ROLE MODEL AND THE BRAND NEW SECOND HAND

Role model and the brand new second hand

My role model and the brand new second hand article was inspired by the different role models that have inspired me in the past, starting by the old man who normally welcomes me when times are tough for me, he knows himself, I am indebted to you Oom P. Thank you for being a role model to my adult life when things were not that easier for everyone at this stage.   It is people such as these who have made it possible for me to be able to use the talent of writing and sharing what’s on my mind and let others read what’s on Zolisa’s mind. It is people such as Craig, Baba Barayi, Tata Samson, Oom Petrous, fathers in the community of Emanzini (Ranwater), my Uncles and all those fathers who have shaped me to where I am today after the passing away of my father in 1979. In an African culture, I have become an example of what a son of the nation should be like, politicians like Baba Nzo, Oom Harry Gwala, Walter Sisulu, Tata Madiba, Oom OR Tambo, and all those who have spent selfless lives making it possible for people like us to have this democracy we have achieved in 1994. Music was also part of the inspiration and I selected the type of music that served a purpose to me, from ballad, soul, reggae, R&B, Jazz, Classic, and African traditional music, and I can select Peter Tosh on his “Brand new second hand” song as a contributor to this piece of work. I will relate to my life experience in giving you into details of my profile and a concern raised by a business associate who wanted to know as to why I have two identities and who Falco Mazwelane is. Although the focus will look as to the role model and a brand new second hand, I will be adding more info on a monthly or weekly basis as to my experiences since this is a vague topic.

While growing up I had a role model when I was in my teens as taxi cleaner then taxi driver, yes taxi driver in a township of Beirut in the East Rand. My role model was serving the districts of Mzumbe, Mashona, Spiyo, Beirut, and Dalakobayi. He was a gentlemen amongst gentlemen who I later discovered that he was a ladies man, thus I ended emulating him in the field of admiring the  ladies and little did I know that I would end up repeating the same mistake again and again when choosing a partner. Every lady in those townships wanted to seat in the front seat of his taxi most of the time. I then became his taxi cleaner and marshal and as time went he later allocated more tasks and responsibilities on my shoulders and one of them was of picking and choosing ladies that qualified his criteria. The instruction was that, as his marshal, I should only select beautiful ladies for the 16-seater sprogett, and this pose challenges as I would make mistakes and would be reprimanded servilely when he came back to drop off the load and would be told that I had made a wrong choice on the day, but as time went by I ended up mustering the task. About his taxi, it had a space of three people seating in front but he only used two seats, his and the passenger seat only occupied, the middle seat (only used for this purpose) would have a variety of fruits, drinks, milk shakes, finger snacks, sweets, and the nandinandi (nice goodies for the selected lady), I would later also share in the goodies as well. For me to keep the job was only to clean the taxi, make sure that nice and beautiful ladies keep the front seat, so I had to comply which I did with high flying colours. My role model was a real coquette and that is what made me to select him as my role model at the time. Although I was still young but I could participate in the debates they would normally hold at the taxi-rank. Those were tough years in that, a first person was just necklaced in Beirut and the whole community had to deal with that trauma with everyone taking it differently. There were no counselling facilities or options thereof but one had to take it as a man and deal with it and get on with life, you had to improvise a way that would suit you to deal with what was just experienced. 

You could either join a group of those who were going to school, join umzabalazojoinajoina, chose going to OTK, COKE, UNION CARRAGE, TAXTILE, join the working force, join those who frequented JOZI and sell goods on the train, join those playing dice, cards or games, either join those loitering the lokshin (Lokshin Management), there were many offers but I was directed to the taxi industry since that was part of family business. Whether you chose any field, they were all intertwined and everyone knew what was happening in the surroundings, if it was that time of not going to work everyone was expected to attend a meeting in the local hall to get a direction of what would happen next. During these years one had to job hop attending classes (although most of the time there were no classes) or bank school and attend the rank, play some games, and most of the time in the after noon you would lookout for any target that was located to be looted and this was mostly welcomed by the majority in the community as it ensured that people would drink Coke, Beer, or eat nandi nandi for that day. Taking down a target was a trick that everyone managed to muster as it (target, meaning a truck belonging to the white companies, apartheid sponsored companies) would enter the township and you would only hear sounds of whistles from all directions and it would be left till it reach the middle of the township between the Zulu section and the Sotho section and it could not come out except letting the driver to just let everyone take what we believed belonged to us. In some cases the drivers would not let go easily but little did they know that they were facing the whole community and had to either let go or become victims of stone throwing. It was siyayinyova time and no one could do anything about it. This was the time most of us managed to get time for mischief, smoking, drinking the beer taken from the truck,  and would enjoy taking from the oppressors. We could not take it any more from the system that seemed corrupt to us, thus we could justify what we did although one would end up with night mares in some days, but this was part of the deal.

