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.

Mpho

Mpho
From time to time in all our lives, GOD or Allah or whoever you pray to provides you a gift of a loved one by your side. Someone who loves you unreservedly, someone who is just into you. Someone who worships the ground you walk on. Someone who is all you.
I know that we have all had this special person in our lives, BUT, for some Stupid Reason. We have let these people out of our lives and remained with the bastards who do not even say thank you anymore. Who forget our birthdays and our special moments because Orlando Pirates or Chiefs is losing 1-0 on TV! So what if they are losing, they are playing again next week.
Why is it that we look a GIFT (Mpho) Horse without appreciation? Most times we do not know what it is that we want for our heart to be content and covered with affection. Funny we all know when someone really loves us for who we are. We even sabotage ourselves by saying we are not ready to be loved so deeply, it is scary. Or no, no, it cannot be right that i am loved this way none of my friends are. Knowing full well that, this is excectly what we deserve, but no we do not want it until it is too late.
Is it not funny, that someone who once broke your heart comes running after you years after you are over him? Or have you ever been embarrassed by going back to someone who was once so much into you and though you walked on water. And they look at you as if you do not exist or you are drunk as you try to recall the times you had? Well i have, and believe me; it is not funny at all. In fact it is embarrassing to the point of dehumanising .It is a feeling that i only reserve for my worst enemy. So ladies, whenever you are presented with a gift horse (Mpho).Take it with both hands, it may never be Presented again. To hell with the choosy friends, who think that you must hook up with Mr. Nice Time who they love because of his BMW and fancy shoes. They even expect you to marry the guy (bloody selfish stupid so called friend).
When you feel someone deep in you heart and you know that they love you and only you go for it, mutual love conquers all.
(This piece is dedicated to Mpho Mahlatsi, who
Taught me something about true love).

The day After Mandela

   This note was written on the 7th of December 2013.
It was a day after the announcement of the death of the legend of legends
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela.
The mood was pregnant with mixed emotions of loss, celebration and sorrow.
None of these emotions took dominance both in my head and heart and in the
world as a whole.
I drove to the office with a mixed sense of confusion even though it was a Saturday

Udo (Carelse}was on the radio ,I had made him and Andile(Gaeleshewe)their wedding ring many years earlier and I was thinking of their mortality as people that I knew and the hopes that they had for themselves and the country then. As I say it was a confusion filled morning. The ring I had made them was that of Tear Drop or what in the diamond trade we call a Pear Shape.

Now, here I am in a time of great sorrow thinking about a design that I had made many years ago in a form of a Tear in a book that I had titled "Tear Drop'.
Was there any meaning? Or just a strange coincidence?
 
Udo went on to play a clip of former President Mbeki calling for all of us to forgive each other. Not only black and white but black on black as well,
 
So,you can imagine a tense morning like that and I was wondering if my countrymen can heed this advice?

Just as I was listening to the radio an sms alert comes in to announce the death of Baby Jake Matlala (I will tell you about Jake later in the book but I do not promise)

Now, you may wonder what the hell does the death of Nelson Mandela and Jake have to do with young women and their Love lives?

Plenty, PLENTY! .......You see, Love Lives are a continuation of mortality.You Love, Procreate, Care, Get ill, Die.
Not necessarily in this order but somewhat close.
Some of you may not agree but this web of loving is most times part of the Living roller coaster.

Believe IT or Not!

12/7/13, 5:54 PM

 

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

Madiba

 

   This note was written on the 7th of December 2013.
It was a day after the announcement of the death of the legend of legends
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela.
The mood was pregnant with mixed emotions of loss, celebration and sorrow.
None of these emotions took dominance both in my head and heart and in the
world as a whole.
I drove to the office with a mixed sense of confusion even though it was a Saturday

Udo (Carelse}was on the radio ,I had made him and Andile(Gaeleshewe)their wedding ring many years earlier and I was thinking of their mortality as people that I knew and the hopes that they had for themselves and the country then. As I say it was a confusion filled morning. The ring I had made them was that of Tear Drop or what in the diamond trade we call a Pear Shape.

