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My generation
Lebogang Mashile Lebogang Mashile is a writer, performer and actor who began writing in 1995 after she and her family moved back to South Africa after spending many years in the United States.
       She has shared stages with artists such as Don Mattera, Keorapetse Kgositsile, Saul Williams, Pops Mohammed, the late Jackie Semela, Mutabaruka, Dennis Brutus and Jessica Care Moore. In 2003, Mashile co-founded the Feela Sistah Spoken Word Collective alongside Napo Masheane, Ntsiki Mazwai and Myesha Jenkins.
       L'Atitudes is a 13-part television series on SABC in which Mashile travels across the country exploring relationships between South Africans and the spaces that they inhabit. She is currently working on her first cd/anthology with Oshun Publishers and Mutloase Arts Trust.
"Ke rata bosiu. Bo bontsha mekgwa e fapaneng ya phirimana. Oka bona ka moo lefifi la mpa ya bosiu le botala ba teng bo tlisang menahano ya nnete ka teng. E be jwale mmala o pherese o bapala ka mmele ho fihlela ho ba le metopa e bohloko. O tla fumana lefifi le aparela pelo ya motho ka matla, jwalo seka ntate lapeng ha a hateletswe ke tayi, mmino wa Jazz kapa mehopolo ya nako e fitileng."
"In South Africa, my generation is bearing the first fruits of freedom. We are the legacy of hope and battles, some won, some still being fought. Included in this post-Apartheid kaleidoscope is a small group of in-betweeners. Young people who bear the tastes and colours of the many different countries around the world in which they were born, the offspring of parents who did not know when or if they would ever return to the beloved country of their birth."

Tepo Ya Mookodi

Lebogang Mashile

Also available as: A tangled web of rainbows

Ke rata bosiu. Bo bontsha mekgwa e fapaneng ya phirimana. Oka bona ka moo lefifi la mpa ya bosiu le botala ba teng bo tlisang menahano ya nnete ka teng. E be jwale mmala o pherese o bapala ka mmele ho fihlela ho ba le metopa e bohloko. O tla fumana lefifi le aparela pelo ya motho ka matla, jwalo seka ntate lapeng ha a hateletswe ke tayi, mmino wa Jazz kapa mehopolo ya nako e fitileng.

Kgethollo ka tsela ya nyenyefatso e atisa hoba le mekgwa e fapaneng bakeng sa bohahlaudi. Le ha hole jwalo, ho na le nako eleng hore balelapa leno bao hopotsa menahano ya hao ka baka la boikgetho. Batho ba ahileng metse ya bona naheng disele haba leke ho aha malapa a bona jwalo ka ao ba a siileng morao. Fela, ha beng ba teng ba sa amohele sekgutlo sa ntlo engwe le engwe eo ba phetseng ho yona, bohloko bateng bo kgonamela ho motho ho isa qetellong ya bophelo.

Ha ke sa fumane hlompho tseleng yaka ya bophelo ke atisa ho hopola nakong tseo keneng ke le dilemo tse mashome a motso o le mong. Nakong eo, kene kele motlotlo, ke le bohlale, ke le matla ebile ke tletswe ke papadi. Kene ke le moeta-pele wa sebele. Ke ne ke na le menahano yaka ya bosadi. Sena se tlile honna mohla ke takile setshwantsho sa mosadi a neng a sebetsa kantorong e phahameng a bile a hlokometse lelapa la hae ka nako ele nngwe. Hape sena sene se kgothatswa ke ho bona mme motswadi waka. Ke qadile ho hapa meputso ka bongodi baka pele ke tseba hore puo ke lerato la pelo yaka. Ke hotse ke na le metswalle e fapa fapaneng ka mmala, morabe le tsa sepolotiki. Ho nna morutabana a neng a le ka sehlohong ho tsa bophelo o ne a shebahala a shahlile, ke re ke ne ke le leselamose. Ke phela lefatsheng laka

Maemo a ka a kelello a ne a sa itekanela ka nako enngwe. Kene ke kgolwa hore lapeng leso ha ke thatohatsi. Ntwa le setswadi saka, haholo mme e ne ele ntho ya ka mehla. Honna kelellong kene ke bona hantle hore kgaitsedi tsaka di ne dibatla ho mpolaya. Ene ekare ba ne ba batla nehelo ya moya waka. Thapelo tsaka di ne di tletse letshabo. Kene ke le mo-Amerika le fatsheng laka, ke mamela mmino wa Queen Latifah, ke apara (Nike), ke rata papadi ya roller-skating ho feta ntho tsohle lefatsheng. Kene ke hlile ke le lefatsheng la bophaphathehi ntlo ka lapeng. Ho nna ho tloha Amerika ho kgutlela Afrika Borwa ene ese ntho e monate. Ho siya Amerika, Providence, Rhode Island ene ele mahlaba pelong yaka.

