User talk:Xolela Ben

Don Jadu - S.E.K. Mqhayi

The origins
As a young man at the age of 20 years, I once travelled home to the ', I visited one of their cities, for white people. On one particular day, when I was in town, a thought came that I should go visit my aunt. She was a daughter of my grandfather she was married in our homeland but due to exodus of people she moved to the Mfengu land. In the center of the town, her house was about 30km.

Roots of Racism
Policemen. — Once the thought of me leaving the town occurred, I did not waste any time, I hurried to leave the town – but as I happened to be leaving the town, I saw two police following each other coming towards me. They were riding on two horses, the leading one was a white police behind him was a black police. Upon his approach, the white police asked for identity book in English, I answered in Xhosa saying “I have never carried that thing”. After saying that, he started searching me and asked, “Why? Why not? What are you? Are you coloured?” I said, “I am a Jingqi”. Once I said that, the black police rushed onto me as if he wanted to beat me, he said, “What! You think you will break the law because you are a Jingqi, What is this!” When he approached me carrying handcuffs, I pushed him fiercely, I said: “Get away from me!” After I did that, the white police turned around (I did not knew what he was thinking) towards us and immediately ordered his colleague saying: “Let him go!” my countryman followed the order mumbling; I heard him saying: “I am Nokhala, I have never been treated like that.” I continued with my journey, – on the way I was thinking about being ridiculed by one of our own countryman. I again once thought that the life of my countryman and that of his family depends on this job. Without it, there would be no help or much hope at all. I travelled feeling sorry for who I am because as a traveller today this man made me think I could go sleep at a place far away as this is bringing bread on the table. He took it upon himself with great passion, even the law that was broken with me having no identity book, he took it as if it was his law not to break. That was how this all started, this was a way of living for him. The saying “You cannot trust a mediocre” thus became clear. I remembered that, I and my countryman are not angry at each other, we are not fighting but when we see each other we start acting like we are dogs.

An encounter with thugs
Criminals. – All this time I happened to be lost in a dark forest where no one could see. This was something which no one would talk of, even I did not take it seriously enough. I had not entered it in its entirely but my guts told me that no one usually survives here. After a while I heard voices back and forth, “Can I have a cigarette!” I pretended as if I did not hear. The man continued: “Man, I said give me a cigarette! Are you deaf?” I quickly responded saying, “I do not have any cigarette.” “Why, why are you talking like that, what is it that boasts you?”. Said a voice coming out of nowhere. I said, “Oh!” No, come take it the way you usually do from other people.” After saying that I stood up and started walking towards the front – What hell is this! Two men were standing in front of me; one was coloured, those I was talking with behind me were coloured too. Oh! Once I noticed that I was in trouble, I started talking to myself going sideways: “Men, you see. What we are about to do here is important because one or two of you is going to be left here with me. I promise one will be left here injured, – to then I say, count your blessings as I will do the same, – I will even write up a will and a testimony”. As I was saying that I put down the hand bag that I was carrying. I opened it and pretended to be taking out a paper. What! Just hold on, with no reason I heard one of the coloured as if he was being chased, he ran as fast as he could. He said: “Watch out he is taking out a pistol! Watch out he is taking out a pistol!” No wait! No wait! Just wait, it was chaos! All the men started running. Once I started shouting that: “He is lying!” It was like I am asking them to run away even faster than before. I was left alone in this place, and I thought of the saying: “Those who sin rebuke before everyone.” It was at this moment that I realised I should carry on with my journey because it is too far where I am heading. Indeed I carried on, on my way I was puzzled by the actions of our bothers who seem destined to split blood of their own people. They are even hiding in tunnels seeking for it, I am just speechless.

Being on the safe side
For now, my mind was far away from the incident of my brother being fooled by a coloured. He lied to them and they believed him where they could have won. In truth, I did not have any pistol. I had no weapon, all I had was strong stick which I was taught how to handle and used it even where there is a crowd of men. I am saying these men could have benefited because, these criminals are those who would rob someone and even end up killing only to find out that they will be sharing a cent. They would be sharing whatever little they got from their victim. On me I did not have much, I only had ten pounds. The clothes I was wearing were worth ten pounds too. It was my first time wearing them, I have added their costs and \those of the hand bag I was carrying, some clothes inside it and the umbrella I had. This incident of these men made me think that every one of our brothers is like this everywhere you go in this world we live in. You would see men congregating talking and it would appear that they have reached an agreement on how they would live. At the very same time, things would be in order, but there appear a lousy coloured man and disrupt everything that was agreed on. Everyone then just disappears. If these men were serious about killing me, and did not listen to anything else. Had they all attacked me with force, they would have succeeded on their mission. With that what made them to fear was nothing but were disturbed by the lies and fear of the coloured man. Again, what is this thing of our brother, now and again they would be depended on someone else, why would they do something with success on their own? You see, someone from outside just disrupt unity pointing things that do not exist. Our nation is in periphery.

Yet other problems
Ostriches. – I travelled out of the forest and from a distance of a mountain saw a flat veld crowded by ostriches, some were brown others were black.