A journalist, a female sculptor and a piano-playing painter are among 10 cultural heroes whose names have been stencilled onto the kerbs of streets officially renamed in the Newtown Cultural Precinct in Johannesburg on Wednesday.
”I feel especially consoled because everyone has shown such love,” said Smilo Duru, still mourning the loss of his mother singer Dolly Rathebe whose name now adorns Avenue Road.
As Duru spoke, friends of Rathebe shook his hand and spoke softly in sympathy for his mother’s passing in September.
”She will lie honoured, which is what she deserved,” said Duru.
Noria Mabasa, known worldwide for sculptures which she says come to her in her dreams, said: ”I am very happy. Tomorrow money is finished, but this is for life.”
With her grey-flecked thick dreadlocks and bright Venda print dress, Mabasa said: ”Now my name won’t die — I am Noria till I don’t know when.”
Lindiwe Yende, daughter of gravel-voiced Simon ”Mahlathini” Nkabinde said she was ”very happy” with the naming of a street after her gravelly-voiced father who died in 1999 after a long career with the Mahotella Queens.
Although Miriam Makeba was not able to attend the official change ceremony at the Gramadoelas Restaurant at the Market Theatre complex, Gramadoelas co-owner Eduan Naude heaved the eatery’s vast grand piano to one side to display a large print by photographer Jurgen Schadeburg of the diva wearing a dress that he made for her.
”I was 17 at the time,” he said modestly, with partner Brian Shalkoff joking, ”You’re not talking about the dress again are you?”
Naude said he had come to attend Makeba’s shows through friends who were ”musically inclined” and decided she needed some interesting dresses for her concerts and volunteered to make one.
At the time he worked for a company called Jansen’s Bathing Costumes and so, with the help of the company manager, he decided to use some bathing costume material in a burnt orange to create the figure-hugging dress.
”I’m sure it contributed to her fame. She treasured this dress,” said Naude.
Johannesburg mayor Amos Masondo said the changes formed part of the city’s regeneration plans.
He said that throughout history there were artists who positioned culture as a social product that appealed to and brought South Africans together.
Among these were people who used their platform to add to the overall struggle to achieve change.
Later he said the efforts formed part of ”linking the past with the present, and the present with the future”.
He said the people chosen were legends when he was growing up — especially Drum Magazine writer Henry Nxumalo and Rathebe.
One of Nxumalo’s more famous assignments was when he got himself arrested as the only way to observe and write about appalling prison conditions.
The streets that have been renamed are: Becker Street after artist, pianist and lyricist Gerard Sekoto, Minnaar Street to Mahlathini Street, West Street after African Jazz Pioneers’ saxophonist and composer Ntemi Piliso, Wolhuter Street after singer Margaret Mcingana who featured in Ipi Ntombi and was the first black artist to feature on Radio 5’s (Now 5FM) hit parade, Pim Street after saxophonist Gwigwi Mrwebi, Goch Street to Henry Nxumalo Street, Sydenham Street to Noria Mabasa Street, Avenue Road to Dolly Rathebe Road, Park Road to Barney Simon Road and Bezuidenhout Street to Miriam Makeba Street. – Sapa