Mohla mo-president wa mehleng was Africa Borwa (Nelson Mandela) a neng a lokollwa teronkong, thuto e kgolo e ile ya fihla pelong yaka. Kene ke sa thaba jwalo ka lefatse. Ho salang, ke ile ka bitsa metwsalle yohlwe yaka, ka ba tsibisa hore nkeke ka thaba le bona ka letsatsi laka la tswalo. Ntate ka lethabo la hore o tlilo kgutlela lefatseng la tswalo ya hae, o ile are ke ye sekolong sehole le lapeng. Sena sene se buwa ke monna ya beileng botjha bahae hole le lapeng, ase ka tlasa taelo ya nntatae. Ntate waka ha aka aba a rata mofuthu pakeng tsa batho, honna sena ke lehloyo. Ho yena hoba hole le lapeng labo ene ele boikgethelo empa honna ene e tlabe ele kotlo e sehloho.

Sekolo ho nna ene ele lehodimo. Ka phapusing ya Mme Sasken rene re sa dule ka mola empa jwalo ka leoto la pere. Morao ho selemo re ile ra qetella re ikarotse ka dihlopha hlophana. Se thabisang ke hore rene re lekana. Le kajeno hake hopole thuto kapa papadi tsa sebopeo puo tseo reneng re dibapala nakong eo, fela ke hopola ke ithuta bongodi le bonono hotswa ho dipapadi tseo.

Ha phapusi tseding di ne di bapala ka botala le bokgubedu le motho ya etsweng ka lehlwa bakeng sa keresemese. Rona rene reja mofuta wa dijo wa ditapole le botoro, o sa tlalehang. Mokgatlo o phahameng wa sekolo one ore kgothaletsa ho apara diaparo tsa sekolo tse tshwanang. Fela rona baithuti re ile ra hla ra hana. Kabaka lena ho ile haba le kgohlano sekolong. Hloho ya sekolo ile yahla ya re tsibisa hore re kantle ho molao ka hose dumellane le bona.

Ke qadile hoba le bukana eo ke neng ke ngola maikutlo a ka ho yona ka phapusing ya Mme Saskens. Ene ele kgetlo la pele ke beha maikutlo a ka pampiring ka mokgwa o jwalo. Hona hone ho etsa hore ke ikutlwe ekare ha ke sekolong empa ke tseleng yaka ke le mong. Kene kele sehlopheng sa bohlano mme 'E.W Flynn Model Elementary School' ene ele ya rona. Selemo sa 1990 ene ele seo nkekeng ka se lebala lekgale.

Mona Afrika Borwa bana ba kajeno ba eja ditholwana tsa tokoloho. Reja lefa la tshepo le nntwa. Bongata bohlotse fela ba bang ba santsane ba lwana. Fela hona le mefuta eitseng ya batho ka mora kgethollo, bao eleng hore ba tshwere mefuta e fapaneng ya mmala le tatso bakeng sa moo ba phetseng teng lefatsheng. Batho bana ke bao eleng hore batswadi ba bona bane ba s tsebe hore ba sa tla bona lefatshe la tswalo ya bona. Nakong ya jwale Afrika Borwa e fana ka menyetla ho batho ba ratang ho etela mafatshe a mang. Ha fela ba ena le tokelo ho tswa ho mafatshe ao le tjhelete, ena ke nako e fapaneng ya bophelo.

Re tshwere maqeba a hofalla, makunutu a bophelo le bohahlaudi. Botjha barona re bo jele ka kgethollo, lenyatso le matswenyeho a sa bapang. Re ntse re le baditshaba naheng ya borona. Re ngatana ngwe e senang lebitso kapa sona sebopeho naheng ya bo nntata rona. Hare soka re tseba hore re wela hlakoreng lefeng hona mona lapeng. Bonngata barona ha bo soka boiphumana le kajeno.

Kgweding ya Hlakola kadi 10 tsa 1990 serame sa Amerika siile sa fihla ntle le qeyaqeo. Ena ke nako eleng hore batho ba bangata lemo tse makgolo a mane tse fitileng (400) ba ile ba tloswa naheng tsa bona mona Afrika, hoya ba makgoba hola Amerika. Jwale, kgweding ena ke nako eleng hore bohle bao eleng ma-Afrika a hlahetseng Amerika ba ya keteka. Bakgaola selemo ho ya ka pale ya bona ya bophele.

Ka matsatsi a mashome a mabedi a nang le metso e robedi (28) dikolo tse fapaneng di bontsha bohloko ba hoba lekgoba Amerika. Le dipale tse fitileng tsa tlholo le maswabi a neng a aperetse batho ba batsho naheng. Pale tsa bo Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass le Martin Luther King di bapalwa hore bana ba ma-Afrika hola Amerika batle ba tsebe hore batswa kae le hore ke bo mang. Ha ditsibi tsa Amerika di bontsha boinyatso, bana ba Afrika naheng eo, ba lwanela ditokelo tsa bona.

