Stemme | Voices | Amazwi is LitNet’s series of 15 short, powerful monologues, written by established and upcoming playwrights, presented in collaboration with Suidoosterfees, NATi and ATKV.
In Fred Khumalo’s Ingoma kaTutu, a praise singer pays homage to the late Archbishop Desmond Tutu and chastises the current South African government for corruption and ineffective leadership. Zamah Nkonyeni performs the monologue, directed by Mdu Kweyama. Watch the performance here:
In this video, Zamah Nkonyeni and director Mdu Kweyama discuss their approach to the performance of ‘Ingoma kaTutu’.
The original monologue in isiZulu:
Ingoma kaTutu
Uyalazi izulu eliduma emini kabha ilanga libalele?
Uke wawubona umfula ogeleza ogwadule?
Uke walibona ibhubesi libhonga
Livusa umhlwenga, qede liyothi fofobala,
Lihlale nezimvu, kuxoxwe izindaba zoxolo nothando?
Uyayazi impophoma ephophoma umlibe,
Iphuphuma izindaba zobulungiswa nokuxolelana?
Wena Tutu, uyileyo nhlobo.
Indida, insumansumane imali yamakhanda
Eyabonwa nguChakijana, ezalwa kwaSithole.
Tutu, uyindida, uphice izitha
Zadideka tu-tu-tu!
Besishubile isimo.
Umbuso wobandlululo uzitika
Ngegazi lomuntu omnyama;
Becoboshisa izingane ngenganono,
Abazali bephonswa emajele,
Inkemane ithe bhe!
Waqhamuka wena Mbhishobhi
Weqiniso nobulungiswa,
Wathi: “sekwanele!”
Wampongoloza wathi:
“Le mifula yegazi egobhozayo mayigwenywe!
Abasemajele ngokungeqiniso mabadedelwe!
Iminyango yezemfundo mayivulelwe
Wonke uwonke, ngokulinganayo.
Mabuphele ububha, nengcindezelo!”
Wo!
Kwabe uyinyathele umsileni, mntakaTutu!
Abakhunkuli bombuso wobandlululo
Bakugxoba bakugxibha bakungximfa.
Bakungcofa bekungcofile,
Bakuthuka ekuthukile, bashiya abangalazi
Qede bathatha iphasiphothi yakho.
Kawuzange udikibale,
Kawuzange ulahle themba
Tu-tu-tu!
Uqhubekile nokukhuluma, ufunga ugomela
Ukuthi nawe uyolifela iqiniso,
NjengeNkosi yethu, uJesu Krestu.
Ukhulumile, wakhankasa, ulwela ukukhululwa
Kweziboshwa zomzabalazo wokulwela iqiniso:
ORobert Mangaliso Sobukwe,
ONelson Rolihlahla Mandela,
OWalter Sisulu nabanye
Abebebhadle emajele obandlululo,
Wathi bonke mabakhululwe!
Uwexwayisile umbuso wobandlululo
Wathi isikhathi sesidliwe yinja,
Wathi mayisulwe, iphele nya imithetho yobandlululo.
Wathi wonke uwonke owakhele leli
Makathole amalungelo afanayo,
Wathi zonke izingane zaleli lizwe
Maziye ezikoleni, zincele embeleni
Wolwazi ogwansile, ofanayo, ongenalubandlululo.
Wathi zonke izingane, zazo zonke izinhlanga,
Mazikhosele emthunzini wesihlahla
SoThando, iNhlonipho nokuBekezelelana.
Ukuphinde kaninginingi loku uthi,
Izwekazi laseNingizimu Afrika malibambisane;
Omnyama nomhlophe,
Kwakhiwe ikusasa eliqhakazile
Lawo wonke uwonke;
Ngale kwalokho, kuzonuka uhlofu
Kunuke injoloba,
Kuchitheke uphoko,
Igazi ligeleze emigwaqeni!
