Sizwe Banzi Is Dead – A Review
Mr Styles is in the memorial business. A photographer living near Port Elizabeth in apartheid-era South Africa, he sees it as his job to take photographs of all those black women and men whose lives would otherwise go unrecorded and be lost to history. Beneath his sunny exterior and nifty sales techniques, he’s bit of a philosopher, knowing that “this world and its laws allow us nothing except ourselves. There is nothing we can leave behind when we die, except a memory of ourselves.”
But sometimes you must die so you can live – and that’s the case with one of his customers, whose story is told in this devised play created by Athol Fugard, John Kani and Winston Ntshona in 1972. In Matthew Xia’s revival, the segregation of the audience by race as we enter the theatre is a reminder of the brutalities of the apartheid regime. The paradox of Sizwe Banzi’s life is that it is only by faking his death and taking someone else’s name has he any chance of survival in a country that limits freedom of movement and work opportunities for its black citizens.
The play is oddly constructed and baggy, but its simplicity should not be mistaken for a lack of sophistication, and its continuing relevance will be apparent to anyone who reads a newspaper and knows that the legacy of apartheid means that equality between black and white is still far away. There are terrific and terrifically engaging performances from Sibusiso Mamba as Sizwe Banzi, and Tonderai Munyevu as both Styles and the ingenious Buntu, who sees a way to give Banzi the human dignity that every man and woman deserves.
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Synopsis
The play opens in the photography studio of a man named Styles. The studio is located in New Brighton, Port Elizabeth, South Africa. After reading a newspaper article on an automobile plant, Styles tells a humorous story to the audience about an incident that occurred when he worked at Ford Motor Company.
Styles continues to read the paper and talks about his photography studio. His musings are interrupted when a customer, Sizwe Bansi, arrives. He asks to have his picture taken, but when Styles asks him for his deposit and name, Sizwe hesitates, then says his name is Robert Zwelinzima. Styles asks Sizwe what he will do with the photo, and Sizwe tells him he will send it to his wife. When the picture is taken, the moment is frozen into what the photograph will look like. It comes to life and Sizwe dictates the letter to his wife that will accompany the photo.
In the letter, Sizwe tells his wife that Sizwe Bansi is dead. He writes that when he arrived in Port Elizabeth from their home in King William’s Town, he stayed with a friend named Zola who tried to help Sizwe find a job. His employment search was unsuccessful; as a result, he was told by the authorities that he must leave in three days. Sizwe went to stay with Zola’s friend, Buntu.
The play returns to present time. Staying at Buntu’s house, Sizwe tells Buntu about his problems — unless a miracle happens, he will have to leave town in three days. Buntu is sympathetic to the problem and suggests he work in the mines in King William’s Town. Sizwe rejects the idea as too dangerous. Buntu decides to take him out for a treat at Sky’s place, a local bar.
The focus switches back to Sizwe as he continues to compose the letter to his wife. He describes his experiences at Sky’s Shebeen, where he was served alcohol by a woman in a respectful manner.
The scene shifts to the outside of Sky’s after Sizwe and Buntu have been drinking. Buntu decides that he needs to get home to go to work tomorrow. He goes into an alley to relieve himself and finds a dead man there. Sizwe wants to report the body to the police. Buntu nixes the idea, but he retrieves the dead man’s identity book to find his address. Buntu finds that the man, named Robert Zwelinzima, has a work-seeker’s permit — the very thing that Sizwe needs to stay in town. They take the book. At Buntu’s house, Buntu switches the photographs in the books. He proposes that they burn Sizwe’s book — effectively making him dead — and have Sizwe adopt the dead man’s identity so he can stay in Port Elizabeth. Sizwe is unsure about the plan; in particular, he worries about his wife and children. Buntu contends that they can remarry. After much discussion, Sizwe agrees to the switch.
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Sizwe finishes dictating the letter to his wife. In it, he tells her that Buntu is helping him get a lodger’s permit. The scene shifts back to Styles’ photography studio; Sizwe is getting his picture taken.
