At Johannes Mashimbi’s Place
Thokozani! Dancing with the Ancestors
Sunday, August 28, 1994
A
fter several aborted attempts, arrangements were finally made to go out to Johannes Mashimbi’s place in Mabopane. It would be an afternoon “society”, a private one, no ritual, no dancing, just conversation. I had talked to both Canny and Stiga about this, and they both agreed to come with me. Thabo and I arrived first at Stiga’s place shortly after 11 am, only to discover that he had been called to Mabopane earlier. We were not to see each other that day, as it turned out. I drove over to “Selbourne side”, the westernmost part of town at the time. We stopped by at Aldrin’s place, and he decided to accompany us. We arrived at Canny’s shortly before noon.Canny immediately offered me a beer, as several others there were sitting calmly enjoying their brew. He told me that several issues would be discussed at Johannes’ society that day. There would be no traditional dress today, just a meal and talk, planning burials, academies, new students, and so forth. As I was later to discover, we were also saying farewell to Johannes’ elder brother, who was dying.
Thabo and Aldrin went off for some sepathlo (township sandwiches of remarkable ingenuity: a quarter loaf of bread, into which is stuffed a sausage or slice of polony, a complete serving of chips, a bit of sharp atchara, and perhaps a bit of tomato/onion garnish – a complete meal). Meanwhile, Canny and Mothabeni (Margaret) readied themselves for our departure. The street was calm, with few groups of people going about their Sunday business: a threesome on their way to church, in white dress, crimson berets and sashes, the ZCC’s (Zionist Christian Church, evangelicals). Two young boys, perhaps 10 or 12 years old, struggled mightily with two wheelbarrows down the street. One had bricks heaped on it, the other cases of beer.
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