I respect Andile Mngxitama’s right to be the self-appointed general in the army of those who police blackness and the representation of its radicals.
But I disagree with how he wishes to dictate to creative intellectuals who choose to depict the complex characters of leading Black Power philosophers.
I would like to think that Kwena Mokoena and Martin Koboekae, who produced and directed Driving with Fanon and Biko: Where the Soul Resides respectively, did not intend to present fast and easy works at the expense of these legends. In fact, their works hardly pass for what Mngxitama condemns as the trivialisation of so-called Black Consciousness.
Significantly, these works are the only productions that have not only been created by black creative intellectuals but are also the first devoted to the lives of these legends.
The self-appointed police of blackness may wince and say they are distortions and misrepresentations. But the fact is that the stories of Fanon and Biko are highly contentious in the way different people interpret them. The one important lesson that the self-appointed police of blackness need to understand is that there are more than 10 000 ways to tell one story. Mokoena and Koboekae have not claimed to have produced the ultimate biographies of Fanon and Biko.
Mokoena and Koboekae are talented, skilled, passionate and open-minded creative intellectuals who accept that their works are limited by personal boundaries. Without making any excuses for them, some of the limitations are imposed by lack of resources and others are of their own making.
Now, when efforts are made by so-called black creative intellectuals to tell the story of their legends as they know it, black artists are being besieged by the self-appointed police of blackness who desire to give them prescripts on how to portray these legends.
I am disappointed at this development, which not only rubbishes the courageous efforts of these young men but also threatens to compromise their artistic integrity and freedom of expression.
The solution would be for the police of blackness to help where they can with research and other information, not only to deepen knowledge but also to enrich the work of these creative intellectuals.
Instead, there is this tendency to watch from the sidelines and to snipe at what is an important beginning in chronicling the lives of legends from a black perspective.
Fortunately, when it comes to Koboekae’s Biko, it seems to have been warmly received as breaking new ground. In fact, the story marks a significant development in a world where the hunter has always told the story of the lion.
From where I sit, Koboekae — just like Mokoena — has not gone out of his way to tell the ultimate biography. He should be encouraged with constructive criticism that emphasises that all of us have a part to play in the telling of Biko’s story.
A storyteller who is focused and capable of intuitive connection with the black experience, Koboekae has provided us with a most precious resource. In his own way he has helped us to appreciate the explosive and unique relationships that Biko has with his comrades and … er … women. Despite what comes across as his personality flaws, Biko can still be cherished in his own right.
Perhaps there are far too many moments when he becomes a cardboard character who mouths potent and predictable speeches.
But, invariably, Black Consciousness activists and characters have always been notorious for spouting “isms”, which have made it difficult to understand or penetrate their humanity.
I believe that with the cooperation of the police of blackness, creative intellectuals such as Koboekae and Mokoena may one day be able to provide a rare, unique and honest insight into these legends.
It is an oversimplification to allege that their works can be reduced to distortions and misrepresentation that do not teach us anything about Fanon and Biko. Much as they may not boast first-hand knowledge of what Fanon or Biko were like, their gallant efforts more than compensate with their courage and boldness. They have provided the first bridge that will reconcile the past with the present. And if it is a work of art, nobody has the right to judge it as wrong or right.
The two creative intellectuals have achieved much merely by telling the stories of these legends. We can afford to forgive their limitations, if any.
Biko: Where the Soul Resides is showing at the Laager Theatre in the Market Theatre complex until June 13. Sandile Memela is a senior marketing manager in the department of arts and culture