The genesis
The genesis of Sizwe Bansi Is Dead can be traced to Fugard’s experiences as a law clerk at the Native Commissioner’s Court in Johannesburg. At that time it was required that every black and colored citizen over the age of sixteen carried an identity book that restricted employment and travel within in the country. In court, Fugard saw the repercussions of this law: blacks were sent to jail at an alarming rate. Although these restrictions are specifically South African, critics have noted that the play’s greater theme of identity is universal. Critics and scholars have also observed that Sizwe Bansi Is Dead contains elements of absurdism, especially its sparse setting and surreal subject matter.
Drama and Conventions
Drama:
Drama comes from the Greek word meaning “action.” It is a produced work written for performance on television or over the radio but most commonly on stage in front of a live audience. Drama usually includes characters that tell stories revolving around struggles and emotions.
A great deal of plays written by Athol Fugard, the author of Sizwe Bansi is Dead, is in a similar fashion. Many of the plays relate to the ideas and the actions of the South African government and the mistreatment of the people in South Africa during the time of Apartheid. They all show opposition to the government.
Another play relating to life under Apartheid is called Amajuba : Like Doves We Rise. Although this play was performed in New York City, the play is similar to that of Sizwe Bansi because of the subject matter.
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Dramatic Conventions
Definition: A set of rules about drama and performances that the audience, playwright, and actor are all aware of. They are used or not used in order to convey significance in a piece.
# Most plays are told linearly, but Sizwe Bansi is Dead is told in an unconventional and non-linear format.
# The play also has a stream of consciousness style to it where characters do not necessarily have to have segues into new topics or ideas.
# Unlike many conventional plays, Sizwe Bansi is improvised to an extent, meaning a performance can be different each time and the words are not set in stone. This gives an authentic feel to the things characters say because it’s not memorized, it’s lines said in character with feeling characterizing it’s characters as genuine.
The use of a monologue that is said by Sizwe in a letter to his wife is at the core of a lot of the play, and is an unconventional technique that is used to introduce themes and backstory. It is also used to structure the play, as each act is preceded by a monologue from Sizwe which sets the subject and tone of the segment. Instead of dialogues, most of the play consists of long monologues that are stylized to give an insight into character, and their thoughts, as well as being able to reflect at the same time on events that have transpired.
Context of Composition
Author: Athol Fugard:
Born as Harold Athol Lanigan Fugard in 1932 in Middelburg, South Africa. Fugard is white and born to English and Afrikaaner parents. English is his mother tongue language. Attended University of Cape Town but dropped out to hitchhike through Africa. He then worked on a ship as he traveled the world. Fugard wrote his first play No Good Friday in 1958. Also had an international success Blood Clot, which caused him to have his passport withdrawn. Athol Fugard was easily one of the most controversial playwrights in South Africa because of his anti-apartheid dramas. Not only Sizwe Bansi, but a variety of his plays have involved sensitive topics that led to government surveillance. Fugard’s plays were powerful and thoughtful and put light on an unjust system based on the real world and personal experiences.
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Fugard was raised in Port Elizabeth, which is where Sizwe Bansi wants to stay in the play but is not allowed to because of his passbook. He had acting experience before he began to write plays that are always set in South Africa and normally involve politics.
How it helped shaped the plays themes:
In the play, the main theme regards identity. Throughout the play, the definition of identity is unclear and Sizwe Bansi faces problems regarding his own. Because Athol Fugard lived in an environment where he saw constant struggles similar to his characters as well as being a very political writer, Sizwe Bansi’s struggles are very realistic and help focus upon the problems with the social system in Africa. Sizwe Bansi is Dead was one of many plays Athol Fugard wrote to express his ideas and opinions on the apartheid system, which caused even more controversy because he was white.
How it shapes the plot/characters:
Sizwe Bansi is Dead focused upon a very realistic problem that many blacks had faced under the rule of the apartheid. The fact was that many blacks did not have a choice in choosing their own fate and where they could work, Sizwe Bansi was a perfect example of these everyday citizens. He faced the common challenge of being forced to move elsewhere because his passbook did not allow it, which causes him to make a tough choice by killing his old identity and taking on a new one.
Literary trends or movement that might have influence the play:
Apartheid: Sizwe Bansi is Dead was first preformed and was also set in a time of the apartheid in South Africa. The Apartheid was the bases of the play. Through the play Athol Fugard wanted the audience to understand the lives of the black Africans during the time that they were segregated, this is historical fiction.
