Top left: Beautiful Table Mountain Shape
Top right: Rosemary K, inside Nelson Mandela's prison cell (2000)
Bottom: Nelson Mandela statue, Victoria & Alfred Waterfront
By Rosemary K
In 2000, I had the opportunity to visit the University of Cape Town, South Africa, as a Visiting Academic Associate of the African Gender Institute. I was among the top four women selected to attend the Associateship, and to write projects that would enhance the understanding of gender issues and social transformation on the African continent.
To me, visiting Cape Town was both an opportunity and a privilege. Although I had incorporated the gender advocacy agenda in my general social and academic pursuits, it was kind of a rare occurrence for one’s contributions to be acknowledged that soon. It was barely three years after my graduation from Makerere University with a Bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences, yet I perceived myself as a critical contributor to the global women’s agenda. Thus, when the offer from the African Gender Institute at University of Cape Town came, I did not waste any time thinking about the cons of going to write from Nelson Mandela’s home. In fact, I was already picturing Cape Town seascapes as important intellectual stimulators in the creative process. My imagination was not in vain, for in May 2000, I landed in the Cape, and embarked on the process of writing The Final Push, a gender-based drama. From my work station at the Center for African Studies, I had a wide view of the spectacular Table Mountain, the dark clouds on a rainy day, and the mist that was always a characteristic of that exquisite mountain top.
Staying in Cape Town was a busy time for me. I was at the height of my creative writing journey. I was concurrently working on producing Songs of the Third Life, in time for the Annual International Zimbabwe Book Fair in Harare, and at the same time, finding space to concentrate on my project, visit other writers, attend workshops, and discuss social issues.
I was hoping to get a chance to meet President Nelson Mandela in person, but I guess my expectations were too high. I did visit Robben Island, now a museum, his place of incarceration for close to 27 years. It was a devastating yet spiritually enriching experience of a lifetime. Sitting behind bars in his very room, touching his old blanket, and visiting the lime quarry where he spent his day time laboring, was a very humbling experience for me. To imagine selflessness and fortitude of such magnitude as Nelson Mandela’s was truly subliminal. I have never forgotten the tour the museum guide gave us, and his first hand narration of the inmates’ harrowing experiences at Robben Island. The guide, who was an ex-prisoner of Robben Island himself, talked about the segregated racial system, which was also enforced behind bars. White prisoners had the most privileged status, followed by Asians and biracial prisoners, with black people at the bottom. The white prisoners were permitted to drink coffee with milk and sugar, and to eat meat and eggs for their meals, while the black prisoners could take only coffee without milk or sugar.
Although apartheid was officially banned with Nelson Mandela’s election to the presidency in 1994, the economic and social divide between white and black are still obvious in South Africa. I will not dwell on that, as that in itself is another story, but all I can say is that I cannot comprehend why one race would oppress another based on skin color. How fickle does humanity get?
In the final month of my Associateship at University of Cape Town, a tragedy struck my family, with the loss of my very dear sister, on August 28, 2000. She was a professional in English and Literature, who was just in her 20s, and equally my friend as much as she was my sister. Although the end of my visit was dismal, I will forever remember the kind support of the staff at the African Gender Institute, in particular, Prof. Amina Mama, Director of the Institute. They made sure arrangements were immediately made for me to return to my home country for my sister’s funeral. I also got the support of fellow Associates on the program, including Josephine, a fellow Uganda National. She volunteered to go back home with me.
Although my stay in Cape Town ended on a sad note, I finished my project, plus a concept paper based on it. Now you can enjoy an excerpt from The Final Push, as well as a review of the piece from Sabata Sesiu, Senior Lecturer at the University of Cape Town Department of Drama. Check the next post.
To me, visiting Cape Town was both an opportunity and a privilege. Although I had incorporated the gender advocacy agenda in my general social and academic pursuits, it was kind of a rare occurrence for one’s contributions to be acknowledged that soon. It was barely three years after my graduation from Makerere University with a Bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences, yet I perceived myself as a critical contributor to the global women’s agenda. Thus, when the offer from the African Gender Institute at University of Cape Town came, I did not waste any time thinking about the cons of going to write from Nelson Mandela’s home. In fact, I was already picturing Cape Town seascapes as important intellectual stimulators in the creative process. My imagination was not in vain, for in May 2000, I landed in the Cape, and embarked on the process of writing The Final Push, a gender-based drama. From my work station at the Center for African Studies, I had a wide view of the spectacular Table Mountain, the dark clouds on a rainy day, and the mist that was always a characteristic of that exquisite mountain top.
Staying in Cape Town was a busy time for me. I was at the height of my creative writing journey. I was concurrently working on producing Songs of the Third Life, in time for the Annual International Zimbabwe Book Fair in Harare, and at the same time, finding space to concentrate on my project, visit other writers, attend workshops, and discuss social issues.
I was hoping to get a chance to meet President Nelson Mandela in person, but I guess my expectations were too high. I did visit Robben Island, now a museum, his place of incarceration for close to 27 years. It was a devastating yet spiritually enriching experience of a lifetime. Sitting behind bars in his very room, touching his old blanket, and visiting the lime quarry where he spent his day time laboring, was a very humbling experience for me. To imagine selflessness and fortitude of such magnitude as Nelson Mandela’s was truly subliminal. I have never forgotten the tour the museum guide gave us, and his first hand narration of the inmates’ harrowing experiences at Robben Island. The guide, who was an ex-prisoner of Robben Island himself, talked about the segregated racial system, which was also enforced behind bars. White prisoners had the most privileged status, followed by Asians and biracial prisoners, with black people at the bottom. The white prisoners were permitted to drink coffee with milk and sugar, and to eat meat and eggs for their meals, while the black prisoners could take only coffee without milk or sugar.
Although apartheid was officially banned with Nelson Mandela’s election to the presidency in 1994, the economic and social divide between white and black are still obvious in South Africa. I will not dwell on that, as that in itself is another story, but all I can say is that I cannot comprehend why one race would oppress another based on skin color. How fickle does humanity get?
In the final month of my Associateship at University of Cape Town, a tragedy struck my family, with the loss of my very dear sister, on August 28, 2000. She was a professional in English and Literature, who was just in her 20s, and equally my friend as much as she was my sister. Although the end of my visit was dismal, I will forever remember the kind support of the staff at the African Gender Institute, in particular, Prof. Amina Mama, Director of the Institute. They made sure arrangements were immediately made for me to return to my home country for my sister’s funeral. I also got the support of fellow Associates on the program, including Josephine, a fellow Uganda National. She volunteered to go back home with me.
Although my stay in Cape Town ended on a sad note, I finished my project, plus a concept paper based on it. Now you can enjoy an excerpt from The Final Push, as well as a review of the piece from Sabata Sesiu, Senior Lecturer at the University of Cape Town Department of Drama. Check the next post.
Photo credits: capespirit.com
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