NEW peaMa Feowamiasse EBRAHIM N. HUSSEIN |: The Death of Chaka by Seydou Badian . Not Now, Sweet Desdemona by Murray Carlin f ae Kinjeketile ; 5. Kinjeketile (English Version) by Ebrahim Hussein 1970 Dar es Salaam OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS Nairobi Lusaka Addis AbabaOxford University Press, Ely House, London WI. Oxford University Press, P.O. Box 21039, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania © OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS 1970 MADE IN BAST AFRICA, INTRODU I will not involve myself in a thematic discussion of my play in this introduction. 1 will leave this to the reader, and no doubt their comments would be most useful to me. But I would like to say something about the background of the play. Kinjeketile, the man, is a historical reality: he lived. His name was Kinjeketile Ngwale, and he lived at Ngarambe in what is now southern Tanzania. He is mentioned in the Records of the Maji Maji Rising.” However, Kinjeketile of the play—Kinjeketile—is not an historical evocation of the real man. Kinjeketile here is a ‘oreature of the imagination, and although the ‘two men’ closely resemble one another in their actions, they are not identical. [ have had to mould my character to suit artistic needs, borrowing freely from the imagination when historical facts did not suit my purpose. History should not be used as the measuring stick for this play therefore, rather, its failures or successes should be gauged against rules determining a work of art. ‘At the beginning of this century German colonizers started farming cotton in southern Tanzania, They forced the Wamatumbi to work on these plantations. And to quote the words of one of the people conscripted: ‘During the cultivation there was much suffering. We, the labour conscripts, stayed in the front line cultivating. Then behind us was an overseer whose work it was to whip us. Behind the overseer there was a jumbe fheadman}, and every jumbe ‘Historical Association of Tanzania Paper No, 4, Records of the Maj) Maii Rising, Part | (Nairobi, East African Publishing House, 19697 edited by G1C.K. Gwassa and John Miffe, vstood behind his fifty men. Behind the line of jumbes stood Bwana Kino [nickname for a German settler called Steinhagen] himself. Then, behold death there!’? ‘When the Germans arrived in the country, they enforced taxation on the Wamatumbi. But the people replied: “We do not owe you anything. We have no debt to you. If you as a stranger want to stay in this country, then you will have to ask us. Then we will ask of you an offering to propitiate the gods. You will offer something and we will propitiate the gods on your behalf; we will give you land and you will get a place to stay in. But it is not for us as hosts to give you the offering. That is quite impossible.’ To all these deprivations—of hunger, of discrimination, of forced labour and flogging—the people submitted patiently, for they were not united. The bitter knowledge that the Germans were stronger also kept them quiet. They waited. “Then, in the year 1904 a prophet arose. His name was Kinjikitile. Near his home at Ngarambe there was a pool in a tributary of the River Rufiji. Kinjikitile was. possessed by the spirit Hongo who dwelt in the pool,” Kinjeketile taught the people the meaning of unity, and encouraged them to unite by symbolically using water as a medicine against divisive forces. Hundreds of people who heard of his name through nywiywida, the whispering campaign, came to join forces with him. In my play, I have tried to demonstrate three things. First, I have tried to show how the Wamatumbi felt about the cruel invasion by the Germans, especially to show the master-servant relationship then pertaining. Secondly, T have tried to show briefly the political climate of that top. cit, p. 5 sop. vi period (1890-1904), Thirdly, I have touched on the theme of economic exploitation of the Africans by the Germans, when Tanzania was being deprived of her produce and manpower, and yet her people were being made to pay taxes, without being given any chance of earning an income, These problems provide the background to this play. For it is the reaction to these intolerable conditions that bred hatred in the hearts of the Africans for the German, and was the cause of so much bloodshed. Lastly, I would like to say a word on the religious beliefs of the Wamatumbi, They worship one God. He is omni- potent, and only he controls matters over life and death. Under the godhead are many minor gods, the miungu, and these have under them the mizimu, who control many aspects of human life, but have no power over life and death. There are spirits—pepo—as well. These inhabit the mizimu and might act on their behalf, but