SHOW: The Cry of Winnie Mandela
WHERE: The Market Theatre Laboratory
WHEN: 04 May 2024
DIRECTOR: Momo Matsunyane
August was Women's Month in South Africa, where we commerate the brave Womxn of 1956 on the 9th who were tired of waiting.
Over the years, I have come to use the day to reflect on my own personal experiences and draw inspiration from the Womxn in my life. Ibandla lam'.
'The Cry of Winnie Mandela' adapted for stage by Alex Burger, spoiled us with songs and amongst them was this timeless hymn:
"Bohang seema, ha ba hlaha ka kgoro
Jerusalema e mocha..."
Those that are familiar with groups of Womxn will tell you that in their meetings, conversations can easily move from marital and relationship bliss - or bleak as is the case with the Womxn in this play - through the latest news, down to song and wailing prayers. Different emotions were invoked with each song as 'Ibandla la Bafazi Abalindileyo' took us through their journeys in waiting.
From a young age, girls are conditioned to wait and not complain. And in our Womxnhood, we find ourselves trying to reconcile who we're becoming and who we are told to be. We are taught to shrink ourselves as to not upset the patriarchy, aka the men in our lives. We are supposed to appease society while neglecting our own needs and wants. We see this through the story of Delisiwe [portrayed by Ayanda Sibisi] who went out of her way to fund her man's dreams in hopes of being chosen. When that doesn't happen, we lose ourselves.
We shrink ourselves, compete for the male gaze, burn to keep others warm, only for the world to spit in our faces and render us useless and irrelevant. The different stories of Womxn in waiting were gracefully brought home through humour, song, fashion, tears, and confrontation. The directorship of Momo Matsunyane weaves these stories through the stellar acting of Rami Chuene as Mannete, Pulane Rampoana as Mamello, Siyasanga Papu as Marara, Ayanda Sibisi as Delisiwe, with Lesley Nkosi as Prof - whose imagination is the play's setting. They gelled so well to meet at the feet of Nambitha Mpumlwana who portrayed Mme Winnie Mandela. I found it apt to use Mme Winnie as the centre that holds and validates these Womxn's stories as hers is one we're all too familiar with as the liberation struggle muddied her role and importance. And like many of us, she waited. One goes through so much during the waiting and it is often dismissed but ultimately, resilience trumps all.
My wish for the current generation of Womxn is for us to rage through life to get what we need and want as no one will bring it to us while we wait. May we remember that we are it and have always been it - whatever that looks like for each one us. And for those of us who have no choice or little to no options, may our waiting not be in vain.
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