The play contains many social, cultural, and historical aspects of this time period. The laws and ideas during the apartheid were also seen throughout the play. The apartheid started when Dutch natives immigrated to South Africa to find gold. Many acts were created to segregate the colored people from the Afrikaners.
The Native Areas Act was created to separate the African natives from the Afrikaners (whites), by forcing the African citizens to live on 14 percent of the land even though they had a bigger population then the white immigrants.
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The Immorality Act- banned marriage between the Afrikaners and Africans.
Population Registration Act- required everyone to be registered in 4 distinct racial groups and have NI numbers that showed their race. This is a common theme in the play, showing the influence of the passbook on an African’s life.
Group Areas Act- forced many Africans to relocate to another area.
Reservation of Separate Amenities Act- the segregation of public areas, things like taxis, restaurant, hotels, churches etc. By the play being influenced by these social, cultural, and now historical aspects it truly depicts the life of the Africans during that time period.
Until 1972, when the play was first performed in Cape Town, the white power still remained dominant in South Africa. Sizwe Bansi Is Dead conveys anti-apartheid by describing how the black community was oppressed and segregated, and how the White, when dominating South Africa, had taken away the black’s human rights. The trend of the anti-apartheid force can also indicate why the play has to be performed.
Before the play was performed:
The growth of anti-apartheid can be seen in 1950s. Several organizations and political parties became active at protecting the black community. The African National Congress (ANC) demanded civil rights and social equity for the black South Africans. Pan Africanist Congress (PAC), the newly form nationalism and socialist unity, also started its campaign against Apartheid. However, the Apartheid resistance was seemingly not successful. By 1963, the main anti-apartheid activists were either imprisoned or exiled and the Apartheid resistance was outlawed.
The period when the play was performed:
Yet, the protest grew. Also, the world became more interested in Apartheid, and many countries took actions challenging South Africa’s regime. South Africa was withdrawn from United Nation and was banned from Olympic Games. The South Africa’s prime minister, Hendrick Verwoerd, was assassinated. Hence, the Apartheid petty law was relaxed by the next Prime Minister, John Vorster. Yet, the protests and violence continued and became more intense in 1970s.
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We can say that the play was performed at when the social conflict between the two social groups was at its peak.
After the play was performed:
When Frederik Willem became the prime minister in 1989, many anti-apartheid activists were released. The anti-apartheid organization was unbanned in 1990s. The Apartheid was officially unbanned in 1994. But the tension between the two races remained.
Context of Interpretation
The target audience of Sizwe Bansi Is Dead is much broader than just the black South Africans who were mistreated during the apartheid regime, or else, the play wouldn’t have been written in English. Seeing that this play is really intended for a wide range of audience, there isn’t one specific historical context that the play expects its targeted audience to share. However, it is undeniable that each nation has played the role of the conqueror (Afrikaaners in Sizwe Bansi Is Dead) or the subjugated group of people (black South Africans in the play).
The purpose of the play is to present the oppressed voices at the time of the apartheid regime and show its audience of all historical backgrounds what it’s like for a group of people living under an oppressive regime.
During the first showing of Sizwe Banzi is Dead, in 1973, South Africa was in the mists of Apartheid. Although progress had been made, Apartheid and white dominance still had heavy presence. During this time, the social atmosphere was thick with tension among those fighting for and against the Apartheid regime. This is arguably the reason, which Sizwe Banzi is Dead became extremely popular, as the play’s themes of identity and freedom, reflected the social trends of black marginalization. As Sizwe Banzi struggles immensely to find his way through dilemmas of earning a job and his pride in his identity throughout the play, this same struggle was seen all over the social environment during South Africa. As it did so, it shows how Athol Fugard and the play pushed against the Apartheid system and conveyed it’s own message of anti-apartheid establishment towards it’s target audience.
The main target audience for Sizwe Bansi is Dead are both Blacks and Whites during the time of apartheid. The main purpose of the play is to attack racism and the apartheid system. The cultural context of the audience may be involved with racism, since the play itself was produced during times of apartheid. A portion of the white audience may have been followers of the apartheid system, as racial prejudice have been part of their culture. Instead of using force to attack the apartheid system via protests, the play allows the audience taking part in apartheid to question the validity and ethics of the system itself via pathos. Loss of identity and freedom are major themes of the play, and these themes can be related by audience from any culture.