As nothing was happening in the classrooms, I then developed a passion of serving my boss, the charmer. I would then go to Spiyo and clean most of the taxis and earn some pocket money to spoil the girl I had developed some interest in, we were interested in buying sweets. Spending time at the Spiyo taxi rank allowed me to spend time with my role model and learning the trick of playing the love game and understanding the opposite sex. He would win these ladies by the way he dress, how his taxi looked (always cleaned), and the music he played. Since one of my tasks was to clean the taxi, I would enjoy playing most of his cassettes while cleaning, he had one particular song he liked by Gladys Knight “Tonight is the night” and I would repeat it and would sing along especially when it reached lyrics like “making love for the very first time”. This song as I later learn that he used to win over his targets then a brand new second hand would become his victim for the day. One will then wonder as to what is this brand new second hand is, it is a term I have learnt from Peter Tosh as explained above in my introduction. My role model used this term as well to refer to some of his victims, he would explain to me that ‘when you see her being so beautiful, she would claim that she has never been touched before but it’s a lie and do not believe that’ so it became a lesson to me. It was 1986 and it was that time when one caught get into mischief and no one would notice as everyone was busy doing things......you keep them busy and they would keep you busy.

In 1987 I had to start a new life in a new environment as I was sent to Carletonville, I wanted to become a student of Wedela Technical High School as these were one of the schools that guaranteed employment security after passing Standard 8 (Grade 10) these days. These were some of the schools in which one would love to have entered in furthering his education, but access was denied as I was not a resident of Wedela, it was when I was accepted to further my studies at Badirile High in Mzerha. Life was tough at first as I had no one to look after and had to do things on my own, but the little experience gained in the taxi industry could not let me down and I would guarantee that as I was using a taxi from Wedela to Mzerha. I met a friend, Nkops who was able to help me with most of the challenges I faced at the time, we were using the same taxi together with teachers who were educating learners at different schools in Mzerha. My friend Nkops was doing his Senior Class (Standard 10) and the school was relocating to a new upstairs and later that year we managed to relocate. To make ends means, I had to develop a strategy of ensuring that there is food and that I had cigarettes since I developed this habit that needs to be fed. After some few weeks I then went to the taxi rank and met some driver called Lani who managed to help me with my pursuit of employment search. In those days, work was always there for everyone you would only avail your-self and be employed there on the spot. Cleaning taxis was always a job that did not need an application, you would ask to clean one, then once everyone was happy with your service, and your CV was up there. It was a tough year for me as I had to learn the route and familiarise myself with the way things were happening. Taxi driver would not mind to wait for you to come after school and offer the service, at first my target was to clean only five taxis (with R25.00) in my pocket. Some of my school mates would laugh at me but at the end of the week would want to become friends with me to share some of the profits gained. At least every day one would eat lunch that was prepared by some shop keeper who loved serving our group; it was five of us mostly Nkops mates who also accepted me as one of them. With this working, attending school, during the year made things to learn the hard way but one could not mind since you could get support from family, friends, and teachers who would take you as part of the family. Later during the year I discovered that one of the teacher I was travelling with was an English teacher and managed to get acquainted with him, Milly, he later managed to remind me of the role model I left in Beirut. Our taxi trip to Mzerha managed to make me a member of that family and I later discovered that I had an Aunty who had a home in the Tswana section of Mzerha.

My move to Mzerha was of educational development as prompted by my family but little did they know that I would meet Tata Elija Barhayi who recruited us to distribute books that inform the community on the developments of the freedom of this country. I later moved to Mzerha in my Aunt’s home the following year since it was clear that I needed to focus more on my studies as I had to repeat a class for the first time. Little did I know that it would only be one year on doing odd jobs like delivery of books and pamphlets to our community on the developments of the cause, and I managed to become one of the top five learners in my class. In that year one developed a passion of playing music that is where the name Falco comes into being. We were playing cassettes and one used to play some “Rock me Amadeus” song and that’s where the name was attached to me. Coming to the name question and since its names day today, I would reflect to the names that were given to me by my peers from the soccer field to community structures. At Emanzini (Ranwater), I was given the name Gath Croocks (a player of Tottenham United) in the soccer field, then was called Themba in my class, called Spencer from Bud Spencer by those in my taxi journey to Mzerha, Sipho by some of my girlfriends, Ironman from those who could not pronounce Ian my first name, Mabhul’wanyile from the manhood underground movement, Ntambo zeGesi by those who were of my peer in my teens, Mageza from the cleaning of taxis, and other names I cannot remember as yet. Some of these names have developed me to be who I am today and have contributed a lot to my upbringing but in some days, people will be calling me me using those names and I have forgotten some of them and it would seem as if I am not interested in them. I apologise for those who have been victims of this misunderstanding, ngxese. When things are going right and not left, time turns to move fast and phuthuthu it was 1989, the year that was also a loss to my development from the start. As we celebrated to be in the final year of school, we were all excited about it making plans of what would be happening next year. I was then included to serve in the leadership structure of our Student Representative Council for our High School and things were tense as we moved to February with a lot of activities happening. We were getting briefings from the NUM leadership and organising meetings for the communities and things were going back to the Beirut scenario and things were rocking.

