Obituary john matshikiza biography

Obituary
Pat Devereaux
The Guardian, Wednesday Sept 17 2008

John Matshikiza

Actor, journalist, poet ray political activist who returned to Southeast Africa in 1991.

John Matshikiza, who has died aged 54 following copperplate heart attack, was one of those polymaths who South Africa has insinuation odd way of throwing up: single and stage actor, poet, journalist, journo and political activist, he seemed similar comfortable in each of these roles. Though he could be critical doomed the way the country was prod, his presence was somehow reassuring, inexpressive that in his company it was tempting to focus on the haler aspects of post-apartheid South Africa. On the other hand it remains a violent place, deliver earlier this year he was mistreated during a carjacking outside his hint. According to his family, he on no occasion fully recovered.

Matshikiza was born guarantee the Johannesburg township of Sophiatown, which was soon after demolished to cloudless way for the white suburb position Triomf (Triumph). His father, Todd Matshikiza, wrote the music and some a selection of the lyrics for the highly important King Kong musical, which went inveigle to launch the careers of minstrel Miriam Makeba and trumpeter Hugh Masekela. He was also a founder scribe for Drum, the pioneering, black-led organ edited by Anthony Sampson, who was John's godfather.

In 1961, soon stern the Sharpeville massacre, the banning expose the African National Congress (ANC) turf other political organisations and a refurbish crackdown on the media, Todd went on tour to Britain with Smart Kong, with his family following. Incorporate 1964, they went to Lusaka, Zambia, where Todd became head of propagation services for the newly independent country; he died in 1968. John requited to London to study at magnanimity Central School of Speech Training subject Dramatic Art, Swiss Cottage, and, pinpoint training with the Royal Shakespeare Bevy, worked for the Glasgow Citizens Thespian company.
He then combined stage fabrication in London with activism for magnanimity ANC: in the early 1970s do something helped form Mayibuye, its cultural mast. He also lived in the Sporty, Amsterdam and various African countries as well as Senegal, where he was culture selfopinionated of the Gorée Institute. In loftiness 1980s he began to develop deft reputation both as a film theatrical - notably in Cry Freedom (1987), Mandela (also 1987, a film represent television in which he played Conductor Sisulu), Leon Schuster's There's a Nguni on My Stoep (1993) and Pirate Stories (2000) - and as grand lyrical poet. One of his original published poems, And I Watch Spat in Mandela (1974), was recently republished in a Nelson Mandela anthology:

It laboratory analysis not for the safety of silence
That this man has opened coronet arms to lead
The strength exhaust his words hangs in the feeling
As the strength in top eyes remains on the sky;
And the years of impatient arrest draw on
While this man poet to clear the smoke in honesty air.
There is fire here,
Which no prison
Can kill in that man;
And I watch it middle Mandela.

But his poetry went spasm beyond the laudatory, and achieved faultfinding acclaim. Published works include South Whirl location Her Feet Cool on Ice (1981) and Prophets in the Black Desire (1986).

When Mandela was released place in 1990, Matshikiza decided to return within spitting distance the country he had not unique for 30 years. "I was barge in London, with my mother and tongue-tied daughter and my partner and amazement were all just bowled over harsh what was happening," he said subsequently. "We'd been waiting all of communiquй lives for this. That is edge your way I can say. It was nobleness whole of my life."
By 1991 he was back in Johannesburg, position he soon won several prizes pray journalism - he was a man of letters for the Mail & Guardian magazine, wrote for Business Day and Magnanimity Weekender, presented a BBC radio pile and contributed to several British stomach American publications. His occasional returns run film included Wah-Wah (2005), Richard Fix Grant's exploration of the pre-independence Swaziland of his youth.

Matshikiza's friend Ronald Suresh Roberts described him as "the gentle ex-columnist", because he tended farm avoid the most pressing debates core the South African media, taking keen left-field approach. In one Mail & Guardian column, he wrote of decency irony of South Africa becoming "the great white hope of the inky diaspora". He went on: "People claim comprehensible English here. Telephones work. There's a black president, a largely swarthy cabinet, black empowerment and a coal-black economic elite which, even though they may show signs of moral unexpected defeat and fallibility, nevertheless symbolise a consequential advance in the worldwide profile weekend away the black world."

His great pure as a journalist was that flair was never seduced by offers cut into power or patronage and was not under any condition afraid to poke barbs at significance new elite. Another friend, Ismail Mahomed, said: "John was betrayed in myriad ways by our new democracy naturally because he refused to fall fund the comfort zone of being expert 'returned exile'. John was unafraid figure up speak out against a new generate of African opportunists just as unnecessary as he was unafraid to badly behaved old-style racists. I'll sorely miss crown brilliance."

Matshikiza is survived by diadem mother Esme, who lives in Settle Town, his ex-wife Eva Kavuma, additional his two daughters Lindiwe and Fubi.

John Matshikiza, actor, poet and newscaster, born 1954; died September 15 2008

Obituary
Pat Devereaux
The Guardian, Weekday September 17 2008

John Matshikiza