The themes present in the play are still very relevant today. Although the play was heavily based upon the target audience’s context and time period, it’s themes of identity and anti-regime can be applicable in many social aspects of today. Although Sizwe’s problem of identity was directed towards the oppression, which blacks faced from the White man, it is also applicable in reflecting the sacrifices, which sometimes have to be made on identity. Sizwe faces the choice of keeping his name and identity or giving it up to be able to live in the White man’s world. Both Bantu and Sizwe greatly debate on which would really be needed to make up a true man. Throughout society today, this can still be immensely relevant. The cultural context of the target audience is still related today, since the play serves to educate the modern generation about times of apartheid. Although apartheid is no longer in effect today, there is without a doubt, still racial prejudice present. The play allows the modern audience to “experience” how it feels to be criticized because of their culture and serves to promote equality regardless of race. The themes in the play make the audience aware of the fact that, regardless of one’s culture, they should not be discriminated against, or discriminate others.
No text is written in a black hole. This is similarly true for Sizwe Bansi as contextual influences shape the perspective taken upon this text. There are three distinct ways to approach a text. The methods are respectively:
Reader Response, Historical-biographical criticism, and Formalism.
Reader response acknowledges and utilizes the readers reaction to the text. This means that the importance of the role of the reader and how their own personal history, culture and surroundings affect the perspective taken on the text. Reader response is thus, somewhat limited as the text was written in the 1920s. However, modern ideals still are able to shed some light on the significance and themes explored in the text. Namely, a greater understanding of the racism and elitism help us understand the oppression the characters faced in the Sizwe Bansi such as the difficulty of the procedure for the South Africans to find work.
Formalism argues that the text must be examined in isolation and that all the clues and hints to decode the text are evident in the text itself. This means that it requires the readers to be unbiased in their judgment. The text itself doesn’t explain explicitly the history and culture of the text and so examining the text in isolation would lose much of its greater significance. However, as this is written in the form of a play, unbiased assessment of the character interaction, from which the entire plot is derived from, may reveal important key points. Such as Styles interaction and observations of his factory bosses and their attitude towards different personnel.
The final approach is Historical-biographical criticism as it argues the historical and biographical context of the writer is important to understand the deeper significance of the text. This argues that the writer was influenced by his/her times and struggles of their society which shows up in their work. This is arguably, the most applicable “lens” to view Sizwe Bansi through as the reader is then able to associate similar historical events such as the labor condition in South Africa as showcased by Styles’ description of his job at the factory. Additionally, it is hypothesized that the description of the author’s own experience with his father is also shown in the text. Pride is mentioned by Styles about his father and his beloved hat, this incidence may be derived from the author’s own experience.
Themes
Theme: A dominant idea throughout a work.
Identity – the changing of identity greatly influences the main character.
Styles went from a worker to a photographer. The transformation of his identity, he realized after the incident in the plant that this wasn’t who he truly was. That he didn’t want his dead in result of the lack of protection given in his work. He didn’t want to be identified as a “circus monkey” his whole life.Styles thenstarts taking photographs of people for a living and records their identity so that they are not lost and they will not be forgotten.He finally found his true identity through his work, unlike before, he isn’t just a photographer, but also someone who helps other people keep an evidence of their past.
Example: “The dreamers? My people. The simple people, who you never find mentioned in the history books, who never get statues erected to them, or monuments commemorating their great deeds. People who would be forgotten, and their dreams with them, if it wasn’t for styles. That’s what I do, friends.”
The idea that Sizwe Banzi is willing to give up his identity to support his family also emphasize the theme. Sizwe needs proper passbook to work, which he doesn’t have, due to him being busted by the police. Like Styles, Sizwe gives up his old identity in order to survive in the society and be able to provide for their family.
Both Styles and Sizwe had changed their identity in the process of this play. Identity is essentially stripped away from them because of the oppression during the Apartheid system. Their identity as a person was stripped away from them, and they were instead marginalized by passbook numbers. They weren’t treated as people, but as passbooks. Regardless of their abilities, if they made a small mistake, it is recorded in their passbooks, and they aren’t given a chance to be reviewed.
