James Matthews' "Azikwelwa"

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that James Matthews's short story "Azikwelwa" was first published in 1958, reprinted again in 1974, the year of the Mdantsane Bus Boycott, in the collection "The Park and Other Stories" and then reappeared in the journal "Grassroots" in 1982 as an example of life in South Africa and as a particular form of political and social propaganda. The author stresses that the political dimension of the story becomes evident when the protagonist, Jonathan, makes the decision to join the protest. At this point, the text stops being merely a journalistic account of this period of massive disturbances. The paper relates that the literary devices used in this short story, such as repetition, ternary rhythms, alliteration and fricatives, are unusual for prose writing, which makes the prose read more like a poem or a song.

From the Paper:

"In January 1957, a bus boycott under the slogan "Azikwelwa" (or "We shall not ride") was initiated by the people of Alexandra Township near Johannesburg to prevent the imposition of increased transportation costs. In the period 1950 - 1980, many such boycotts took place and the whole transport boycott movement is often linked to Apartheid resistance. Some have also identified it as a consumer and a political protest in a period when South African capitalism was entering in a phase of economic recession. For many, it was a demonstration of working-class solidarity which began with civil disobedience but evolved into a process of creation of a collective consciousness. Hence, the massive boycotts are said to have helped in the formation of South African identity."

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