The Sunday News
Highway to Success, Charles Dube
The Sun Will Rise Again by George Mujajati
I AM aware that the return of The Sun Will Rise Again on these pages brings about excitement to the O-level students who are studying this book. I have been getting a lot of questions from those students but reluctant to go over it again as some readers will remember that we covered a lot of work on this set book. However, since we take into account what our readers want, I confess that I have succumbed to the pressure and today we will discuss one question put forward by a concerned learner.
The learner needs help on the question which reads, “Trace the friendship between Takundwa and Nyati in The Sun Will Rise Again”. Then in response I pose the above question to the learners, “Were Takundwa and Nyati friends?” Briefly, in my view I would not agree with the idea of true friendship between these two. I would to an extent go with the view that there is more of misplaced trust than pure friendship. Takundwa and Nyati form what can be termed an unholy alliance.
Consider this brief description of each of them: “Takundwa, the father to the central family (Lovemore, who was killed during the war, Sofia, who led to Nyati’s death, Tabitha, the victim of a ritual killing by Takundwa on the instructions of Nyati.) He is prepared to sup with the devil to get wealth. Nyati is the ruthless businessman and politician. From this latter description of Nyati, it is clear that there is no love between him and Nyati.
Nyati pretends to love Takundwa in order to use him. He brings him closer and abuses him and his family. Takundwa is blind to these realities because he wants money. He is obsessed with getting wealth regardless of the harm that befalls his family.
Takundwa is abused by Nyati and even the former’s daughters Sofia and Tabitha are Nyati’s tools of abuse. In the end Sofia cannot stand Nyati’s verbal and physical abuse any more such that when she tries to fight him back he falls to his death.
Today we pick up the story when Sofia is languishing in a cell awaiting a murder trial. She says, “Had Nyati never come into my life, I wouldn’t be in this cell awaiting a murder trial right now. If I had never seen Nyati, maybe I would be happily married to Jeremiah right now! Nyati has played a pivotal role in pinning me down to my fate.” We shall examine closely why Sofia finds herself in this predicament. Is this a sign of friendship between Takundwa and Nyati?
Sofia tells us that she first met Nyati at her father’s house in Mufakose. She says right from the beginning she could not help but notice that the fat man exerted such an overwhelming influence on her father. She remembers how her father would immediately jump to his feet and surrender his favourite chair to Nyati whenever he entered their house. Where there is friendship there is confidence rather than fear.
But, we find that Takundwa lost confidence in the presence of Nyati. Look at this: “E –e, Mr Nyati, you can sit here. Sir, Mr Nyati, e-e Sofia! Sofia did you not hear what I said? Tell your mother that Mr Nyati is here. E –e Sofia come in here and greet Mr Nyati, he-e. Hei! Sofia’s mother did you not hear what I said? Come in right now and greet Mr Nyati! Mr Nyati is a councillor, a very important man!” It is clear that Takundwa is afraid of Nyati. His voice is jerky as he stammers in his speech.
He is intimidated by Nyati’s position in society. He is a councillor and businessman, therefore very important.
There is no equality and friendship between these two as their relationship verges on master and servant relationship or horse and rider kind of relationship. Nyati rides upon Nyati to get what he wants. He is taken up by Sofia’s beauty, Takundwa’s daughter. He admits that he did not know that Takundwa had such a beautiful daughter. Sofia tells us that Nyati said that licking his lips. She adds that there was something she did not like about that man.
“He looked at me the way a dog looks at a piece of roasted meat. These were the eyes of a puff-adder that is about to strike.”
Nyati is attracted to Sofia, Takundwa’s daughter. What does Takundwa do? Sofia says at that moment she felt her father’s hands pushing her towards Nyati. Nyati immediately grabbed the extended palm. She says then something very strange happened. No man had ever done such a thing to her before.
She immediately felt Nyati’s finger nails scratching the inside of his palm. Takundwa says, “Mr Nyati is very rich — one of the richest man in this country.” Takundwa is for the riches. As long as Nyati shows interest on his daughter, Sofia, Takundwa knows that he has a big catch that is a chance for him to syphon money from Nyati. When Nyati promises to make Sofia a manager in one of his many supermarkets, Sofia says her father chipped in with a voice so full of admiration stating that Nyati has many big supermarkets all over Harare.
It is clear that Nyati wants to use Sofia as a tool for making money. He says to Takundwa, “You know something Takundwa, I could use your daughter’s talents to advertise some of my cosmetics from the beauty products factory. She has all the qualities of a model, beautiful face, graceful figure, and the aura of innocence — he-e.” Nyati added, “You know what Takundwa, your daughter here could make quite a lot of money.” There is no friendship here as long as the other partner is taken advantage of. Nyati wants to use Sofia to bring more money to him.
Takundwa wants to be rich hence falls for Nyati’s tricks. There is more evidence to dispute the notion of friendship between Nyati and Takundwa. In my view there is little to show friendship between Takundwa and Nyati in this story. Nyati abuses Takundwa period.
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