By Ndaba Dlamini
THE writings of one of South Africa's earliest black scholars, Solomon Tshekiso Plaatje, have come alive in a play, "Place of Rock - How the Land was taken", currently running at the Laager Theatre in Newtown.
The play explores the land question, one of many themes in Plaatje's writings.
According to director Maishe Maponya, the play captures Plaatje's "fascinating" narrations. "I find him to be an observer and recorder … caught between the British army and the Boer troops who were fighting for the control of the land around the present North West and Northern Cape areas," says Maponya.
Plaatje was born on 9 October 1876 on the farm Doornfontein, some 50 kilometres north east of Kimberley. During his lifetime he was a translator, journalist, editor, politician and community leader. He died in 1932.
The story revolves around a native interpreter and clerk, Plaatje, who captures the experiences of dispossession in the 1890s, long before the Land Act of 1913.
"Plaatje's innocence (as with most natives of the time) provides an insight into the effects of colonialism and a challenge to the real issues confronting the African continent today - control of the land and the politics of representation," Maponya says.
Renowned actor, Seputla Sebogodi, pulls off a brilliant performance as Plaatje in this one-man play. Set against a stony and hilly backdrop, the play vividly depicts the countryside of northwest South Africa at the turn of 19th century.
The production runs from 2 to 24 April at the Market Theatre's Laager Theatre. Performances take place on Tuesday to Saturday at 8.15pm and on Sunday at 3.15pm.
For more information, contact the Market Theatre publicity department on 011 832 1641.
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