Yebo, ubhale uncwadi, wena Mbhishobhi wabantu,
NgoMay 1976, uyibhekise kuNdunankulu uJohn Vorster:
“I am writing to you, sir, because I have a growing nightmarish fear that unless something drastic is done very soon then bloodshed and violence are going to happen in South Africa almost inevitably. A people can take only so much and no more ...”
Ukhona na owake wakulalela?
Kunaloko, amahlongandlebe asePitoli
Akuchaphile akubiza ngekhomanisi.
Akubize ngephekulazikhuni nobhongoza
Wobubhengu bhengu bamalangabi odlame.
Kabazange bawagwinye lawo.
Gqamu!
Agqamuka amalangabi eSoweto, ngoJune 16, 1976.
Amakhaza obusika ansonsotha ngokwedlulele.
Umhlaba wonke ukhexile, ugqolozele amaphoyisa obandlululo
Ehlome ephelele, ecoboshisa izingane zingahlomanga.
Wavuka umbhejazane, wena Mbhishobhi wabantu,
Waziphonsa phambi kwezinganono zabacindezeli
Wathi, sekwanele, sekwanele!
Umhlaba wonke wawenanela amazwi akho,
Wonke uwonke wathi: sekwanele!
Lo mlilo kazokhele waseSoweto uvuthe ubulangulangu
Kwaye kwangena okaBotha umntwana esihlalweni sombuso
Wazama ukuwucisha, kwala.
Wabhenguza ngo-1985 uGroot Krokodil
Waze wafaka Umthetho weSimo eSibucayi
Konakala, kwanuka injoloba eDuduza;
Bamphonsa ithayi uMaki ezalwa kwaSikhosana
Washa wangqongqa umntwana wabantu.
Wowu! Kwabe bayithinte umsileni lapha kuwe Tutu
Wawahlasela ama-comrade, uwafundisa impucuko
Uwafundisa ukubaluleka kwenhlonipho emzabalazweni.
Uyiphikisile i-necklace wena Tutu
Wathi ngeke kulunge, tu-tu-tu!
Buqhubekile ubumayemaye bodlame,
Amaphoyisa ecoboshisa izingane.
Zaduma eKhayelitsha,
Kwakhalwa eCrossroads,
Kwasha eVosloorus!
Bamketula uBotha.
Wangena okayiKleke umntwana;
Lona abambiza ngo-FW
Naye wazama ukuwubhula umlilo.
Kanti useshiywe yisikhathi bandla.
Izingane zayitoyitoya
Kwatatazela u-FW
Wawavula amasango enkululeko.
Baphuma ejele oMandela.
Babuya ekudingisweni abakithi
Abebexoshwe wubandlululo.
Watoyitoya Tutu kwashunqa uthuli
Wawuqumba phansi umbuso
Ka-FW nabacindezeli bakubo!
Lwavota uquqaba ngo-1994
Watoyitoya ngenjabulo Tutu,
Wahleka kwavela elomhlathi
Wasina waqeqebula, utshela umhlaba
Ukuthi elaseMzansi izwe yilelo labantwana bakaNkulunkulu
Imibala yesikhumba sabo ifana nemibala yothingo lwenkosazana
Injalo nje, mntakaTutu:
“We’re the children of the Rainbow Nation!”
Wakusho loku uphindelela.
Injalo nje, mntakaTutu.
Sesiwaphethe awombuso amatomu
Kepha kuyanuka phu-phu-phu ephalamende!
Bantinyele Tutu batatazele;
Ngisho bona oNelson ezalwa kwaMadiba
Ngisho bona oThabo indoda yenqawe
Ngisho bona oWinnie Mandela
Ngisho bona oMsholozi engowaseNkandla
Zingane zoMzansi gxobani itoyi toyi
Yeqiniso likaTutu.
Ngizothi toyi toyi,
Nithi tutu
Toyi-toyi! Tutu
Toyi-toyi! Tutu
Yebo, ususishiyile kulo mhlaba ohlabayo,
Kulo mhlaba omagade ashisayo
Kulo mhlaba wezimpophoma zegazi
Nemifula yezinyembezi.
