Wole Soyinka on how he came to write Death and the King's Horseman

I love Soyinka for the moral insights his writings provide. What I mean by moral is this: the ability to look inwards and ask oneself questions about the direction of one's life. Am I right or wrong? How would I react if I observe another person repeat my action?
A part of his recent interview reminds me of this aspect of him I have always loved in his works: "the tendency - in the theatre, the cinema and the novel - was to present everything that dealt with things outside western culture as being understandable only as a 'clash of cultures'. This covered everything, and it encouraged analytical laziness."
Most students of African intellectual history, indeed, most African scholars are still trapped in the old mistake of seeing African cultures and reality only as essentially opposed to, or as constantly under attack, from the West. In that way, they fail to interrogate the conceptual frameworks of these cultures and their moral assumptions. Well, friends, read Soyinka and be happy that Africa has a true philosopher. HERE you go.

The story of Nigeria's 'untouchables'

God, I can't believe it's been more than three weeks since I had my last post here. I hate giving excuses, but, well, just a simple one could soothe my little writer's conscience. Reason: grading students' papers. I haven't had time to invest much thought on extra-curricular writings that meet my set goals in this forum.
Well, friends, I stumbled upon this article on BBC website. It’s about the Osu caste system in Igboland. I am reminded of my failed attempt to address this issue in one my many novel manuscripts languishing under my bed. Ach, these publishers! If only they would care to read at least one of them.
Sorry, to bother you with whining. See the article.

Lessons from Ghana’s 2008 elections - Mawuli Dake

This is good news and a good read from Pambazuka.

In this exceptionally good essay, Mawuli Dakel celebrates the recent Ghanaian election and comes to this conclusion, among others: "Money can no longer buy votes for victory ... candidates can no longer substitute money for concrete ideas, substantive messages or genuine appeal to voters as they have in the past."

This is great. I can only hope that other African nations, including my dear country, Nigeria, would take a leaf from Ghana.
Here's the whole essay.

Raped and killed for being a lesbian: South Africa ignores 'corrective' attacks

This is a follow up on my earlier post. It a sad story about the macho behavior of South African men. It is shocking to me personally that this macho trait is widespread in Nigeria, my country. It raises many questions.

Enjoy the original article. Sorry for saying enjoy, for there's nothing to enjoy here. Well, read and reflect.

South African women fall victim to 'corrective rape'

I just chanced on this short Guardian YouTube video and that set off this thought in my mind.

It's been a while since I read J.M. Cotzee's novel, Disgrace. I remember having an argument with a Nigerian colleague of mine, who literally took offense with me that I was so naive to believe that Coetzee wasn't engaging in the usual Western stereotypical representation of the African in their narratives. Why was it that the only role the black man played in that novel was to rape a white woman, the daughter of David Lurie? he asked.
Well, the truth is that rape is not an African word and it wasn't invented for the African. Another fact is that African men do rape, and if blacks raped a white woman in the post Apartheid South Africa there are many ways to understand it, which of course, does not limit its horror. Every rape is a horrendous act. It could be seen as some cowardly black men engaging in a vengeful act, trying to get back on the white man for the evils of apartheid. It could also be that some black men just happened to chance on some white women and decided to rape.
There is no doubt that the years of oppression and apartheid in South Africa left their imprint on the minds of average South African men, just like the years of military oppression did to the average Nigerian. People take laws into their hands. There is perhaps an internalization of the mechanism of oppression, which, unfortunately, expresses itself in various forms of violence directed against the weaker ones in society. In Nigeria, people turn against one another, shout at one another, exert all imaginable forms of violence on each other. In South Africa, violence appears to become a second nature to the segments of society that sees itself as the emasculated victims of the historical injustice of apartheid: men.
The degree to which South African men rape South African women is alarming. In most cases the rape victims are the minorities of the minorities, lesbians.

Watching these men justify the use of rape as a corrective measure to what they understood as a lifestyle gives me the chills. How they trumpet their ignorance! How they take pride in being masters of their 'hood. How they remind me of the not distant past when nearly ever white man in South Africa saw himself as the Lord of the universe. Ach, how shallow we humans can be, how like animals we kill for meat.

Zimbabwe PM's wife dies in crash

I hate to see my blog carry largely bad news, but it appears I have to comment on this. The new hope in Zimbabwean murky situation, the proverbial shimmer of light a the end of the tunnel, Morgan Tsvangirai, was reported to have had an accident a few hours ago. He is said to be in a relatively good condition, but his wife died instantly.
Too many members of the opposition party, MDC, have lost their lives to car crashes. Far too many. And Mugabe, the prince of African liberation movement, Mugabe the only one to save Zimbabwe, stands by and watches these people die. I wonder what contemporary African intellectuals have to say about this conundrum; I wonder whether we wouldn't one day look back at the lives of our esteemed freedom fighters and realize how they had led us to our doom.
See the report.