are not bound to do so always. Hongo is a spirit, There is Hongo who has healing powers, but the one mentioned in this play is merely a spirit. He possesses Kinjeketile, but the course of action he reveals to him, involving possible bloodshed, is above his domain. But as he is also the mediator between man and God makes Kinjeketile’s dilemma all the more intensive, together with the fact that Kinjeketile is in tum the mediator between men, Hongo, the mizimu the miungu, and Mungu (God). ‘Mungu->the miungu~ the mizimu->Hongo-> Kinjeketitethe people, ENE. viiA NOTE TO PRODUCERS The action of the play should be continuous, with no ourtains between the scenes or acts. The stage can be divided into several acting areas, to make the transition from one scene to another quick and smooth, viii CHARACTERS (in order of appearance) CHAUSIKU Kitunda’s daughter BIBI KITUNDA Kitunda’s wife BIBI KINJEKETILE Kinjeketile’s wife FIRST MAN MNYAPALA the overseer in Bwana Kinoo’s cotton plan- tation SECOND MAN KITUNDA a prominent Mmatumbi, entrusted by Kinje- ketile to lead the united tribes to war against the Germans NGULUMBALYO a young Mmatumbi warrior MKICHI a leader of the Wakichi OLD MAN MNGINDO a leader of the Wangindo ASKARI a policeman in German employment VILLAGERS FIRST WOMAN SECOND WOMAN KINJEKETILE a Mmatumbi seer KITUNDA'S SON FIRST OLD MAN SECOND OLD MAN THIRD OLD MAN MEN OF THE PEOPLE’ ARMY MACHELA a soldier in the people’s army REPRESENTATIVE OP THE WAZARAMO KiBASILA a captain in the people's army THIRD MAN FIRST SOLDIER SECOND SOLDIER ‘THIRD SOLDIER DAUDI_ a servant in German employment GERMAN OFFICERKinjeketile Act I SCENE I Ngarambo village, in the Rufiji region of southern Tanga- nyika. A path leading to a river. A mother and her daughter are coming from the river after fetching water, CHAUSIKU: Look, Mother! There’s smoke. It’s coming from Kinjeketile’s house. BIBI KITUNDA: Perhaps they are cooking something. Go and find out. (Chausiku goes. Before she gets far) Come back, Chausiku, come back! Someone is coming this way. (Chausiku returns. Bibi Kinjeketile enters.) How are you, Bibi Kinjeketile? BIBI KINJEKETILE: I'm well, Bibi Kitunda. How are you? BIBI KITUNDA: Oh, I'm all right. The men are late return- jing today. BIBI KINJEKETILE: Bwana Kinoo’s plantation grows bigger every day. BIBI KITUNDA: And all that work for nothing. Our men work a lot, but they get nothing. We don’t even have food in the house. When. my husband comes back from the plantation I have no food to give him. I have looked for roots, I couldn't get any. I have looked for cassava, J couldn’t get any. And anyway, some of these roots are ‘most poisonous. Bibi Bobali’s son died from eating some. BIBI KINJEKETILB: Yes, but what can we do, with such famine as this? You know, I too find it very difficult to get food.2. Kinjeketile BIBI KITUNDA: I know. Anyway, famine is inevitable. All the-men. are working in Bwana Kinoo’s plantation arid not on theit own. So, of course, there must be famine, BIBI KINJEKETILE: What you say is true. All the men are spending all their time cultivating for Bwana Kinoo, and not for themselves. BIBI KITUNDA: (intimately) But my dear, don’t you have some spinach, or even a bit of cassava you can spate me? Please... BIBI KINJEKETILE: Honestly, I don’t have any, my friend BIBEKITUNDA: You know, we thought you were cook- ing something when we saw smoke coming from your house. BIBI KINJEKETILE: Oh, that smoke... that is Kinjeke- tile performing his rituals .... He's locked himself in for many days now. BIBI KITUNDA: Yes, [don’t see him very often these days. But how can he stay in and not go to the plantation? BIBI KINJEKETILE: Tdon't know... Perhaps he goes I don’t go peering into his affairs too closely. (Pause) BIBI KITUNDA: Some time ago, I met him at the river— alone. I went near him—very near, but he didn’t see me. He was looking at the water, very strangely; as if he had never seen it before. BIBI KINJEKETILE: He’s changed a lot. 1 don’t under- stand what he says any more. Well, goodbye. BIBI KITUNDA: Goodbye. (They part. Bibi Kitunda and Chausiku stare at the smoke.) Go and see what she’s cooking. (Chausiku goes. Suddenly she comes back and runs to her mother’s arms.) What's the matter? Kinjeketile 3 CHAUSIKU: A snake! I'm being chased by a snake! BIBI KITUNDA: A snake? Where is it? cHAUSIKU: Behind me! BIBI KITUNDA: Where? cHAUSIKU: Behind me! BIBI KITUNDA: There's no snake. ‘There's no snake. Look, is there a snake? OF course not. ‘There is no snake. CHAUSIKU: But there was a snake—I saw it, BIBI KITUNDA: (looking at the smoke) Kinjeketile! (Pause. ‘Many people are seen coming back from the cotton plantation. Some are supporting Kitunda. Seeing thi Bibi Kitunda rushes to help her