The Movies

The Movies

The Movies

Of all the movies that I saw I only cried on two of them or let me say two occasions .First it was a movie called ‘Imitation of life’, this was a movie about a black women light in complexion who passed for white, in Racist America. The girl hated her colour so much that she was even embarrassed to be seen with her mother in public. The final scene was when she was reminded of who she was and Mahalia Jackson was belting a tune that pieced the heart and made your soul bleed with painful emotions. This was heavy stuff and I could not take it and broke down at EYETHU CINEMA.AS the light came on after the credits I sat there alone wiping my tears. It was important not to be seen crying in public because back then Tigers do not Cry and I was a Tiger.

An extract from:

‘Dad This Children Cannot Prey’

By

Mac Temane

Stand by your man

Stand by your man

Stand by your man

Most women would think that when I refer to “Stand by your Man”, I am referring to those times when the bastard has messed up. You know those times when he has been caught with his hand in the cookie jar or with some lady in a dirty hotel room somewhere.

Oh NO! I am talking about something that we often miss. You see, all men love their mothers no matter how ugly they look. Why?

This is because their mothers are always in their corner from birth. I am using this boxing ring analogy because it is apt. My child never does wrong! If you do not want my child you will hear mothers say, you do not want me.Even when the brat is a no good, manner less, stupid son of a bitch.Mothers stand by their sons.

This sons know not only from birth but before birth. The protectionist method of mother to son is deep, please bear in mind, I am not saying ‘protectionist method of mother to baby’. In some cases the baby could be female! I am saying protectionist method from mother to son. In some countries mothers are made to feel inferior for carrying a girl child during pregnancy even.

So boy children are protected more and start daily chaos later that girl children. And this boy children do feel the previlage.You see, you could swear at a boy with his father and you will definatly live.If you dare swear at a boy or man using his mother? You may probably die.

When I say stand by your man I am now talking to my sisters to up their act by understanding how to get under a man’s skin and create the bond such that the one he has with his mother. I am walking on dangerous group here but I do not care. There are certain things that needs to be said. Girlfriends like mothers need to be loved not just bonked, loved.You girls know how it feels to be loved. You know when somebody is really into you. When he worships you not in a slavery way but when he is really into you. I am aware that many girls have not had this privilege because young men these days have lost the loving feeling and some of them do not know how to love. With computer games, smart phone, and all that crap getting in the way.

In fact I was addressing a club of girls in 2010 and out of 10, about 6 had not done ‘chick to chick’, you know a slow dance

Tear Drop

By

Mac Temane

Hot Stix

Hot Stix

Hot Stix

Sipho “Hot Stix” Mabuse is my friend finish and klaar.This is how we say it in the township where I grew up!

When you say ‘finish & klaar’ you mean that’s it.Not exactly the Selibi{Jacky Selibi was our former commissioner of Police} way just that he is my brother.

Stix and I would go training at the then Share World Centre every morning accept Sundays. We would run a quick 6km for our warm up then come back to the gym for our 3 Super Circuits with weights and more running before Mike ‘Sporo’ Mangena, Fusi Zazayokwe come to disrupt our routine with jokes.

These were great times and I missed these sessions every time I travelled in the world. I would even even wonder what the guys were up to each time I was being messed up by jet lag or a different time zone.

I now have those days to thank, for an illness free adulthood.

Stix had been the founder member of the famous ‘Beaters’ and later ‘Harari’ in the 70’s.I first saw him at the Mofolo Five Roses Bowl playing a song called ‘Musikana’at the age of 14years.Little did I know that I would use this song as part of my Comedy Release called ‘e Moholo’which I hope to remember to tell you about at some point.

He was wearing a funny looking denim bellbottom and an Egyptian Style hat that made him look like a Pharaoh in Blue Jeans. Then he played a song with the lyrics ‘in the beginning’.

And at some point broke into a flute routine .The crowd went wild with this melody and as usual girls were screaming. I had not experienced this befo

Extract from:

‘Dad these Children cannot Pray’

                  By

Mac Donald Temane

Luki

Luki

Luki

Trough out my life, I have always looked at incidents of public concern as to how they affect black people but sometimes I would forget that white people are people too. It is only when these issues affect my white friends that I begin to come to my true self. A soldier for the underdog!

When O.J.Simpson went on trial in the 90’s I wanted him to win or not to be found guilty. Not because he was innocent. But because he was an underdog and he was black and I felt a Blackman universally was on trial not O.J. So, when he won, a sense of victory and jubilation overcame me and I felt good. I even forgot that there were victims in Ron Goldman and Nicole Brown Smith which was a mistake.

