Page 4
Portland Observer • January 3, 1990
Htti
Strengthen fo u r fa ith ‘Ihrough ‘Prayer Ä n d fe g u fa r Church ‘Worship
Success Was Eminent
by M attie A n n C a llier-Spears
Selaelo Maredi first came to Portland
in 1977 with a Theatre Company from
South Africa. He performed with the group
in a play titled "Survival.” Selaelo re­
membered, well, Concordia and Portland
Slate University.
Two years passed and the Theatre
Company was back in Portland, again. This
time they performed for the Portland
Community College Cascade and Portland
Stale University. The Portland Black Rep­
ertory Theatre had specifically requested
that Selaelo, a noted playwright, be brought
back to work with them on a play entitled,
Sizwe Banzi is Dead by Athol Fugard, John
Kani and Winston Ntshona. The play is a
satire about Black workers in the Ford
Company. It wasn’t just about the Ford
Company but it depicted the overall feel­
ings of any large company who hire persons
to do their work. The play shows how the
large company just doesn’t care about the
workers, how they have no need to know
about them or their family concerns, or how
the worker is not even seen .. . just as long
as the work is done. Even when the worker
is ill, they cannot understand why the work
is not done, "this is a typical feeling which
I ’ve personally experienced" says Selaelo.
One time when Selaelo, along with
other persons, came late to the factory, the
owner of the factory said, "W e didn’t hire
you to give you employment. We hired you
so that the work could be done. When you
come late, the work is stopped. So, there is
no need to have you."
After listening to Selaelo, I found that
Sizwe Banzi's death was more symbolic
than actual. Symbolizing when people's
hopes die.
There was even confusion concerning
the playwright for this particular produc­
tion because Athol Fugard is White and
John Kani and Winston Ntshona are Black.
In South Africa, Athol Fugard is considered
the ‘Godfather’ of South African Theatre.
Selaelo says that he recognizes Fugard but
he does not run to endorse him. Because
there are many Black, South African play­
wrights and they do not receive the proper
recognition. There are others who are over­
shadowed by Athol Fugard.
After Selaelo had completed the play,
he returned to New York. He lived in New
York for nine years. Later, he moved from
New York to California, in the Bay area.
During that lime, he performed in London
for eight months and on a European tour for
six months. On the European tour, he was
touring with his play For Better, Not For
Worse. He not only directed the play but he
acted, as well. In London, they did the play
Poppie Lomgena. Selaelo was one of the
actors, while in London.
The South African Theatre Company
was thrown out of London by the British
actors Union. Word was--that they were
taking the British actors jobs. But, mind
you, they were invited to Britain, to per­
form; so, somebody had to know something
about this quandary. To add more confu­
sion, the South African Theatre Company
brought their own production. So, how, on
G od’s green earth, were they taking any­
thing from the White, British actors? Tell
me, huh?
There is a general consensus that--if its
Black, hold it back and if its While, its
always right. This feeling goes from state to
state and from country to country. There are
some countries where everyone is dark
skinned--but, some are lighter than others.
The light ones are then elevated. The eleva­
tion is done, not only on the position or
physical level; but, also, on the emotional
level. All that it takes is for a few to begin
“ a click” and they’re on their way.
The British government said that there
is a specific regulation about how long a
foreign theatrical company can remain in
their co untry. And that aftersix months you
have to give the play to the British actors. If
you don’t, they have to shut you down.
Even after going to the media and com­
plaining to the British Embassy, they had to
leave the country.
There is a general consensus
that--if its Black, hold it back and
if its White, its always right.
Selaelo came back to Portland, two
years ago, and did a play called Homeland
which he wrote and directed. During that
time, he visited a place called the Whitney
Young Learning Center. There, the young
people are given help with their school
studies by people from the community,
"th is is a beautiful thing” says Selaelo. He
went to see the children, in the program, to
tell them about South Africa. And, eventu­
ally, they went to see Homeland. "W hen
I ’d returned to California, I received letters
from these children” he shared. "They
thanked me for coming to share with them,
for telling them about South Africa, about
how they went to see the show and that they
had learned a lot about apartheid and ra­
cism .” Since he has been back, he has done
work with the Whitney Young Learning
Center children. He specifically wrote a
play for them entitled Our Parent’s Day.
The play was performed at the North Port­
land Library on N. Killingsworth Avenue,
for all the parents and friends, of the chil­
dren. The play was designed after an annual
day celebration in South Africa when the
parents of all the students come to the
schools to see the children’s work. Selaelo
wrote the play, produced it, directed it,
rehearsed with the children and received
not one copper cent for his efforts. "Its
something that I did back hom e" says
Selaelo, "putting back something into the
community and helping the children. Which
is so important.”
“ I wrote a play called The
Young Diplomats. It was about
these two kids that went to South
Africa.”
