The poetic comrade
Dumisani Ncube | Friday May 6, 2016 11:49
After reading this piece by poet Gomolemo Motsamai one would think the spoken word artist is much older that his 21-years of age due to the hard-hitting content executed in his poetry.
The University of Botswana law student is well-known for his militant poetic style that carries liberation struggle messages.
Within a short period as a professional poet, he has already performed at high level events such as, ‘The People Are Talking’ series, Maitisong Festival and Gaborone International Music Culture week (GIMC) sharing the stage with the likes of TJ Dema, Leshie Lovesong, Moroka Moreri, Tshireletso Motlogelwa and South African wordsmith, Richard Quaz Roodt.
Arts & Culture recently caught up with the young man, who explained why he opts for the type of poetry, his inspiration and how he conceptualises his craft.
“As a bookworm I used to read a lot of material from the late Dambudzo Marechera, who was more of a fighter through his writing. This was around the 2011 strike in Botswana, as a poet and an individual I was touched by the whole situation and struggles going on in the country and Africa”.
Marechera is the late Zimbabwean author famous for his 1978 book House of Hunger, which talks about childhood brutality and youth in colonial Rhodesia, using an emotionally compelling and verbally pyrotechnic style.
“After reading Marechera’s book I wanted people to feel the same way I felt after reading it.
That is why I am applying it to my poetry. To me writing is rebellion and I am rebelling to the structure of the African system, tracing it from the colonial era in Africa”.
He explained that he is not fighting, but on a quest to sensitise, inform and educate.
With such activities taking place around the continent, Motsamai decided to take a stand and address issues through his poetic skills without any fear.
He gave examples of economic downfall and violent activities taking place in Zimbabwe and South Africa respectively.
“Poetry heals. Through poetry people can develop their own voices and take a stand in their communities,” said the poet who is not happy about the censorship that African states are facing. On one of his performances last year, Motsamai was on his usual tip of militant poetry as he came on stage with a choir that performed Margaret Singana’s Shaka Zulu movie soundtrack, We Are Growing as he preached about Ubuntu and African life.
Motsamai said as a young person he is entitled to say his views, especially on serious matters as it affects the society as a whole.
Some of his famous poems that talk about these various struggles around Africa are The Graduate and Children Of The Fence.
Motsami’s family background also plays a role in the guerilla poet he is. He narrated that his uncle was part of the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) a black nationalist movement.
Due to the liberation activism his uncle ended up getting arrested. Motsamai is also the son of veteran unionist, Andrew Motsamai.
Prior to coming up with his poetic content, Motsamai says he does research depending on the subject he is writing about. He researches from different media such as newspapers, books and the Internet.
Motsamai is one of the new generation of poets such as Mmakgosi Tau, Delerecal, Kgotla Molefe and Ronald Kegomoditswe. This lot of young poets has been dubbed The New School Poets.
He believes that The New School Poets are brash. “We are militant, we say it the way it is, we came with new stories that needed to be told. At the end we still have respect for the older poets”. Despite being part of a new breed of poets, he is not pleased with the way the poetic system is structured locally.
“Due to urbanisation it is only Gaborone poets that are given much attention. We have a lot of poets all over the country who have different stories to tell, but they are not given the platform.
The highlight of the year for him was meeting and sharing the stage with one of his idols, Miles Hodges from the United States of America.