Kepha siyazi;
Siyazi ukuthi ukhona, umdibi nathi
Njengoba siqhubeka nomzabalazo wokwakha leli zwe
Umzabalazo wokuvuselela ithemba
Lokuthi loku esakulwela,
Loku esakukhankasela,
Saphonswa emajele, sabulawa, sisazokufeza.
Iphupho le-rainbow nation kalihambi naweDesmond Mpilo Tutu
Leli phupho liyohlale lisifaka
Ugqozi nentshisekelo yokusebenza kanzima
Ukuze lelizwe liphile, lidlondlobale.
Bhakuzisa amaphiko akho obuhlakani
Nokukhonza iqiniso nothando,
Wena Ngqungqulu eyampongoloza ngesibindi
Iphimbo layo balizwa bonke:
Balizwa eRegina Mundi,
Balizwa eSharpeville,
Balizwile naseSebokeng,
Balizwile naseBoipatong,
Bathokoza eThokoza
Bakhala eShobashobane,
Balila eGugulethu,
Bajabula eCrossroads, Cape Flats,
Balilizela eGaleshewe, Soshanguve, KwaMashu
Kude kude koNew York,
KoLondon, koRussia, koFrance bangakuphika na?
EChina bazokuthanda bengathandi.
Ngizothi toyi-toyi
Nithi Tutu!
Toyi-toyi
Tutu!
Toyi-toyi
Tutu!
An English translation of the monologue:
A song for Tutu
Have you encountered thunder on a clear, sunny day?
Have you seen a river flowing across a desert?
Have you ever seen a lion roaring,
Raising its mane, only to flop down
And lie among the sheep, sharing tales of peace and love?
Do you know a waterfall that cascades without end,
Overflowing with tales of justice and forgiveness?
You, Tutu, are of that kind.
A riddle, as incomprehensible as the head tax
That confounded Chakijana, the son of the Sitholes.
Tutu, the riddle, you confused the enemies,
Rendering them totally muddled!
The situation was tense,
With the apartheid government feasting
On the black man’s blood,
Mowing the children down with guns,
Their parents thrown into jail,
Hunger rampant everywhere!
You came, Bishop,
The bishop of truth and justice.
You said: “It is enough!”
You shouted and declared:
“These rivers of blood must be shunned!
The wrongly imprisoned must be freed!
The doors of education must be opened
To everyone, equally.
Poverty and oppression must be banished!”
By Jove!
You disturbed a hornets’ nest, Tutu’s son!
The evil apartheid government witches
Trampled, rejected and defamed you in disgust,
Vilifying you without end.
They insulted you till they ran out of words
And they took away your passport.
You were not discouraged,
You did not lose hope.
Not even once, tu-tu-tu!
You went ahead and spoke,
Vowing to also die for the truth,
Like our Lord, Jesus Christ.
You spoke and campaigned, demanding the release
Of the freedom fighters imprisoned
For daring to fight for the truth:
People like Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe,
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela,
Walter Sisulu and others
Who were languishing in apartheid jails.
You demanded that all should be freed!
You warned the apartheid government
That time was no longer on their side,
That apartheid laws must be repealed entirely,
That all the citizens of this country
Should enjoy equal rights,
That all children of this country
Should go to school in order to suckle
On the rich source of knowledge that nourishes all,
That all children, of all races,
Should enjoy the shade of the tree
Of Love, Respect and Forbearance.
You repeated many times that
The great country of South Africa must foster
Cooperation between blacks and whites
In order to build a bright future for all;
Otherwise, commotion will ensue,
And the smell of burning rubber will fill the air,
Bringing the country to desolation,
And blood will flow on the streets!
Indeed, people’s bishop, you wrote a letter,
In May 1976, to Prime Minister John Vorster:
“I am writing to you, sir, because I have a growing nightmarish fear that unless something drastic is done very soon then bloodshed and violence are going to happen in South Africa almost inevitably. A people can take only so much and no more ...”
Did anyone ever listen?
Instead, the Pretoria rascals
Insulted you and labelled you as a communist.
They called you a terrorist and a ringleader.