husband.) What happened ? PIRST MAN: He straightened up, to ease his back a little. The overseer slashed him with a whip. Kitunda wrenched the whip from the overseer and immediately the headman was called in, who ordered Kitunda to be whipped some more. MNYAPALA: Quiet, there! No talking, or there'll be trouble. What's passed has passed, no tales about it. KITUNDA: Let me get at him... Ahhh .... (The second man puts a hand over his mouth. He whispers to him.) SECOND MAN: Remember, there is a meeting tonight. ‘The people have come, they are here. Patience . .. patience .. (Aloud) It’s ell right. Forgive him, and forget the matter. MNYAPALA: Tell him not to make any more trouble. (Announcing) Tomorrow we start work very early. The people disperse. Some go to the river, some to their homes. Bibi Kitunda, her husband and Chausiku are the last to leave. As they go Chausiku looks at the smoke.4 Kinjeketile KITUNDA: What are you looking at? BIREKITUNDA: You see, Chausiku went near Kinjeke- tile’s house today and, according to her, a snake chased her. KITUNDA: That reminds me. I wanted to see Kinjeketile very much today—but he was given a place to cultivate some distance from me. B1BI KITUNDA: Was he at the plantation? KITUNDA: Yes, at least I saw someone very much like him—from afar. BIBI KITUNDA: But his wife said he was inside, worship- ping and propitiating the spirits, KITUNDA: (thoughtfully) But I did see him today! BIBI KITUNDA: That is strange. (She looks at the smoke as they leave.) SCENE 11 Night. Enter Ngulumbalyo, carrying a torch, He goes to Kitunda’s house, NGULUMBALYO: (calling) Bwana Kitundal KITUNDA: Coming. (He comes out.) Ready? NGULUMBALYO: Ready. (He raises his torch in a signal, From the opposite side a return signal is given, and from another side yet another signal. From each side emerges a delegate, and they all converge 10 the centre. The people with torches leave.) MKICHH: Where is Kinjeketile? KiTUNDA: T don't think he will come today. I haven't spoken to him for many days, I only see him at a distance now and then. We had better start now. Kinjeketile MKICHI: From the day we held our first meeting until today, nothing has been doné. There isn’t a single thing we have done, The Red Earth is still in our country. What's more, he has taken our country from us by force. And we, like women, just stare at him. Now he has forced us to cultivate his cotton plantation for him. We just stare at him. He has got us paying him taxes. We just stare at him. Is it for him to demand taxes from us? He should be paying us tax, but oh no! We, like women, just meekly sit, watching him do what he wants with us, with our land, How long are we going to remain meek and silent? Are we going to allow ourselves to be persecuted in our own country? MNGINDO: I say, let us kick him out! Let us decide now, ‘There is only one way—an armed struggle—a wat! There is no other way. KITUNDA: Itis easy to speak, and we all want to get rid of the German, But how do we do it? He has weapons, we haven't. As our first duty, therefore, we must collect weapons. Steal guns from the askaris, seize them if need be, in short do everything to see that we've got guns. This will take time. Such preparation will have to be done with the utmost secrecy, for, as you all know, We have got enough spies, informers and stooges to fill up a pot. You do one thing today and by tomorrow the askati, or even the overseer knows about it. We are a nungry people, and hunger drives us to betray one another. So you see, we can’t afford to rush into things, recklessly. We heve enemies, even amongst our own people. MNGINDO: So?6 Kinjeketile KITUNDA: Let us wait a while longer. Let us plan. We've ‘been patient for a long time . AN OLD MAN: No, we must fight! There is only one way—fight. Let us propitiate our ancestors, and the spirits. And Hongo will help us. KITUNDA: Hongo is a powerful spirit, true, but he has no power over matters of life and death, OLD MAN: (standing up) You blaspheme! Your words are dangerous! How dare you talk of Hongo in that manner? KITUNDA: We did not come here to talk about Hongo. We came here to decide upon a plan of action. MKIcHI: And what have you to say? KITUNDA: I have already said it. Let us wait until we have the arms. MKICHI: That is a coward’s point of view. But then, since when were the Wamatumbi warriors? OLD MAN: We did not come here to quarrel over tribal issues. KITUNDA: Let him say that again and I will make him sorry for the rest of his life. MKICHI: I'll say it again: the Wamatumbi are cowards. You are nothing but women. (Kitunda pounces on Mkichi and they roll on the floor.) KITUNDA: T'll...ah... PH ah...show you who is a woman, MKICHI: Kinoo’s...ah... slave! Mkichi reaches for a spear. Kitunda