So let me back up a bit, I first saw Luki at Share World entrance gate where he was waiting for a taxi to town. He had come to see some of the guys that I trained and played football with Joe, Tommy, Chippa, Dance, Nhlanhla, Spear.He was just a tall skinny lanky kid still looking for a break. I then saw him fall over an advertising board after he had tackled a striker………….I then knew that this boy had something special. He always played with his whole heart.

It so happened that at that time I used to be training Chippa’s legs with weights. We agreed on one of my favourite training leg routines called three in one. All those who ever trained with me know this regiment………..It is the bomb………I even recommend it for women too if they really want killer legs.

Chippa was initially scared of a bit of heavy weights thinking that it would slow him on the field.

Now, in a qualifying game against Congo, Chippa crossed the centre line and unleashed a short that send South Africa to the world Cup in France. It was a thunderous short that had more than 60 000 people in the stadium jump from their seats and the then 40 million citizens ecstatic……….I nearly fell from my suite at the First National Bank Stadium………We were going to France and I was part of it, in my own private way. After that day Chippa was never the same…….the less said about that, the better.

Anyway, shortly after that both Chippa and Luki were signed by Leeds United in the UK.Chippa was an instant hit and the Elland Road faithful’s sang ‘Waltzing Masinga’ week in, week out.

At the same time Luki was not doing so well and never made the team for almost the whole season. He would be sitting on that cold bench. And the UK can be cold. Even though I did not know him as well as Chippa. I felt for him. I prayed for him………I prayed so hard and even wished for a Miracle. For me South African Footballers were on trial. I did not have Luki’s number and we were not close enough for me to just call him out of the blue. But I could feel his pain. And whenever I was in London I would wish that I could take a train just to go and cheer him up. I knew the difference that a voice from home can do to you when you are on foreign soil. I had experienced it with Jonny Mekwa and Jonas Qwanqwa one afternoon at Disneyland.

Stan Tshabalala and I would watch Luki and analyse his game and when Goerge Graham and David O’Leary started him as a destroyer we felt it is a role he can grow into but at least he was playing.

By the grace of God,Luki persevered and got better and broke records also to become the first South African to captain a Premier League team. And in a crucial game against Chelsea.Luki was given the task to guard Gene Franco Zola. He did an amazing job and marked Zola out of the game until he was substituted. From then he became one of the best man makers in the business.

Now, in a game between South Africa and Ghana, Luki marshalled Antony ‘Tony’ Yaboa better than a hawk. Tony as you all know was gifted on both feet with an AK-47 on his left foot and a Bazooka on his right. Tony was so dangerous that he could change the game in two seconds. So to guard him for 90minutes is a huge tast.Luki did it, and brought respectability to defence.

So, on Thursday the 2^nd of July 2015, I bumped into Luki in Braamfontein at the ORBIT and related the story of our support. It is always my belief that you need to Praise People while they are alive and not only when they are dead. We chuckled and extended pleasantries.

When my crew and I left, I knew that I just conversed with one of the best Ambassadors South Africa has ever produced and that our prayers were not in vain.

(Luki is…….Lucus Radebe,Hail the  Chief)

Makoti

Makoti

Makoti

The year is 1985, I am at my mother’s house in Pimville Soweto .I have sneaked into my room with a girl .It is now 4:30 am and it is time to escape out of the house before my mother wakes up and bust into the room to give me my weekend chores by 6:30 before she dashes of to her 7:00 morning mass at St.Fransis Anglican church in Rockville.

I am now a bit awake and still enjoying the romantics with a beautiful blonde girl that I had brought home.

Now, not only am I violating the immorality act, am also violating my mother’s ‘ no girl allowed in my house rule’ .At this point I am not sure what I should be more afraid of. My mother or the Apartheid police lurking outside? What makes matters worse is that I can hear gun shots at a distance.

You see, of all the guns that have been manufactured, none, make a sound as distinct as the AK-47. And if you had lived through South Africa’s turmoil years from 1976.You knew the sound of this Gun.

This is a gun that has widowed more women that any gun. What they do not tell you is that many young unmarried men and boys have also been killed by this gun.

Knowing all of the above I have to make a move!

My white Honda Ballade 160i,’Air Wolf ‘was great during the day but was useless in the early morning fog since it had no camafludge.One could see it glowing in the dark. This fact put some pressure on me to get out and go.