" I love working with children” says
Selaelo. He continued writing. One play
after another. “ I wrote a play called The
Young Diplomats. It was about these two
kids that went to South Africa.” It was a
tale about two American children who went
to visit South Africa. A Black child and a
White child. The first reading was done at
the Civic Theatre. Unknowingly, in the
audience was Sue Busby from the IFCC.
She liked the play but she wanted this
children’s drama school to do a South African
play. The problem she had with The Young
Diplomats was that it was all girls. She
requested that it be recast to include boys
and girls. In response to her request, Se­
laelo wrote Never In A Thousand Years, a
one act play.
" I wanted to show how mean and
selfish and inexpiable parents can be to
teach their children to hate” adds Selaelo
"this is one thing that I just hate.” He
continued, "T he parents, the society, the
church and the schools spend so much time
filling their children with negative things. ’ ’
There is a line in the other play. The
Young Diplomat, that explains that when a
young child is bom--the baby’s eyes don’t
see. It only sees what everybody around it
sees. It hears only what everybody else
hears. The child doesn’t see color and it
doesn’t have understanding of knowledge
or who’s knowledge is that. In it's inno­
cence, the child draws from it's environ­
ment. So much so, that the child knows not
to take it’s hand from a burning candle.
SOUTH AFRICAN
AWARENESS NIGHT
The African Student Union of the Port­
land State University campus presented a
special program in the PSU Smith Center
Commons on the seventh day of Novem­
ber, nineteen hundred and eighty-nine at
7:30 p.m. The special evening featured:
music by The Brown Sisters, Selaelo Maredi's
play Never In A Thousand Years, and the
key note speaker was Lindiwe Mabuuza,
African National Congress Chief Repre­
sentative to the U.S. The program was co­
sponsored by the Black Cultural Affairs
Board, Students Against Apartheid, the
Women’s Union and the Poetry Commit­
tee.
gram made quite an impact on those who
attended.”
"w e, the African people, were so very
happy to have Ms. Mabuuza to come to
Portland. She is such a dynamic speaker.
The African N ational Congress is the fight­
ing liberation movement in South Africa. It
is the ANC that has been fighting the Afri­
cans since 1912 when South Africa was
ruled by the British. The Africana just came
into power in 1938. Instead of giving the
power back to the African, they gave it to
the Africanas. "Its just WHITE, WHITE,
WHITE” says Selaelo.
WHAT IS THE AFRICAN
NATIONAL CONGRESS?
This is a very important, very digni­
fied, decent and well mannered group. So
far, every group that has fought for a ‘just
cause' has been called a terrorist organiza­
tion.
Even until now, the ANC has refused to
wage war against the White Africanas. This
is the first of many times we hope to have
Ms. Mabuuza here in our city. All of the
African community, here in Portland, should
have present to hear the wealth of informa­
tion that she had to share with us. The ANC
was once exiled but is now doing well and
even though our representative still doesn't
have a voice in the United Nations, we, at
least have an official office, which is lo­
cated in Washington, D.C. To us, Ms.
Mabuuza is our ambassador.
For further information concerning the
ANC, contact the African Students Union
at the PSU campus.
"w here there is profit, conscience is
destroyed” says Selaelo. Africa is one of
the richest countries in the world. “ Rather
than help" expounds Selaelo, "th e entire
world would rather turn a blind eye and
*
look the other way while all of these atroci­
ties continue to go on, seemingly unno­
ticed. Just because they don't want to effect
the profit. Its very tragic; but, at the same
time, its a reality."
The ANC has been struggling for years
trying to get national support. They are not
recognized as a government. All they have
ever had was ‘observer status’ to the United
Nations . . . never to participate. But for the
first time, an ANC representative has an
office in Washington, D.C. “ The South
African students were so proud to receive
Ms. M abuuza" says Selaelo.
"W e are still fighting injustice. And,
yes, we are capable of running our own
country.”
SELAELO REFLECTS
BACK TO AFRICA
"O ne day we went to visit our aunt.
This was in downtown Johannesburg. We
stopped to buy some cold drinks and some
fish and chips. We went into this Africans
[a name given to White persons bom in
Africa] store. While we were there, we
encountered this Africans boy, who was
about twelve years old. He walked into the
store and become a policeman and he had
been given a form. The form had to be filled
out and sign properly or else he would not
be taken. The storekeeper asked the boy,
‘Why do you want to become a police
officer?' and the boy responded, ‘Because
I want to arrest them.' He was pointing to
u s." These children are preached at in the
churches, the schools and in the homes
about how to do away with the Black Afri­
cans. Imagine, twelve years old and spew­
ing such hate. Its unbelievable. In twelve
years, he had been totally indoctrinated in a
negative and ugly manner.
The reason that this kind o f a program
was held was simply because Portland is
still so backwards as far as South Africa is
concerned. “ Its like it’s in another time
zone" Selaelo says with a smile. The state
of Oregon was the first one to pass the
divestment bill; but the people in the cities
of Oregon . . . Some of them don’t even
know that Africa is a country. “ The pro-
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