Oppression in Sizwe Bansi is Dead:
· Most of the oppression of African population is shown through the passbook laws
· Law restricts movement and job capabilities of citizens
· In essence, it forces them adopt the identitythe government wants them to have, strips them of freedom of choice,passbook become their ID as Sizwe says
· “People, do you know? No! Wherever you go, it’sthat bloody book. You go to school, it goes too. Go to work, it goes too.Go to church, it sits there with you. Go to hospital and die, it lies there too!”
· also shown by Buntu¹s response to Sizwe: “IDon’t want to lose my name, Buntu.You mean you don’t want to lose yourbloody passbook!”
· This shows that through apartheid, SouthAfricans suffered the oppression of their identities
· Play also displays oppression of African workers
· Styles’ story about working at the Ford factorypaints a bleak picture of how conditions were for the men on the floor.
· English safety signs though most are illiterate,some caution signs simply not there, safety equipment not up to date ornot thereat all in certain cases, etc.
· But play also deals with defeating oppression,gives some hope
· Sizwe and Buntu are able to manipulate the passbook laws and allow Sizwe to stay in Port Elizabeth as RobertZwelinzima,thus resolving the conflict and helping him feed his family
· Styles is able to quit his job at the Ford factoryand move on to doing what he loves, taking pictures for people and selling dreams.
Stylistic Features
The use of only 3 actors and “MAN” being referred to one of them.
In the play, only 3 actors are used to present the play – Styles, Sizwe Bansi, and Buntu. It is very uncommon for such little actors to be used, for if there are many characters it gives depth to the play and its story. However, this aspect should be taken seriously for it is a big part of the play in how it delivers its message. The use of only 3 characters puts more emphasis on the struggle of each of them, and the hardships they are facing as they struggle to identity themselves – specifically Sizwe. As well, in each scene there is never more than 2 characters acting. This makes the relationship between all the characters emphasized and shows a dialogue. This can also been seen in the emphasis to the readers of the play, when Sizwe/Robert is referred to as “MAN”. This is called an “everyman”, in which the author Fugard uses this to help show the audience how Sizwe really represents the greater population of the people, also going through similar experiences. By doing so, he is able to connect to the audience on a deeper level and engage them into his story. This feature helps develop the theme of the play, which is all about identity. Through the use of 3 characters and “MAN”, the audience is able to follow the struggle of this “everyman” and relate to him.
The author’s decision to let the play develop through the first-person dialogue of Styles, Buntu and Sizwe is an important stylistic feature in the piece. The first person point of view of each character is used to delve into the thoughts, experiences and emotions of the everyday black man during Apartheid in South Africa. By writing in the first person, Fugard allows the reader to listen and interpret the story in a close and intimate fashion, as we have direct access to the character’s stream of consciousness and opinion. It makes their statements more believable and hence the message or theme of the play becomes more persuasive. If Fugard were to write in the third person, as a white man observing the circumstances, he would have a much harder time speaking to the hearts of his targeted audience, the black majority population oppressed during Apartheid. Whether it’s Style’s monologue about the purpose of his studio to sell Dreams to his people (p.159), Buntu’s long personal anecdote about his experiences with the bureaucracy of the Labour Bureau (p.174), or speech to convince Sizwe to take the passbook of Robert Zwelinzima (p.190), the first person speech of the characters keep the readers engaged in the story.
Examples
Styles: “Where’s your wife?”
Man: “King William’s Town.”
(pg. 166)
There is this continued dialogue between Man and Styles for an opening scene of the play.
Buntu: “How many children?”
Man: “I’ve got four children.”
(pg. 174)
Another dialogue between Buntu, the only other character.
First person POV, monologue (focusing on one man show)
It puts the readers in the speakers’ shoes, that is to say they discover the story from the speaker’s vantage point. Nonetheless, when the first person point of view is used, bias may be present. However, when it is used for the purpose of catharsis, or the cleansing of emotions through the reading of a work of fiction, for the audience, this becomes irrelevant.
