) is the Music Director. The production stars actors Harriet Manamela (Skeem Sam), Thokozani Mthiyane and Thabo Ramaine.

Sikhahlel’u OR chronicles the life and times of O.R Tambo who served as president of the African National Congress (ANC) from 1967 to 1991. It follows Tambo from childhood in Mbizana, Eastern Cape, to the struggle, his role in the ANC and captures his vision for South Africa. The play also pays tribute to many others who participated in the struggle and some who paid for this liberation with their lives – A timeous reminder of the cost at which freedom came.

“This project is very close to my heart,” says Mokgoro. “It is relevant and important that this piece happens now at a time when the people of South Africa and the country are out of joint. It feels like the people who fought for Democracy, like OR Tambo, Mandela, Lembede, Sisulu, Luthuli, all took a million steps forward while this new generation, us, instead of enjoying this Democracy and Freedom, have actually taken a million steps backwards. It is a reminder that as a people we have forgotten who we are and we have forgotten the core of why these people fought for this country; they fought for the liberation of their people – which has now been individualised; it is no longer about the people, but about the individual. Once people get to the top, they forget about the people on the ground.”

Presented by SAST in partnership with the National Poet Laureate Hub, Sikhahlel’u OR is an adaptation of the namesake poem by Prof. Serote, which received great acclaim from the literary circle after its publishing in 2019.

Former President Thabo Mbeki called it “An immensely creative work of love.”

After suffering complications following a stroke, Tambo died on April 24,1993 at the age of 75. His death came a year before the 1994 general election in which Nelson Mandela became President.

“This tribute and praise poem in Professor Wally Serote’s book reminds us and brings us closer to who OR Tambo was, as we never knew much about him. Only now do I understand the depth and love that he shared for this country, that he sacrificed so much for us.” continues Mokgoro

“OR, if you were here in this time of history, what would you say what would you do?” – asks  Serote

Show Details:

Sibusiso Khwinana Theatre at The South African State Theatre (SAST)

23 to 26 March 2023

20h00

Tickets: R200

Buy tickets from https://www.webtickets.co.za/v2/event.aspx?itemid=1526691913