So I gently woke up my date and as lovingly as I can possible be under the circumstances got her dressed up for the escape. The high heels are great the night before and they show off that beautiful figure and that great back side but dam they are useless on my mother’s tiles in the morning. Particularly if you are trying to make a silent exit. By the time we got to ‘Air Wolf’ I swear I think I can hear so movement from somewhere in the house and some noise that sounds like a window tap is getting a bit loud. So we stop before we close the car doors to listen.Darm, it is ‘Spider’ my dog just getting excited that I am awake and he needs his morning pat on the head just to reassure him that I still loved him.

So now ,I am caught between the heart and the rock place. If I do not go back to calm him down, he would wake up the whole neighbourhood because he thinks that I am leaving without saying goodbye or giving him his morning pat on the head at least.

I then set my date roughly in the cold car, sneak back to my bedroom window to pat Spider on the head .As soon as he is calm I dash back to the garage to do my silent door opening trick (I cannot make this trick public since teenagers could be reading this.)Once the door is open. I slide Air Wolf out for the Great Escape.

Then I still had to take my route 206 to avoid the road blocks and the Comrades with their AK-47 to get out of Soweto.

As soon as I hit the Golden Highway I know that I am now clear and I can get back to the business of loving and comforting my date. Throughout all this she would be tensely by my side. Holding me occasionally and believing in me that I can pull this trough.

While silently believing that this is all a new adventure to us. Deep down she knew that I had done this before since I had been breaking the Immorality act since I was 16 and in the bigger scheme of things, It did not matter. We have had a great evening sneaked in and out of Soweto. All that mattered is that she is now my new ‘Makoti’.

And for the next 18 years we Trans versed what was then Apartheid South Africa!

Makoti-

Scholar

School Boy

Of all the brothers I ever had, and those who called me brother and those I travelled this journey of life with. None of them come close to School Boy David Tlhomelang.I call him Scholar.

I first came face to face with him in the 80’s in Taung in the North West in the diamond buying office that I shared with my late partner Mr.Morokweng Mothusi, who dragged me kicking and screaming into the diamond business. Scholar found me hard at work in that dark bank like office in that dusty town. I was going through some tough stones that I had bought that morning .Double checking their worth and what I was turn them into.

A tall gentleman, he gave me a big smile as if we had known each other for years. Fact is his Legend and Legendary deeds had precede him and as a young man who was a student of business and all that went on in Soweto and the a joining areas knew of him.

Now if you know anything about the diamond business at all ‘caution’ is the operative word. So I immediately got couscous as we exchanged pleasantries and now I know that there was no need. This is because this is the man I came to trust with my life.

So Scholar left the building and little did I know that he was going to be in my life forever.

Towards the end of my ‘Ten Years In Babylon’ Scholar was one of those people who would pick me up emotionally and even give me money for petrol unsolicited.

It was an open secret that the African National Congress’s (ANC) Underground activities was financed by Scholar. Cadre movement, food and arms movement were paid for and facilitated by him. From Cape to Gaborone to Mbabane to Lusaka to Soweto he was the oil. It is just a pity that after every Revolution. The Politicians take over and begin to kill the romantizm of the goals of the Revolution as they now run the beurocrates and move into the state houses. And the corruption begin as a way of life.

For the record, he is recognised as a Veteran Cadre of note but the honour he gets is in my view not enough. But what is new? most tree shakers of any Revolution never get the fruits. Ask Ernesto ‘Che’ Guavara.The man the Umkhonto We Sizwe (Military Wing of the ANC) Veterans called ‘Mathatho’ meaning Three from the three letter of his nickname. It is quiet ironic that I write this piece, a week after the Cuban 5 just left town.

Anyway in the late 70’s and Early 80’s I got to know that Scholar was the unofficial Mayor of Eldorado Park as well as Gaborone and Hillbrow.When I saw the Iron Duke(Ivan Khoza)for the first time he was driving Scholar around Hillbrow and the are too many great men today who came out of Scholar’s Institution. Many are afraid to admit it because they are now important members of society. Those in Parliament are too numerous to mention.

Here is a man who provided now important people with Socks, t- shirts and underware.Let me call a spade a spade while we are all still alive. You can check all I am saying from those who wish to be honest and tell the truth, who are not too many.

You Know, since the death of Nelson Mandela I have to travel far for Truth, Trust, Honesty and Humility. It seems to me that Even in the ANC this is in short supply. What attracted me to the movement were these principles and I am afraid we may have lost them.

The other day I read a few words from the late Chief Albert Luthuli and it soon occurred to me that Scholar is living proof of some of those principles. One of which is to truly be your bothers keeper and if you meet anybody who has crossed paths with Scholar. They would testify that he was always doing good for someone and not himself.

This is the Brother I know.