Examples
“The dreamers? My people. The simple people, who you never find mentioned in the history books, who never gets statues erected for them…” (p. 159)
“Hai, Sizwe! If I had to tell you the trouble I had before I could get the right stamps in my book, even though I was born in this area!” (pg. 174)
“If there were just me…I mean, if I was a lone, if I didn’t have anyone to worry about or look after except myself…” (pg.190)
The use of local language
The use of these terms adds a sense of reliability to the play. By incorporating these local African expressions, the playwright can demonstrate to the audience that he understands them. It also creates a stronger bond between the audience and the play itself. These terms cause the audience to feel a certain degree of familiarity with the scenes and can relate to the events that are happening in the play. The use of the first example (Baas) also creates a humorous atmosphere for the audience, this is something perhaps they use on a daily basis and is a way for the natives to mock the Afrikaaners. The humorous atmosphere allows the audience to relax even though the subject of the play is very serious and deals with the dehumanization of the blacks during the Apartheid. The inclusion of these local phrases contributes to the theme of loss of identity. The blacks are being torn from their cultures and native identities, they are speaking the language of the Afrikaaners but their identities aren’t completely lost. The native ways and their mother tongue live through these short exclamations and words.
Examples
Baas (page 152)
Hai, Ja, etc (page 181)
Passbook motif
A motif is an element, a concept or subject that reoccurs throughout literature. It is used to highlight and emphasize a prominent theme in a body of literary work. The passbook is a motif in Sizwe Banzi is Dead as it reoccurs to highlight the theme of identity. The theme of “identity” revolves around the protagonist, Sizwe Banzi, who is reluctant, but eventually “becomes” the dead man, Robert Zwelinzima who has a work permit. The necessity to steal a dead man’s identity in order to stay in Port Elizabeth to work is a clear and accurate description of the flaws of the South African bureaucracy during the apartheid.
Examples
Buntu: “When the book says you go, you go.” – pg. 171
This was when Buntu reads the stamp out loud to Sizwe telling him that he is supposed to report to the Bantu Affairs Commissioner in King William’s Town “yesterday” and Banzi tells him that he doesn’t want to leave Port Elizabeth. And when Banzi suggests that they burn his book, Buntu says,“So you burn that book, or throw it away, and get another one. Same thing happens.” (Pg. 172) This shows that the passbook has control over aspects of a black person’s life in the apartheid. This limits a person’s identity since a person must follow all rules addressed in the passbook whether they like it or not or else severe punishment will follow such as imprisonment or death. In conclusion, Fugard’s use of the identity passbook as a motif throughout the play is not only to highlight prominent historical features of the apartheid but it also degrades the value of a person’s identity. This allows the audience to understand the story of the apartheid from the perspectives of the blacks instead of the white superior.
Man: “Sizwe wants to feed his children; passbook says, “No. Endorsed out.” Sizwe wants to…They never told us it would be like that when they introduced it. They said: Book of Life! Your friend! You’ll never get lost! They told us lies.” – pg. 181
This was after Buntu and Sizwe discovers the body of Zwelinzima. The first part again highlights the limits of a person because of the passbook, as Sizwe is unable to do anything he “wants” because the passbook always says “no.” The passbook is regarded as an irony of “Book of Life” because it not only does not symbolize the liberty of life but also instead limits a person’s basic economic needs in order to support his family.
Man: “That bloody book…! People, do you know? No! Wherever you go… it’s that bloody book. You go to school, it goes too. Go to work, it goes too. Go to church and pray and sing lovely hymns, it sits there with you. Go to hospital to die it lies there too!” – pg. 183. This shows that the passbook has control over all aspects of life of a person.
Man: I don’t want to lose my name, Buntu
Buntu: You mean you don’t want to lose your bloody passbook! – pg. 184. When Sizwe says that he does not want to lose his identity by switching to Zwelinzima’s passbook just to stay in Port Elizabeth and work in the place of the now deceased Zwelinzima, Buntu basically aligns a person’s identity with the passbook, showing that in the apartheid, a person’s identity is limited by his/her passbook.
Buntu: When the white man looked at you at the Labour Bureau what did he see? A man with dignity or a bloody passbook with an N.I. number? Isn’t that a ghost? – pg. 185
Buntu tries to convince Banzi to switch to Zwelinzima’s passbook and resume Zwelinzima’s identity by saying that the “white men” will only recognize them as the passbook and an N.I. number, not a person who as a family, dignity and a name.
