Tša Borala: A Sepedi/ Sesotho sa Leboa poetry anthology
Pages: 246 pages
ISBN: 978-0-9869991-6-1
Publisher: Timbila Poetry Project, 2014.
Editor: David wa Maahlamela
Price: R230
[tabs tab1=”Sepedi/Sesotho sa Leboa” tab2=”English”]
Timbila Poetry Project, baphatlalatši ebile e le mokgahlokgoparara wa boreti mo Afrika Borwa, ba gatišitše pukuthetomohlakanelwa ya moswananoši, Tša Borala, yeo e lego katlegokgolo mo legorong la kgatišo ya dipuku tša maleme a kaparaswana Afrika ka bophara. Pukuthetomohlakanelwa ye ya Tša Borala, ya go ba le direto tše 202 tša Sepedi/Sesotho sa Leboa, e hlaotšwe le go rulaganywa ke moreti wa mothopadifoka, ebile ga bjalo e le moithutelabongaka Yunibesithing ya Rhodes, David wa Maahlamela. Yona e tla morago ga tlhahlo yeo e tseneletšego ya tša bongwadi yeo e ilego ya swara ka 2010 go la Polokwane. Go swana le beine ye monate, pukuthetomohlakanelwa ye e tšere mengwaga ye mene e hlotlwa diatleng tša morulaganyi gape a boledišana le bareti bao mešomo ya bona e akareditšwego. Todi ye ya boreti e tlile go ketekwa le go hlomamišwa ka la 11 Lewedi/Setemere go moketeko wa tša bongwadi wa Polokwane Literary Fair.
Setlogong sa boreti bja Sepedi/Sesotho sa Leboa go fihla ga bjale, Tša Borala ke yona pukuthetomohlakanelwa e nnoši ya go lekalekanya bong le bogolo. Go fapanafapana ga dibopego, dikagare, le mengalelo, go akaretša le lehumopolelo la dipolelo-semmotwana tšeo molaotheo o di tshedišago mahlo go swana le Khelobedu, Setlokwa le Sepulane. Mateng a itheile go thoma ka dikgopolo tša bophelo bja magaeng go fihla go tša setoropong, go dumelela gore theto yeo e hlamilwego ka molomo, le tša sebjale tšeo di ngwalwago gape di nontšhwa ke dikhuwetšo tše fapanego; go ka ipapatša ntle le tšhitišo.
Ge go be go beakanywa puku ye, go be go šeditšwe pele boleng bja sereto, esego bja moreti. Ke ka lebaka leo direto tša bokomangkanna le dikonokono bongwading go swana le Matshedisho Aletta Motimele, Phomelelo Moshapo-Machika, Tau Motubatse Mashupye Nchabeleng le Mankgase Shadrach Mashabela di kgethilwe, e se ka baka la setumo sa bona, efeela ka baka la go kgodiša le bokgwari bja direto tšeo. Go le bjalo, mengwaga e ile ya šetšwa, efela le mo esego mengwaga ya moreti efeela mengwaga yeo sereto se ka e phelago. Morago ga mengwaga ye mene, direto tše di sa kwala tše nkego di ngwadilwe lehono, tše nkego monono wa motšhaotšhele. Mooko le hlogotaba tše bohlokwa efela di nyenyefatšwago le go katogwa go dingwalwa tša maleme a SeAfrika ka bophara, tša go lebelelwa e kare ke bohlola go ngwala ka tšona; mo go pukuthetomohlakanelwa ya Tša Borala di filwe šedi le go ahlaahlwa.
Bareti bao mešomo ya bona e lego ka go pukuthetomohlakanelwa ye ba akaretša baithuti, ditsebi tša polelo, bagaši ba seyalemoya, bašomedi ba tša maphelo, dientšenara tša meepong, bakgabi ba tša bokgabo, gape le banyakišiši ba thuto ya tša bongwadi—ka moka ga bona ba tšweletša bohloko le lethabo tša phatlalatša le tša boteng, ntle le go dikologa seolwana. Go tloga go pannwe pitsi tša mebala ye e fapafapanego ka joko e tee, seo se tloga se kgonthišiša dibopego le tatso tše fapafapanego tšeo re sa gononego gore di tla akaretša babadi ka moka go ya ka mehutahuta ya bona. Lehumo leo le sa lekantšhego le selo ke sereto mabapi le lehu seo se ngwadilwego ke Pontšho Marumo Motimele beke pele a ithobalela boroko bja mafelelo, go laetša gore boreti bo na le boporofeta ka gare gape bo tloga bo le bohlokwa maphelong a rena a sedumedi.
Pukuthetomohlakanelwa ye, ka kakaretšo, e na le direto tša bareti ba 28, bona ke: Mpho Godfrey Molapo, Phomelelo Moshapo-Machika, Matete Motsoaledi, Pontšho Marumo Motimele, Tau Motubatse Mashupye Nchabeleng, Madihlare Christobeth Molapo, Makwaya Piet Madula, Matshediso Aletta Motimele, Magoja Humphrey Hlaka, Motjidibane Bapela, Thabo Letwaba, Makosha Dimo, James Mashupu, NS Sebati, Malehu Agnetia Molewa, Tiego Phillimon Tjale, Moloko Mahuma, Lesley Ramushu, Mankgase Shadrack Mashabela, Magosechaba Violet Mamabolo, Lethunya Mmuroa, Ngwanamohuba Wilhemina Sebati, Amos Tebeila, Peter Moruthane, Mamoleme Jacob Mokaba, Makwena Manamela, Makgadi Grace Koma le David wa Maahlamela.
Kgatišo ya maemo a godimodimo ya Tša Borala—ye e fapanego gape e thulana le setlwaedi sa kgatišo ya go fokola, ya ‘solanka,’ go dipuku tša maleme a kaparaswana—ke ka thušo ya tša mašeleng gotšwa go National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund (NLDTF) sehleng sa yona sa 2012/2013 sa lenanego la Indigenous Languages Publishing Programme (ILPP). Lenanego la Indigenous Languages Publishing Programme (ILPP) ke kgwerano magareng ga South African Book Development Council (SABDC) le Department of Arts and Culture (DAC).
Go otara puku ye, ikgokagantšhe le ba ga Timbila Poetry Project mo go 015 291 2088 goba 072 1296 496 goba [email protected]
Go rulaganya poledišano mabapi le puku, o ka ikgokagantšha le morulaganyi, David wa Maahlamela mo go 074 628 5247 goba [email protected]
The Timbila Poetry Project, the leading poetry movement in South Africa has once again added a riveting anthology of poetry, Tša Borala, a remarkable feat in the tapestry of indigenous publishing in Africa. Tša Borala, an anthology of 202 poems in Sepedi/Sesotho sa Leboa, compiled and edited by the award-winning poet and Rhodes University PhD candidate, David wa Maahlamela is a result of an intensive creative writing workshop which was held in 2010 in Polokwane. Like good wine, it took four years fermenting in the hands of the editor and in dialogue with the featured poets. This collector’s item will be launched on 11th September during the Polokwane Literary Fair.
In the history of Sepedi/ Sesotho sa Leboa poetry, Tša Borala up to so far, is the only poetry anthology with a balanced gender and age representation. Its multidimensional variety in forms, content and approach, encompasses the rich diversity of dialects including the constitutionally overlooked ones such as Khelobedu, Setlokwa and Sepulane. Subject varies from traditional to urban life, enabling both the rich orally composed and the modern which is enormously seasoned by different influences to flourish without any restraint.
In the making of this book, it is the size of the poem, rather than that of a poet, which was prioritized. It is on this basis that the book features legendary wordsmiths such as Matshediso Aletta Motimele, Phomelelo Moshapo-Machika, Tau Motubatse Mashupye Nchabeleng and Mankgase Shadrach Mashabela not for their names, but for the credibility and intriguing poems. However, age did matter, but also not of a poet, but rather the age the poem would survive. Four years later, these poems still taste fresh, like timeless treasures. Underplayed and avoided yet crucial themes such as feminism, which have, in African language literary repertoire, been treated like taboos, are dearly embraced and deeply explored in Tša Borala.
Tša Borala comprises ordinary stories told in unordinary ways that redefine Sesotho sa Leboa/Sepedi poetry. It is a perfect blend of dialects, forms, voices, cultural outlooks, gender and age, that form a culturally and literary density. It preserves the past while critically exploring the present and its dynamics. Seasoned poets are meshed with fresh yet striking voices to take Sepedi poetry to new heights. As if it was not enough, the anthology is, throughout, sandwiched with rarely used yet intriguing Sepedi/Sesotho sa Leboa proverbs, so as to encourage the preservation of folklore within the realm of creative and artistic literature.
Featured poets include students, language experts, radio presenters, health professionals, industrial engineers, art practitioners and of course and literary scholars – all pouring out public and private pain and moments of bliss without holding back. Such a wide range attests to a wider outlook that is bound to a general readership from all spheres of life. One priceless feature is a poem about death written by Pontšho Marumo Motimele a week before she passed on: confirming the prophetic nature of poetry and its social and spiritual relevance in our lives.
All in all, the anthology features poems by the following 28 poets: Mpho Godfrey Molapo, Phomelelo Moshapo-Machika, Matete Motsoaledi, Pontšho Marumo Motimele, Tau Motubatse Mashupye Nchabeleng, Madihlare Christobeth Molapo, Makwaya Piet Madula, Matshediso Aletta Motimele, Magoja Humphrey Hlaka, Motjidibane Bapela, Thabo Letwaba, Makosha Dimo, James Mashupu, NS Sebati, Malehu Agnetia Molewa, Tiego Phillimon Tjale, Moloko Mahuma, Lesley Ramushu, Mankgase Shadrack Mashabela, Magosechaba Violet Mamabolo, Lethunya Mmuroa, Ngwanamohuba Wilhemina Sebati, Amos Tebeila, Peter Moruthane, Mamoleme Jacob Mokaba, Makwena Manamela, Makgadi Grace Koma and David wa Maahlamela.
The high quality production of Tša Borala which defies the shoddiness that is associated with makeshift books published in indigenous languages was funded by the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund (NLDTF) during the 2012/2013 phase of the Indigenous Languages Publishing Programme (ILPP). The Indigenous Languages Publishing Programme (ILPP) is a joint initiative of the South African Book Development Council (SABDC) and the Department of Arts and Culture (DAC).
To order the book, please contact Timbila Poetry Project on 015 291 2088 or 072 1296 496 or email [email protected]
To arrange an interview, contact the editor, David wa Maahlamela on 074 628 5247 or [email protected]
Tša Borala launches at the Polokwane Literary Festival, 11 September 2014 in the Auditorium, Polokwane city Library, 3pm.
