In his book entitled Fools, Njabulo Ndebele shares five short stories with the reader. The stories in the book are set in the township of Charterson which is also the township where Ndebele grew up. He captures the reader with his descriptive styles that paints a clear picture for the eye while the words capture the ears perfectly.
The Novella Fools is the title story. Here we are introduced to Zamani, a middle aged school teacher who has lost all respect from his community and can therefore never have the chance to fulfill a leadership role in his community. Zamani lives an impoverished life haunted by the disgrace he had brought unto himself.
We meet Zani, a young activist student from Swaziland who is filled with political anger when he returns to South Africa. He has dreams of mobilising the township of Charterson.
As the readers we are taken on a journey of deep introspection into the lives of both men. We witness how they are linked by an event in Zamani’s past that causes their relationship to evolve during a time where the country was nearing times of heavy upheavals. The men are able to face each other with renewed dignity and pride because of the journey they have taken together.
In the book Fools, which is set in the 1960’s we see how stereotypes of the poor, helpless and victims are challenged as the book takes a different turn and focuses on the everyday lives and daily struggles of the ordinary people living in the times of oppression. The book gets into the issues and events of the apartheid era as well as other political aspects of it too. What is beautiful for me in the book is how the spirit of the people shines through, how they are able to continue living each day under oppressive rule.
This book is beautiful read especially for the focus on the human stories of ordinary people. It is inspirational and has a motivational message of resilience, strength and chances. Ndebele won the Noma Award in 1984 for this book and it is clear why this book is still relevant today.
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