Chimurenga Vol. 3: Biko In Parliament (November ’02)

“Mandela was not the only head of state taken in by Koagne. Le king kept snapshots of himself with many a man of power, among them Mobutu Sese Seko and Denis Sassou Nguesso […] He took Mobutu for 15 million dollars. Blaise Compaoré of Burkina Faso lost 40 million to him. Sassou, Etienne Eyadéma of Togo, several high officials of Gabon, Tanzania and Kenya, a member of the Spanish government and an ex-operative of the Israeli Mossad were bamboozled as well.” – Dominique Malaquais (blood/money: a douala chronicle). Also Keorapetse Kgositsile, Lesego Rampolokeng, Mark Anthony Neal, Legogang Mashile and more…

Song:

Bantu Serenade by Ntone Edjabe (featuring Nah-ee-lah)
(read excerpt)

Takes:

Gail Smith: Death By Memory
Dominique Malaquais: blood/money: a Douala chronicle
Kopano Ratele: Love and Fear past Ginsberg
Keorapetse Kgositsile: English Language Visas
Masello Motana: a re kwe afrika ka gare ga hip hop ya gae!
(click hereto read the english translation of this piece)

Memoir:

Santu Mofokeng: Trajectory of a street photographer (part1)
(read excerpt)

Faction:

Itumeleng Mahabane: A New Consciousness
Binyavanga Wainaina: Hell In Bed With Mrs Peprah
(read excerpt)
Don Mattera: Land, South Of Africa
‘Tope Omoniyi: Farting PresidentsDominique Malaquais: Lindela (the winnie suite)
(read excerpt)
Boubacar Boris Diop: Myriem
(read excerpt)
Lebogang Mashile: I smoked a spliff with Jesus Christ
Khulile Nxumalo: they hurled insults at the sky

Re-Views:

Mark Anthony Neal on Cookie: The Anthropological Mixtape by Meshell Ndegeocello
Lebogang Mashile on the high art low fart ranthologyby Lesego Rampolokeng

Conversation:

Lesego Rampolokeng: “there”s a politics tied up with every letter i knock out; how would i be able to rattle brain-cells if it”s in a language only my number-callers would find attachment to? […]no declaration of colonial-servitude comfort this: i”d have to spend the rest of my life learning setswana so as to be sufficiently equipped to wage war or make love in it [...] i can”t go into hibernation that long.” (talking to Kgafela oa Magogodi)

Photo:

Santu Mofokeng: The Black Photo Album: Look At Me
Buyaphi Mdledle: Who does Biko belong to?

Art:

Neo Muyanga – Alex Noble – Graeme Arendse – Malam/D. Malaquais

Cover:

Neo Muyanga