By Sabata Sesiu
The play is written with thoroughly researched insight. The plot revolves around a system of “community cultural values” which give men an extensive upper hand to subject women to all kinds of abuse and molestation in the name of tradition. The events are set in a village, against a hub of customs and rich cultural values that are otherwise spoilt by male egoism and senseless arrogance.
Ngaimukine’s daughter, Murungi, is to be handed in marriage to Maguunda, a man old enough to be her grandfather, because she has “good hips fit for a man’s bed” and that she would be a bargain for the old man as he has lost his wife. The preparations for this non-negotiable marriage are to be presided over by a council of elders, all of them men.
The story is told against a backdrop of powerful women such as Ndagaano, a women’s rights advocate from Women’s Action Program (WAP); Ngaimukine, the leader of Migina Village Women’s Association, and a variety of women who represent the effects of male dominance at almost every level. These range from a woman battered because she could not give her husband an heir (male child), to a story-teller who is in every sense of the word, a valuable gloat, who also treasures the village’s history in her tales.
The collective antagonists include a revered clansman, Rwantare; a village clown; and a host of men who consciously refuse to acknowledge the role of women as human. In this society, women are viewed more like biological vessels, rather than intelligent thinkers or important contributors to social life. Although men like Nturengye oppose the common stereotypical macho treatment of their female counterparts, this is not a smooth sail for those who think that way. Sanctions against the defiant range from exclusion from culturally privileged status, to absolute banishment from the power hierarchies of patriarchy. In a bid to restore what is deemed a deviation from cultural norms, the cultural adherents brutally destabilize a women’s protest march. All the local chief can do is dither on taking a strong decision when it comes to judgment and punishment against this subversive act.
The final resolution comes in the form of unity of opposites, and the realization of the futility of non-progressive action in the face of adversity. Thus, instead of trying the culprits in the common courts of law, their excesses are ritually renounced in a new phase of enlightenment.
The writer uses poetry, music, narrative, and easily flowing dialogue in telling the story. The drama moves with ease to the eye. The writer has skillfully succeeded in writing this play for both reading and performance. Without imposing rhetoric and slogans, the writer clearly elucidates the importance of gender equality in the many 21st Century African cultures that are still male-dominated.
The Final Push is a must read and a viable performance project for those seeking to advance the gender equity debate as a critical factor in overall human development.
***
Sabata Sesiu is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Cape Town Department of Drama. He is also a researcher and academic at the Centre for African Studies, University of Cape Town.
The play is written with thoroughly researched insight. The plot revolves around a system of “community cultural values” which give men an extensive upper hand to subject women to all kinds of abuse and molestation in the name of tradition. The events are set in a village, against a hub of customs and rich cultural values that are otherwise spoilt by male egoism and senseless arrogance.
Ngaimukine’s daughter, Murungi, is to be handed in marriage to Maguunda, a man old enough to be her grandfather, because she has “good hips fit for a man’s bed” and that she would be a bargain for the old man as he has lost his wife. The preparations for this non-negotiable marriage are to be presided over by a council of elders, all of them men.
The story is told against a backdrop of powerful women such as Ndagaano, a women’s rights advocate from Women’s Action Program (WAP); Ngaimukine, the leader of Migina Village Women’s Association, and a variety of women who represent the effects of male dominance at almost every level. These range from a woman battered because she could not give her husband an heir (male child), to a story-teller who is in every sense of the word, a valuable gloat, who also treasures the village’s history in her tales.
The collective antagonists include a revered clansman, Rwantare; a village clown; and a host of men who consciously refuse to acknowledge the role of women as human. In this society, women are viewed more like biological vessels, rather than intelligent thinkers or important contributors to social life. Although men like Nturengye oppose the common stereotypical macho treatment of their female counterparts, this is not a smooth sail for those who think that way. Sanctions against the defiant range from exclusion from culturally privileged status, to absolute banishment from the power hierarchies of patriarchy. In a bid to restore what is deemed a deviation from cultural norms, the cultural adherents brutally destabilize a women’s protest march. All the local chief can do is dither on taking a strong decision when it comes to judgment and punishment against this subversive act.
The final resolution comes in the form of unity of opposites, and the realization of the futility of non-progressive action in the face of adversity. Thus, instead of trying the culprits in the common courts of law, their excesses are ritually renounced in a new phase of enlightenment.
The writer uses poetry, music, narrative, and easily flowing dialogue in telling the story. The drama moves with ease to the eye. The writer has skillfully succeeded in writing this play for both reading and performance. Without imposing rhetoric and slogans, the writer clearly elucidates the importance of gender equality in the many 21st Century African cultures that are still male-dominated.
The Final Push is a must read and a viable performance project for those seeking to advance the gender equity debate as a critical factor in overall human development.
***
Sabata Sesiu is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Cape Town Department of Drama. He is also a researcher and academic at the Centre for African Studies, University of Cape Town.
Photo: Cape Town at Night, capespirit.com
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