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TOWARDS AN AFRICAN LITERATURE XI: THE HARP OF THE NATION
D r . A. C. J O R D A N
Lecturer in Bantu Languages, University oj Cape Town
I N the first few years of its life, from 1871 to 1878, '1S1G1D1MV was highly respected and trusted by t h e literate section of t h e Africans. Politicians, ministers of religion and lovers of general cultural progress paid t r i b u t e to it in p r o s e and p o e t r y . But w i t h t h e sharpening of t h e struggle b e t w e e n black and w h i t e in t h e bloodiest p e r i o d of t h e W a r s of Dispossession, t h e p e o p l e b e c o m e disillusioned; and, by 1884, hardly any of t h e leading w r i t e r s has a good w o r d to say for t h e j o u r n a l .
O n e of t h e m o s t outstanding figures of this period was a c o n t r i b u t o r from St. J o h n ' s Mission, U m t a t a , w h o styled himself
UHadi Waseluhlangeni'' (The H a r p of t h e N a t i o n ) . T h e a u t h o r of t h e p o e m w h o s e first t w o stanzas (in translation) c o n c l u d e d o u r previous instalment, " H a d i " was a highly r e s p e c t e d w r i t e r of great intellectual integrity, widely read for that p e r i o d in t h e literacy of t h e Southern Africans. It seems that no controversy could be b r o u g h t to a close in 'ISIGIDIMV until " H a d i " had m a d e his c o n t r i b u t i o n . If h e did n o t w r i t e , e i t h e r t h e o t h e r participants o r i n t e r e s t e d readers suggested that it was about t i m e that h e did so. As a rule his c o n t r i b u t i o n to any discussion was in t h e form of a p r o s e essay, b u t h e often c o n c l u d e d w i t h a p o e m inspired by t h e subject u n d e r discussion.
W h e n 'ISIGIDIMV was adversely criticized by its r e a d e r s , ' ' H a d i " i m p l o r e d t h e e d i t o r to exercise p a t i e n c e . H e c o m m e n d e d 'ISIGIDIMV for n o t losing h e a r t in t h e face of such severe criticism, and likened t h e j o u r n a l to a w a r r i o r at w h o m t h e enemy have hurled so many spears that his b o d y b e c o m e s like that of a p o r c u p i n e . Nevertheless, t h e w a r r i o r walks boldly on like an e l e p h a n t :
Press on to the heights of Ararat, Thy people borne bravely on thy bach, Rescued from the torrent of ignorance.
Be patient as a toiling mother
Famished, but hoeing and weeding the corn, Her baby crying on her back,
Her corn plants withering in the sun,
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It m u s t b e r e m e m b e r e d that the wars of this p e r i o d include t h e W a r of Nchayechibi, against t h e Xhosa ( 1 8 7 7 - 8 ) , t h e Zulu W a r ( 1 8 7 9 ) , and t h e Gun W a r , mainly against t h e Basuto ( 1 8 8 0 - 1 ) . In 'ISIGIDIMI', t h e w h o l e struggle was m a d e to appear to t h e Xhosa reader as a struggle b e t w e e n H e a t h e n d o m , r e p r e - sented by "utshaba" ( t h e e n e m y ) , and C h r i s t e n d o m , r e p r e s e n t e d by " o u r t r o o p s " , " t h e troops of Victoria, Child of the Beauti- f u l " . Those Africans w h o w e r e defending their land against t h e w h i t e invaders w e r e cast as villains, and opposition to annexation and w h i t e d o m i n a t i o n was m a d e to appear as hostility t o " t h e progress of t h e W o r d " . Any reverse suffered by t h e w h i t e troops was greatly d e p l o r e d , w h i l e every one of their conquests was hailed as " t h e t r i u m p h of t h e W o r d " .
T h e r e is evidence in t h e letters to t h e e d i t o r that for a t i m e the readers w e r e infected by this propaganda—propaganda that successfully neutralized t h e African Christian intellectuals during t h e fighting. Indeed, one w r i t e r urged that as soon as any t e r r i - t o r y was c o n q u e r e d , t h e pagan chieftain should immediately be replaced by a Christian p r e a c h e r . " W h y should t e r r i t o r y that has b e e n w o n for Christ c o n t i n u e to be r u l e d by a h e a t h e n ? "
Even w h e n t h e p e o p l e in general w a n t e d to revolt against the A c t of D i s a r m a m e n t , o n e w r i t e r , Daniso Bulube, maintained that the blacks should be forbidden firearms until they had read t h e Bible! T h e first indications that t h e p e o p l e had lost confidence in 'ISIGID1MV appear in 1 8 8 1 , w h e n a Kimberley w r i t e r w h o styles himself "Ndingummbi" (I-am-a-digger) asks indignantly:
" W h o s e messenger is 'ISIGIDIMI'l" H e is followed by several o t h e r s , including one Ndzeku w h o condemns '1SIGIDIMV as
"ipepa elifllejo^ (a dead p a p e r ) .