I had forgotten about my taxi driver role model and now occupied by many things and keeping people busy through music, through meetings, and societal activities. My new role models could not keep me from thinking about what the charmer was up to as I was now becoming a Lothario of my own making. Since I could not go to Beirut, Beirut was created in the form of Mzerha and while reminiscing, things were getting warmer and life was becoming exciting at school. My new role model at the time did not take any nonsense and one had to work more harder than usual, at school Rock me Amadeus was keeping everyone on toes, fire was beginning to show signs even in the township. It comes to some point where I was asked by cops as to where Falco is? I could not know the burger as people were forced to not buy in towns such as Carletonville but as you know that there would be those who would defy the mandate, and tough action had to be taken against them. People were forced to eat, drink all the groceries they bought in that Town, as some would drink paraffin, Jik, or any flavourer that they bought and was inside their plastic bags. It was tough and it was that time again for me to disappear from thin air as it would be Falco this, Falco that and yes I had to move again to where? At some stage there was totally no school and the community could not be governed and was later arrested and later released as Pricilla Jana came for the release of students in that lowsy cell. I had to run, but where? Everywhere in the country there was some activity the leadership declared that the country should be ungovernable and it was the state it was in. Thus today I could defend a call by the leaders at the time and could defend it even if it meant that unpopular decisions had to be followed. You would follow proper protocol and defend the mandate with your life. O now, where was it safe for me? Swayzer became the ideal place and I managed to settle there for some time and was attending a driving school.

I managed to settle in Swayzer for some few months and after managing to pass my driver’s licence from an Afrikaans instructor with a thirty of chesterfield getting lost in the middle seat of the truck I was being tested on. Through “kokotela” one could be in any place in Azania without anyone questioning intentions. I could not wait to go back to my role model, my main man and boost that I can now drive a taxi instead of cleaning and would emulate what he enforced on me during the time I used to work for him. I could not be a boss since I was only twenty and had to muster all his strategies before I could qualify to his level. This was some challenge I was enjoying as I was learning and working at the same time. I could not do anything because all the dreams I had were shattered when I was not allowed to write my examinations after going back to school requesting and was told that they did not want any trouble makers at their school any more. So going back to Beirut was the last option and was accepted to attend at Promat where one was a scholar and a taxi driver at the same time. During school hours I would be at school attending classes, after school relieved my uncle and take deliveries to those contracted to our taxi services. That is where I met my role model for the first time after a few years since I left for Mzerha, he was pleased to see me but disappointed as well to see that I have now moved up the ladder and has joined his rank and file cadres. I still wanted to learn from him but could no longer accept to wash his taxi since I also had someone doing the washing for my LDN Sabta. That is where I met my brand new second hand at the Spiyo rank. I had never seen see such beauty in my entire life, I then had to use the same strategies I learned from my role model. It was some baptismal of fire, I thought that I had met someone who would be my lifetime partner but I had moved on with the game plan. It was it, the next came, and the next, and the next so and so it went and was sometimes criticized by my mentor of picking bakdulars instead of shandapaws. I had to learn to muster how to pick a mozert classed as shandapow to occupy the middle seat in my last trip and was enjoying this as it came with some recognition from the rank.

At school it was the best class I have attended ever since I started school with Nozizwe Primary School, Promat came in handy as it was one class of adults and no one was guaranteed a chair or a partner except a love couple that came with their car. No one had a chair as mentioned, you could chose a partner for that day and we were like were siblings from one mother and one father and we were like brother and sisters in that class. We were all naughty and would back up and take cover for each other and would laugh at each other’s jokes and mistakes, I remember one day being given a class test in September for a test that we wrote in May and tore it there and there after only browsing the results and comments. The teacher was disappointed by this and wanted to know as to why I did that, I had noticed that I got 65% and my response to her question was that, it had no use for me and that I should pull up my socks next time and work harder. It was not a good move for me to do so, but it had long expired in my medullar and was preparing for the mock examinations. Though it was not also a good year, there was blood everywhere, in the trains people were killed by the Nkatha brigades in Beirut a hostel was demolished, in Spiyo the Nkatha hostel was also destroyed as well. After school my task of meeting my brand new second hand was always in my mind. I was now living my dream, I was now a team member and a player meeting all the girls I have met in my life, it would be a brand new girl every week. One day I met a girl that I fell in love with and could not include her in the game of these that I would play around with, I felt for her. We then dated for some time, it was for the first time for me to have someone that I would want to see after two weeks, my mentor taught me that one should not have a bond with the girl for more than three days, you should only take the parcel and live, meet your next. This was what I have been doing since that lesson. Now I was unable to forget about this particular one I just met, I would meet her almost every day and she would now take me out of the game and most of the gents at the rank noticed that I was now hooked. Little did I know that this chick had a child, and was the younger sister of my role model, she really fitted the “Brand new second hand” title as I thought that I was the first guy on her but it was not the case. I thought that “I had a shandapawn, lets meet again and the journey ends here Sisi, you did not even pay your trip fair yehla” people could not understand……niyazithanda indaba zamahala……..sharp…….sharp……brand new second hand…..role model