Phapusi engwe le engwe ka Flynn Model Elementary School, e botsha seemo sa ma -Afrika ka mekgwa efapa fapaneng. Ka phapusing ya rona, Mme Sasken o ile a re thusa ho bontsha maikutlo a rona le seemo seo batho ba borona ba lehosona. Re ile ra bala buka e bitswang Eyes on the Prize nakong ena ya pale ya bophelo ba batho ba batsho. Mme Sasken o ile a re bontsha ditshwantshiso le dibuka tsa dipuisano tse fapafapaneng ka taba ena le ka 'Civil Rights Movement'. Sena seile sa re thusa ho untlwisisa bohloko le maswabi aneng a aparela batho ba borona.

Ha re qeta ho fumana tsebo eno kaofela. Re ile ra tlameha ho kgetha dintho tseo dika bontshang bokamoso ba batho ba batsho. Kapa seo re ka se etsang re le ngata nngwe bakeng sa batho baborona. Re ile ra nka sebopeho sa motho e motsho, aneng aena le tokelo ya ho ikgethela moetapela. Sena re sebontshitse ka ho aha ntlwana ya boitsibiso bakeng sa dikgetho. Ka la 12 Hlakola mantaha, hang kamora Mopresidente wa mehleng wa Afrika Borwa a qeta ho lokollwa teronkong kamora dilemo tse mashome a mabedi a nang le metso e supileng (27), pampiri e neng e bontsha sena ene e beilwe monyakong wa phapusi ya rona sekolong. Beke engwe le engwe ke ne ke feta setswantso sena, mme ene ele kgetlo lapele ke kopana le nnete ka mokgwa ona. Ke ile ka utlwisisa seo ke leng sona le moo batswadi ba ka ba tswang teng.

E mong hoba mphato waka ene ele Lawrence Shepered. One a le lerato, ana le nehelo ho tsa bonono, ebile a le bohlale. Ke ile ka utlwela ka mora nakwana hore mme wa Lawrence one ana le bothata ba dithethefatsi le tahi. Sena seile sa etsa hore Lwarence (eo reneng re mmitsa Squeaky) a qale ho rekisa dithethefatsi. Sena seile sa etsa hore aje karola ya botjha ba hae teronkong hola 'Rhode Island'. Motho eo nna kene kemotseba ele wa mphato waka, mmuso one ore ke setlokotsebe.

Sekolo sa rona sene sena le nako eo e mong le e mong wa rona baithutwana, a bontsha mahlale a hae. Selemo se seng le se seng batswadi bane barata eka bana ba bona baka hapa meputso nakong ena. Sena sene se etsa dintho dibethata. Squeaky yena oile a tla le kgalase etletse metsi, ntle le ntho eba ebitsang (limestone). Ha a qetile oile a kenya pensele ka hare ho metsi a neng a kopantsweng le ntho tse fapa fapaneng kabo talana. Motho kamong one a tlamehile ho beha pampiri e hlalosang mahlale a hae, fela Squeaky ha akaba a etsa jwalo. Sena se ile sa dula maikutlo a ka hampe, mme ka kgetha ho mmotsa.

Squeaky o ile a phahamisa kgalase ya hae mme a e bapisa le mahlasedi a letsatsi a neng a hlahella ho tswa ho phera kantle phapusing ya ho jella. Ka mokgwa o makatsang ho ile ha hlaha Mookodi tlase mane kgalaseng. Ha a qeta ho mpontsha a re " hona le dibaka tse ngata moo eleng hore Mookodi o ipatile teng, fela o hloka motho e mong hore a o lemose sena"

Ke seithothokisi, ke dula ke mathisa Mookodi, fela ke atisa ho o fumana karolong tsa bophelo baka moo ke sa lebellang teng. Ke fumane mahlo a matjha ka ho sheba dintho hotswa phereseng esele. Bongata ba batho bana: Baca, biko, Kuti, Shepered, Morris, Walker, Lourde, Joplin, X, Lennon, Cobain, Angelou, emecheta, Achebe, Marechera, Hooks, Head, Ginsberg, K Kgositsile, Mettera, Matima, Mashile, Mandela, Sasken, ba fetotse bophelo baka.

Hlabula ke ile ka fetela mophatong o ka hodimo, ha balapa leso ba ile ba bona ntate Nelson le mofumahadi wa hae Winnie Mandela ba kgobokanetswe ke sehlopha sa batho hola New York (Amerika). Kamora nakwana re ile ra falla Amerika ele ho kgutlela hae Afrika Borwa ho kopana le ba borona kamora dilemolemo. Ho kopana le beso kgetlo la pele ho ile ha tlisa thabo pelong yaka.

Kajeno mahlo aka a matjha a sheba bosiu ba botjha baka ka mahlo a fapaneng. Ho lefifi laka ho tletse botle bo babatsehang. Ke bona dinaledi le sebete sa banabeso. Mme motswadi waka jwalo ka Mrs Sansken o ileng a ntemosa hore thuto ya boeta-pele ke ho bona Mookodi moo ho pateileng teng. Jwalo ka Mookodi pelong yaka.

Tsena tsohle di nkgopotsa hore ke bohlale.

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LitNet: 29 October 2004

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