The History of Man by Siphiwe Gloria Ndlovu

Author:Siphiwe Gloria Ndlovu
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Random House South Africa
Published: 2020-09-19T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 17

Emil was amazed at how everything fell into place after that initial thought – that birthing of an idea. Once he was sure that his idea was not only a good one but a solid one as well, Emil made plans to share it with the one person he knew would challenge his idea until it had merit – Courteney Smythe-Sinclair. And that was how Emil had come to find himself in a very uncomfortable situation.

As he stood, with a thumping heart and sweaty palms, under the archway, waiting to be introduced to address the crowd that had gathered, he realised that this was a bad idea. He had put too much stock in Courteney’s opinion and that, evidently, had been a mistake. The ill-fitting suit and tie bought specifically for the occasion should have been the first indicator that he was out of his element, but at the time he had been too busy trying to put the speech together in his head to take much notice of his appearance.

Just because he had once written an essay that had, by some stroke of luck, impressed his teacher and won him entry to the best school in the country, it did not mean that he was made of the stern stuff needed for such occasions. But, whatever his reservations, before he knew it he was standing by the podium and regretting his decision to take seriously Courteney’s suggestion that he address the Capricorn Africa Society.

The words came and Emil’s voice trembled but travelled. People at the back seemed to be responding to what he was saying and thankfully, soon enough the speech did eventually come to an end. He was glad that throughout the whole ordeal the glare of the overhead lights had been so bright that he could not see any member of the audience clearly, otherwise he would have spent the entire speech addressing Courteney. There was modest applause, which he was grateful for. Then came the questions, for which, he realised too late, he had not prepared.

Mostly the audience members wanted to know what difference there was between what he was proposing and what the Department of Native Affairs did.

‘The issue is one of permanence,’ Emil responded. ‘This is a time of great change for the African. Suddenly he finds himself able to move physically and socially in ways he has never before been able to. Not only are entire villages being resettled, for the first time in his life, the African can move around as an individual. He can leave his village and settle in the cities or mines … He can choose to go further still, to South Africa, for instance. As he moves, he moves away from the dictates of tradition. He can chart a new course for himself. A young man who leaves the village as Lobengula, for example, can become Sixpence the Teaboy in the city—’

Emil was interrupted by a rather unexpected and generous amount of laughter from the audience.

‘The Department

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