11-05-2025
Black pride and African history take centre stage in Mantsopa at The Market Theatre
The play Mantsopa, which is currently being staged at The Market Theatre in Johannesburg, highlights the ridiculousness of tribalism, as the similarities between the Basotho people's traditional dance mokhibo and the amaXhosa's ukuxhensa were impossible to ignore.
In fact, a friend who travelled to Ethiopia last year said the traditional dance in that country was also similar to the above mentioned, arguing that the links between African people predated colonialism.
Written and directed by veteran actor and theatre guru, Jerry Mofokeng wa Makhetha, Mantsopa chronicles the life of the matriarch who dismantled patriarchy before this was popular.
She did this with her strong connection to a higher power that would propel her to become a trusted adviser to King Moshoeshoe of Lesotho.
So powerful was Mantsopa that, had she lived in this era, instead of the 1800s, the playwright says, through one of the actors, that buildings, national roads and monuments would be named after her and authors telling her story would be penning bestsellers.
Alas, the play alone is a step in the right direction towards rewriting formidable black women into history.
An equally powerful matriarch in Mantsopa is veteran actress Florence Masebe, who plays a family elder. Thespians are hailed daily for their authentic portrayal of their characters but one has to salute Masebe for her firm grasp on indigenous South African languages in their purest form.
Mofokeng wa Makhetha described Mantsopa as a pioneer in women's fight for equality, saying her power defied gender, politics and even culture. So fearless was she that she would not even bow to the feared mercenaries.
He referenced an era when women were prohibited from getting an education, adding that once they gained access into those spaces, they outperformed their aspirations.
Mofokeng wa Makhetha said:
He explained the conflicting reports around Mantsopa's banishment, with some historians saying advisers of the king were starting to question: 'Ke mang Morena mo? [Who is the actual king here].' Others claimed that the ban was self-inflicted as her marital family felt unsafe following her husband's death.
Through drama, music and poetry, the cast awakens the audience to the interconnectedness of African customs. For example, they unpack the practice of 'ho kenella motho', 'seya ntlo' or 'ukungenelwa', which is when a relative of a deceased husband takes over the widow as his new wife.
While this may have incited laughter from the audience, the scene where physical violence and dominance are used to coerce a woman into marriage touches on the gender-based violence and rape culture women continue to grapple with in a different millennium.
In fact, to me, the insults that the character is met with for rejecting these advances read as parallel to femicide in contemporary society. Today, a lot of women lose their lives at the hands of men who are not man enough to handle rejection.
I found it unfortunate that the play was mostly performed in English, especially as there is ongoing discourse about the preservation of African history and the indigenous languages.
The director said:
While the play brings audiences closer to Mantsopa's bloodline and the intimidating responsibility of carrying on her legacy, at its core it is an educational piece of theatre that reunites African people with their identity.
Mofokeng wa Makhetha reminds audiences that native Africans' relationship with God and their knowledge of this higher power predated colonisation.
Take a sho't left to The Market Theatre for this and other lessons about African tribal relations and how these are woven into contemporary society.
The season, which was originally meant to run until 11 May, has been extended to 18 May, due to public demand.
