WeeklySA_AdminRENDITION: Mak marks 30 years of remarkable life in the arts, hobnobbing on his parents’ footsteps…
By Jacob Mawela
The Mannie Manim section of the Market Theatre complex in Newtown, downtown Joburg, pulsated with a fusion of music and dance.
If you ask why, the answer is easy to find: poet Maakomele Mak Manaka, at his vintage best, unveiled his groundbreaking theatrical skills with a presentation of groundbreaking theatrical show titled “Mina Nawe: The Last Language”. As it turned out, the show proved a powerful rendition of confluence of legacy, innovation and personal triumph.
The great theatrical spectacle took place on Friday evening to the delight of theatre goers. The one-night-only performance weaved together three generations of South African artistic excellence, marking the 42—year-old Manaka’s milestone of 30 years of resilience and artistic growth and excellence since his life-altering accident of 1995.
Following in the footsteps of his father, playwright Matsemela Manaka, Mak has orchestrated a masterful fusion of poetry, dance, and music that spans generations of South African theatrical excellence.
The production showcased an extraordinary assembly of talent bound by both blood and artistic legacy, featuring choreography by his mother, Nomsa Manaka, with his dancer aunt, Jeanet Mokhela, forming part of the cast.
The musical direction, helmed by Tshepo Mngoma, son of the late songstress Sibongile Khumalo, displayed a rich tapestry of sound complemented by percussionist Lebogang Mokhela, and pianist Phumzeni Khonjelwayo – while the unique voice of featured vocalist Phumla Siyobi, echoed the tradition of discovering extraordinary talent which harked back to when Manaka’s father cast a then-unknown Sibongile Khumalo in his 1980s production, Goree. Billy Langa and Mahlatse Mokgonyana of the Theatre Duo directed.
Mina Nawe: The Last Language delves deep into the intersection of identity, disability, and self- discovery, as Manaka crafts an immersive journey through movement, word, and song.
The performance explored the complexities of being a Black man living with a physical disability, woven into a narrative about relationships and self- acceptance.
At the core, the production advocates for the courage to listen to one’s inner voice. The production probes the different moments in the lives of a couple named Muntu and Kele, whose roles are performed by Manaka (as the pivotal character’s voice), Siyobi (as Kele’s voice during the young love stage), Mokhela (as Kele’s body at an aged stage) – with Mduduzi Buthelezi and Tebogo Mogotsi, in roles of a younger and an aged Muntu, applying visual expression to the production.
At some juncture, while the cast act in cue with the narrative, the voice of Manaka’s deceased dad, Matsemela, is heard in which it explicating about the conflict between art and romance.
“This performance is not just a celebration of artistic legacy but a testament to the power of unlearning and rediscovery” reflected young Manaka, adding,”Through the language of poetry, music, and dance, we’re creating a space where personal struggle transforms into universal understanding.”
The unique blend of familial artistry and contemporary expression showcased an unprecedented theatrical experience which honours the past while boldly stepping into the future. Additionally, the exclusive engagement represented a milestone in South African theatre, where disability representation meets artistic excellence and family legacy.
A public preview – with a seasonal run scheduled for May onwards – the show was in partnership with the National Arts Council (NAC), the Market Theatre Foundation, Dramatic Artistic, and Literary Rights Organisation (DALRO) and Manaka Publications. On October 31 1995, a then 12-year-old Mak Manaka suffered injury to his lower spine after part of a wall of his family’s yard in Diepkloof fell on him while playing with his friends.
The incident caused him to have rods inserted on his back, rendering his left leg dysfunctional. The accident claimed the life of one of his playmates and resulted in him having to endure part of his childhood in hospital wards. His lengthy convalescence from injury would, in addition to physiotherapy, enabled by his mom, Nomsa, a choreographer – who applied dance therapy to induce movement to his legs.
It would be a considerable while before he could progress to using crutches to move around, ahead of which moment he had to contend with his limbs’ struggle to keep up with the rigours of mobility – an experience he would later sum up in a poem titled, Poet of the Pavement.
Manaka would later in 2003 produced an anthology of poems titled, If Only, through which he dealt with the unfortunate period.
In November 2009, he would follow that up with a second compilation titled, In Time – which he described as an expression of moving forward from things which held him back.
Prior to that book , he had released a music and poetry album with the title, Word Sound Power. “I learnt that experimenting with music is not as easy as rhyming to a beat,” said the young poet.
In 2015 Manaka commenced an MA programme in Creative Writing at Rhodes University. In 2016 the wordsmith released his third collection of verse, Flowers of a Broken Smile – progressing in 2018 to release a fourth anthology, Oncoming Traffic, containing 46 poems which unpacked his feelings about disability and manhood.
A globetrotting artist, he has performed in Switzerland, Holland, Germany, Jamaica, Cuba, and in neighbouring southern African countries.
Born in 1983, Manaka’s parents exposed him to the theatre when he was only 18 months. He would lose his father when Matsemela died in a car crash at the age of 42.