Now, here I am in a time of great sorrow thinking about a design that I had made many years ago in a form of a Tear in a book that I had titled "Tear Drop'.
Was there any meaning? Or just a strange coincidence?
 
Udo went on to play a clip of former President Mbeki calling for all of us to forgive each other. Not only black and white but black on black as well,
 
So,you can imagine a tense morning like that and I was wondering if my countrymen can heed this advice?

Just as I was listening to the radio an sms alert comes in to announce the death of Baby Jake Matlala (I will tell you about Jake later in the book but i do not promise)

Now, you may wonder what the hell does the death of Nelson Mandela and Jake have to do with young women and their Love lives?

Plenty, PLENTY! .......You see, Love Lives are a continuation of mortality.You Love, Procreate, Care,Get ill ,Die.
Not necessarily in this order but somewhat close.
Some of you may not agree but this web of loving is most times part of the Living roller coaster.

Believe IT or Not!.

12/7/13, 5:54 PM

 

From 'Tear Drop'

By

Mac Temane

 

Women

Women are like diamonds, you are strong, shapely and if you are polished right, careered for enogh, loved deeply, you Sparkle!
Like a diamond you are complex, you know that most diamonds have more that 57 facets or sides if you like. You guys are similar. These sides are like mirrors they reflect life like you give life. Inherent in these mirrors is the complexity of your being. Dark, light, rainbow, pyramid, bowtie, explotion, and flash.
Darkness and Light symbolises the rhythm of of night and day. Rainbow is a Cascade or a kaleidoscope of colour symbolising a new beginning, creation or unity hence it happens after it rains when the earth has been fertilised.Piramid, a sign of genius, mathematical complexity. A structure that cannot be duplicated today. Bowtie a sign of celebration from which when you women are absent , does not exist.Explotion,the only safe explosion a man can have without killing himself, you provide.Flash,the future.
In Short. You Women ROCK!

My First Business

                                          My first business

I do not remember when I started my first business, I guess I have always been selling something from the get go. Selling my cuteness to get attention or a sweets, my knowledge of prayer to get into school.

 I have always been selling people on my ideas or peanuts or sweets. Funny I never sold sweets for long and my recollection of my sweet business at 7 years was two weeks. Now the one I remember the most was the still movie business in my father’s garage at 2c a kid and 5c for adults. Batman and Achie was the most popular and I was doing the verbal commentary of the stills.

This business was preceded by my sales of a porn magazine viewing and I think it was Playboy.

Kids paid to have a peek of naked white women.

Now bear in mind these were the APARTHEID days and you suspected police spy’s everywhere.You heard about people being arrested for banned literature and I knew that Playboy was definitely banned material. I also knew that my parents would not approve .But I got one Playboy magazine anyway .Please do not ask me how it came to my possetion.I wish I still had that ability to acquire stuff by some miracle. Believe me, I do not know how I got it, but what was important is that I had it and it was mine.

Now imagine you are under 10 years and have this banned material which you must advertise without advertising.You need clients to know that you are selling something that you should not be having.

I am sure that it is like selling weed, So I had this business at 1c or 2c depending if you were from a rich or poor family or if I liked you.

So you paid the money first then you waited at a secret place I went home and got the magazine in my pants. I showed you two to three pages then that was it.Deal done!

But sometimes kids would have no timing. Come to my house then announce that they have come to see the book with my mother in the kitchen. Now ‘what book?’.

I would then have to convince them that they are at the wrong house or misheard this book story and that I would walk them out.

In 2009 I appeared on Playboy in Serbia, this was dajavu. Here is this kid who used to sell secret viewings of Playboy now being featured in the magazine.

(extract from) 

'Dad These Children Cannot Prey'

                  by

Mac Donald Temane