It was n o t until April 2, 1 8 8 3 , after the e d i t o r had tried to defend himself against these attacks, that " H a d i " w r o t e as follows: " I am discussing t h e hostility that exists b e t w e e n 'ISIGIDIMI1 and its readers across t h e Kei. T h e reason w o u l d seem to b e this, that t h e younger intellectuals say they can n e v e r m a k e o u t t h e t r u e nationality of 'ISIGIDIMV. 'ISIGIDIMP never takes u p a clear stand o n political m a t t e r s . It sides w i t h t h e w h i t e s , for w h e n e v e r a w r i t e r voices t h e feelings of the blacks,
'ISIGIDIMV immediately makes h i m u n d e r s t a n d that h e belongs to t h e side of t h e enemy. For instance, a w r i t e r w h o t r i e d to p u t in a w o r d for Langalibalele (a Hlubi chief) was quickly i m m e r s e d u n d e r t h e waters of s i l e n c e : while a n o t h e r w r i t e r , w h o expressed t h e idea that Langalibalele was a m e r e goat
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A F R I C A S O U T Htrying to fight against an elephant, was given praise and his w o r d s w e r e echoed far and w i d e .
4'In these days, w h e n t h e nation is sickening to death, in these days of long-lasting wars and short-lived peace, it is d e m a n d e d of you by t h e y o u t h of y o u r fatherland that you give t h e m t h e length and b r e a d t h and d e p t h of national n e w s . M o r e - over, it is d e m a n d e d of you that you m a k e a clearing in y o u r paper, a clearing that you have to k e e p clean for m e n of conflicting views, so that in this clearing they may discuss all t h e m a t t e r s that so affect t h e i r welfare and t h e welfare of all t h e blacks.
O n l y t h e n shall w e k n o w w h a t w e are doing. As a result of this p r a c t i c e , t h e r e will e m e r g e in this clearing national orators and bards, some praising o u r side, and o t h e r s praising t h e o t h e r side.
W h y cannot a b a r d e m e r g e for o n c e from t h e p e o p l e of Mok- hachane (Basuto) and sing as f o l l o w s : —
Arise, je sons of the Mountain-at-Nightl The hyena howls, the white hyena, All ravenous for the bones of Moshoeshoe,
Of Moshoeshoe who sleeps high up on the mountain.
Its belly hangs heavy and drags on the ground, All gorged with the bones of warrior-kings;
Its mouth is red with the blood of Sandile.1
Awake, rock-rabbits of the Mountain-at-Night\
She darts out her tongue to the very skies, That rabbit-snake with female breasts2
Who suckled and fostered the trusting Fingos, Thereafter to eat them alive."
In o u r last instalment w e m e n t i o n e d t h e a t t i t u d e of t h e African intellectuals to t h e quarrels amongst representatives of t h e various c h u r c h e s . T h e Africans w o u l d seem to have t h o u g h t that it did n o t m a t t e r very m u c h w h i c h c h u r c h you j o i n e d , so long as you b e c a m e a Christian. " H a d i " has a fairly long essay o n this and k i n d r e d subjects.
" T h e study of theology can never m a k e one Christian body of us blacks. T h e r e are books and books o n theology, and in t h e i r n a t u r e they are very polemical, and theology itself is a sea w h o s e waves k e e p things asunder. Although they all sleep in t h e o n e w o m b of t h e Bible, these books kick o n e a n o t h e r
lXhosa chief.
2Queen Victoria.
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like Jacob and Esau in t h e i r m o t h e r ' s w o m b . L u t h e r and Zwingli are t h e founders of P r o t e s t a n t i s m . They are o n e in their a t t i t u d e to sin and in regarding t h e scriptures as t h e only t r u e beacon of Faith. But in t h e i r theology they differed so m u c h that L u t h e r accused Zwingli of being a pagan. . . . If o u r forebears differed so m u c h over theology, h o w can w e h o p e t o be u n i t e d ? T h e Protestantism that rescued us w i t h a firm hand from t h e ignorant w o r s h i p of t h e R o m a n Catholic C h u r c h has n o t t h e strength to b i n d us t o g e t h e r into a unity like that of t h e Father and t h e Son.
" T h e spirit of enquiry, w h i c h is o u r p r i d e and t h e p r i d e of these days, has t o r n t h e body of t h e c h u r c h apart. Even t h e early leaders of the c h u r c h , w h o m e t at large conferences and tried to p u t t h e body t o g e t h e r , did n o t succeed. Instead of coming to some a g r e e m e n t , t h e i r views scattered in all directions like crackers on Guy Fawkes Day. . . . And yet t h e t r u e children of G o d in t h e Presbyterian, in t h e Wesleyan and in t h e Anglican C h u r c h cry to o n e a n o t h e r wanting to w o r s h i p t o g e t h e r ; b u t t h e heads of t h e c h u r c h do n o t k n o w w h e r e to find the needle and the thread that can sow t o g e t h e r the shreds that they have created . . . "
" H a d i ' s " disillusionment w i t h t h e churches appears in a p o e m he w r o t e for lISIGIDIMV of February ist, 1884, w h i c h b e g i n s :
Some thoughts till now ne er spoken Make shreds of my innermost being;
And the cares and fortunes of my kin Still journey with me to the grave.
I turn my back on the many shams That I see from day to day;
It seems we march to our very grave Encircled by a smiling Gospel.
For what is this Gospel?
And what salvation ?
The shade of a fabulous hili3
That we try to embrace in vain.
In t h e same year, an article by "Hadi Waseluhlangeni" was r e j e c t e d by t h e e d i t o r of 'ISIGIDIMV, for being " t o o hostile to British r u l e " . T h e great paper was dying indeed.
3Another name for a thikoloshe (a spirit).
