The Sunday News
Ekasi stories, with Clifford Kalibo
THE Greek philosopher, Heraclitus, propounded long before Christ was born that the only constant in life is change. This has become axiomatic in human attitudes in this century as human beings have the propensity or the inclination to give respect towards the rich or the well-endowed in society.
People in society tend to ask what you do for a living so that they can calculate the level of respect to give you. This is the everyday scenario Ekasi. It is the guy who is bucked and has a thick wad of bank notes who is always given enough respect to the point of subservience. The respect will go a notch higher if that person owns a car.
The well-endowed guys are given all sorts of praise names like “ inginga”, “imbodla”, “imbomlas” or “ingongonono’’.
Have you ever noticed how people will stumble all over themselves to get the attention of “inginga”? In any discussion the “nginga” is always right and to the point. Whatever he says goes to the extent that even if he says that the sky is green, many will agree with him.
Even if he says that a dog is a cup, people will still agree with him. If they disagree, they dare not voice it out.
All this is done purely in order to be in good books with the “mbomlas” or get favours from him. However, at bottlestores or shebeens, the reverse is almost always true, it is the monied guy who will be bought beer by the other people.
These guys rarely buy beers, but you will find the financially lesser-endowed guys scrambling to buy for the “nginga”.
If one looks at it closely you would observe that the “ngingas” buy beer for other “ngingas”, but not for anyone deemed to be of lower social status than themselves.
Years back we once had a “mblomla” called Bra Vee who used to frequent one of my favourite drinking holes in Tshabalala, “ko MaSiwela”.
Bra Vee used to drive an old and battered Zephyr which had seen better days and was always loaded with pounds after selling scrap metal at Risco. For that he was a “nginga”.
But it would appear Bra Irvine was not so academically endowed, and as a result he was a bit inarticulate. Because of the mere fact that he had money and was driving a car , anything that he said was deemed to be correct.
At one time there was a discussion about boxing legends. Bra Irvine blurted out “Tike Myson wayetshaya more than uAli” ( Tike Myson was a better fighter than Ali ).
At that point I tried to correct Bra Irvine that the correct name was Mike Tyson and not Tike Myson.
Bra Irvine would have none of that. Almost everyone came to the attention of Bra Irvine by saying Tike Myson was the correct name. With no one to support me, I was left with no option but to keep quiet.
Bra Irvine then bought a round of beers for everyone who had supported him. Obviously, he counted me out of that round of beers.
I was almost beerless by then, and for Bra Irvine to buy me a beer, I had no alternative but to agree with him.
I said to him softly, “Bra Irvine, I think you were correct on that one. Tike and Mike is one and the same thing Bra.”
He grinned sheepishly with excitement showing all over his face and bought us all a countless number of beers. These are just a few cases of ingagara buying beer for everyone who is not in their class.
Such is the society we live in today in the townships. Your voice is heard loud and clear if you have the money.
You would find old, bald-headed and bearded old barleys kneeling down to a youngster just because he has money or drives a car.
Hence the saying: “He who carries the Gold makes the Rules.”
Till we meet again next Sunday, enjoy your Sunday.
Feedback: Clifford Kalibo — 0783856228/ 0719856228. email : [email protected]