Fanning the flames of violence.
It was too late, indeed.
The fire suddenly flared up!
The flames flared up in Soweto on 16 June 1976.
The icy air of winter bit even harder
While the world stared in shock as the apartheid police,
Armed to the teeth, massacred the unarmed children.
You protested violently, people’s bishop,
And threw your body in front of the oppressors’ guns,
Saying, it is enough, it is enough!
The entire world echoed your words;
Everybody said it is enough!
This raging fire in Soweto burnt fiercely
Until Botha’s son became the leader of the government
And he tried in vain to douse the fire.
The Groot Krokodil moved diligently in 1985
And even declared a state of emergency.
Things deteriorated; the smell of burning rubber
Filled the air in Duduza;
A burning tyre was hung around the neck
Of Maki, the daughter of Sikhosana.
Someone’s daughter was incinerated.
Indeed! You were truly incensed, Tutu.
You confronted the comrades, civilising them,
Teaching them the importance of respect in the struggle.
You denounced the necklace, Tutu,
And said it would never be right, tu-tu-tu!
The wailing continued amid the violence,
With the police massacring the children.
Violence exploded in Khayelitsha.
People cried in Crossroads.
Vosloorus was in flames!
Botha was overthrown,
Giving way to De Klerk’s son,
The one known as FW.
He also tried to extinguish the fire.
But it was too late, unfortunately.
The children danced the toyi-toyi
And FW hurried about in panic
And opened the gates of freedom;
Mandela and others walked out of jail.
Our people returned from exile,
Those who had run away from apartheid.
Tutu danced the toyi-toyi with vigour
And overthrew the government
Of FW and his fellow oppressors!
The multitudes voted in 1994.
You danced the toyi-toyi joyfully, Tutu,
Laughing heartily and dancing vigorously,
Telling the world that South Africa
Is the land of God’s children, whose different skin colours
Resemble the colours of the rainbow.
That is just how it is, Tutu’s son.
“We’re the children of the rainbow nation!”
You said this repeatedly.
That is just how it is, Tutu’s son.
We now hold the reins of government,
But parliament is rotten to the core!
Sting them, Tutu, and make them uneasy;
I am referring to Nelson, the son of Madiba.
I am referring to Thabo, the man with the tobacco pipe.
I am referring to Winnie Mandela.
I am referring to Msholozi of Nkandla.
Children of South Africa, dance the toyi-toyi
Of Tutu’s truth.
I will say: Toyi-toyi
And you will say: Tutu.
Toyi-toyi! Tutu.
Toyi-toyi! Tutu.
Yes, you have left us in this cruel world,
This earth with hot clods of soil,
This world where blood flows like waterfalls
And tears flow like rivers.
We know, though:
We know that you are here with us
As we continue striving to build this country;
The fight to revive the hope
That what we fought for,
What we dreamed for.
And for which we were thrown into jails and murdered
We shall still achieve.
The dream of the rainbow nation
Will not die with you, Desmond Mpilo Tutu.
This dream will always give us courage
And the zeal to work hard
For this country to live, and to thrive.
Beat your wings of wisdom
And dedication to truth and love,
You, Great Eagle, who shouted fearlessly,
Whose voice was heard by everyone.
They heard it at Regina Mundi,
And they heard it in Sharpeville.
They heard it even at Sebokeng,
They heard it even at Boipatong.
And they rejoiced in Thokoza.
They wept at Shobashobane,
They wailed in Gugulethu,
They rejoiced in Crossroads, Cape Flats,
They ululated in Galeshewe, Soshanguve, KwaMashu,
Far away in New York.
In London, Russia, France, can they deny you?
In China, they will love you even as they hate you.
I will say: Toyi-toyi
And you will say: Tutu!
Toyi-toyi!
Tutu!
Toyi-toyi!
Tutu!
Stemme | Voices | Amazwi is supported by the National Arts Council.
Stemme | Voices | Amazwi is a New Writing project of LitNet and is supported by the LW Hiemstra Trust.
All the monologues are available here: