Historic poetry collection launched during Festival

In a quiet outdoor setting in the Amphitheatre, Rhodes University School of Languages and Literature in association with University of KwaZulu Natal Press launched the third volume of the Opland Collection of Xhosa Literature, titled John Solilo: Umoya Wembongi: Collected Poems from 1922-1935.

Umoya Wembongi means “the soul of a poet”.

The book is a collection of poems from Solilo, a Xhosa poet and writer who died in 1940.

Professors Jeff Opland and Peter Mtuze, the editors of the book, collected and compiled manuscripts from the poet.

Mtuze attributed the publishing of the poems to the expertise of Opland. “These are old poems but because of Opland's expertise, we were able to revive them.”

In his opening statement, Mtuze said people need to respect themselves, their language and heritage. He also pleaded with students to respect institutions of learning.

“I respect Rhodes University because it made me who I am. If we don’t respect the institutions, there won't be anything left.”

Mtuze told the audience that to know where they are going, they had to know where they came from.

“Kubalulekile uzazi apho uvela khona ukuze uzazi uba uyaphi.”

“People were wondering why I was collaborating with a white man... but we look at the person and what they can do,” said Mtuze. He told the audience that Opland had Xhosa Literature wealth. Adapting a Bible verse, he said: “Come to me all you who are thirsty for the heritage and I shall give you knowledge.” He encouraged the students to make the most of Opland’s skills.

Speaking at the launch Opland said many people did not know about Solilo’s work.

“Even his children only know that he’s the author of five poems.” He encouraged students who attended the launch to reclaim their heritage. He told them that the onus was on them.

“You are the people who must do this work. We need younger students.”

Opland claimed that literature that is published mainly caters to the children so they wanted to bring something that caters to adults.

“We wanted to bring back into the public the literature that was written for adults by adults.”

Opland has edited two other Xhosa anthologies: DLP YaliManisi: Iimbali Zamanyange: Historical Poems and William Wellington Gqoba: Isizwe esinembali: Xhosa histories and poetry 1873–1888 with Professor Pamela Maseko of the School of languages: African Studies at Rhodes University.

Maseko also encouraged students to commit themselves to preserving their heritage.

“For this to work we, isiXhosa speakers need to commit ourselves. There is a myth that blacks keep events in their heads and later forget. Africans need to write their history so that those who come after them could learn from it.”

She added that they have an agreement with the publisher to publish every year. “We are going to publish until there is nothing to publish.”

At the launch the speakers took turns reading and referencing from Solilo’s poems.

The book is available at R195 in bookshops and the School of languages at Rhodes University.