From the Drama Fest - Bantustan retro brings us right into the present

Presented by Lubikha Theatre Project, written by Michael Lubisi and directed by Darlington Michaels

I really concentrated throughout this drama because I was concerned to find some – any – redeeming feature about the production. But, a poor script, an unclear story line and “hamateurish” acting put the kibosh into my efforts to find something meaningful to say.

The play has a good idea, examining the role of Charles Sebe in his half-brother Lennox’s despotic Ciskei bantustan regime. Charles is at once depicted as a bastard, a buffoon, someone seeking intelligent discourse, a man psychologically hobbled by his place in his own family and the political pecking order, as well as the physical scars of previous military skirmishes.

But it rambles on. Characters are not clearly drawn. There is no scene coherence and some of the acting is just appalling. There is the odd moment worth salvaging. Like the presentation of the bicycle gift from Pretoria to Ciskei – with a flat black tyre representing Zwelitsha and a missing front tyre a metaphor for Mdantsane,

Ultimately, however, I realise that the value of Bantustan is in showing up the idiocy and political intrigue driving some of the behaviours of the current ruling party, behaviours that mimic those of despotic regimes like the Sebes we thought were long behind us.

Few in the audience would come away without reflecting on the struggles being waged today by poor, homeless and unemployed South Africans and the feeding trough insensitivity of the leaders for whom they voted.

This is a return to our struggle, showing us where we’ve been and the difficult road we traversed to 1994. Senzeninam – “What have we done as a black nation to the cries for liberation and democracy?”

Except for that vote, this is no different to being disenfranchised and consigned to a homeland outside South Africa’s borders, contending with Machiavellian politicians who turn too easily to teargas and rubber bullets as a means of responding to legitimate demands.

There are more productions on offer this year than in any year since democracy which remind us of where we’ve come from in relation to the state of our politics today. Three Little Pigs does that perfectly. Bantustan does it inadvertently - and anything but perfectly.

I thought perhaps Bantustan could be tightly re-written and, with stronger direction, could offer us a good perspective on an interesting moment in our struggle history. But I think members of Lubhika Theatre Project should simply be given free tickets to view other works at the festival, so that they can begin to re-hone their craft.

- RAY HARTLE