unsheathes his knife. They circle each other. Mgindo intervenes. MNGINDO: We came from far, to unite with one another, not to fight. If we fight one another, tribe against tribe, how can we hope to fight the white man’? Kinjeketile 7 (Silence. They resume their earlier positions.) What we must first do is unite. MKICHI: What we must first do is fight OLD MAN: But to de able to go to war against the Red Earth we must te united. To go to war disunited, fighting one another, is impossible, MNGINDO: Quiet. Peace, let us have peace. kiTuNDA: I am ready to make peace with Mkichi. However, let us not foo! ourselves that even if we manage to unite our people, we can go to war by ourselves. We must get the other tribes. Let us approach the Wazaramo. MNGINDO: The Wazaramo made their stand a long time ago. If it is a question of fighting, they will fight atone, but they won't fight side by side with the Wangindo. They think they ate superior—tet’s forget them. Who needs them, anyway? KITUNDA: What about the Warufiji? MKICHI: The Waruiji are ready, But we must start the war first. KITUNDA: But that is silly. We don’t start the war first, and then get united. We must first unite, then go to war. With the people we have we will be snuffed out in no time. I hear there is a big gun that kills many people at onee. MICH: Have you heard—or seen? KITUNDA: T don't like what you are trying to imply. (Mngindo and Mkicki exchange glances. Kitunda sees this.) MNGINDO: He is just asking. KITUNDA: If you have anything to say then say it openly. MNGINDO: Mkichi asked you—whether you... saw the gun, or... heard ebout it. KITUNDA: I heard about it.& — Kinjeketife (Pause) MKICHI: We have heard that you went to Kilwa, KITUNDA: T went to Kilwa to visit my brother. He was in trouble with the government. uixicHi: And you were able to help him. MNGINDO: People say that if one goes to Kilwa with the right kind of news, one is rewarded. The white man pays well to get valuable information. KITUNDA: Are you trying to say that I am selling you and my people to the white man? MKICHI: There are people who are doing that, There are people who are paid to stop us uniting. KITUNDA: If I was one of them, would I have these’? (He reveals some scars on his back.) MKICHI: Then why are you so hesitant about declaring war on the white man? KITUNDA: The people who will die. I see thousands and thousands of our people dying. MKICHI: But it is better to die than to live like this. ‘We are made to work like beasts in the cotton plantation, We are forced to pay tax. We die of hunger because we cannot work on our shambas. I say death is better than this life. KITUNDA: It’s better to live like this than to go to war and lose thousands of our men. And the few who will survive will get the same treatment, or worse, as before. (A long pause) MNGINDO: So, what have we decided ? KITUNDA! (quietly, almost to himself) see smoke ... and where there’s smoke, there's fire. There will soon be fire. MNGINDO: Yes, but a fire that is at a distance does not singe. Kinjeketile 9 KiTUNDA: (aloud) 1 don’t know what to say. I can’t think clearly. My head is full of fog. (Ngulumbalyo comes in with a torch.) NGULUMBALYO: Quick, the overseer is coming. MNGINDO: What have we decided? Let’s make up our minds quickly! Meicui: We can't say anything now. We must meet again, KITUNDA: I will get in touch with you. Quick, they're coming. (They disperse. Kitunda goes into his house.) The overseer (Mnyapala) enters, carrying a torch, and followed by a policeman, He knocks at Kitunda’s door. MNYAPALA: Hodi! Hodi! Open the doort KITUNDA: (coming out) Good evening, Bwana Mayapala, MNYAPALA: Good evening, Bwana Kitunda, KITUNDA: Yes? MNYAPALA: Bwana Askari, and even Bwane Akida-Tha- biti, have agreed to this.... Yes—as I was saying. . Bwana Askari says you can rest tomorrow . . (Uncomfortable silence) ‘You can rest for two days if you like. KITUNDA: Our village has only two days left for us to work on the plantation, then our turn ends. I can rest then, There is no need for me to rest tomorrow, MNYAPALA: But think, two days! Two days with no work. KITUNDA: And what do I have to do to earn that? MNYAPALA: Hm... you can... lend us your daughter. (He looks at Chausiku.)10 Kinjeketile KITUNDA: (hits Mnyapala) You pimp! You have no shame pimping for your betters! They roll on the ground, Mnyapala's friend comes to his aid, He gets his chance and uses his whip on Kitunda’s back. Bibi Kitunda and Chausiku take hold of him in an attempt to ‘get the whip from him. But he turns round and whips Chausiku who writhes with pain. The man grapples with Bibi Kitunda. They both fall on the ground. Seeing this, Kitunda leaves “Mnyapala to go to the rescue of his wife. He pounces on the ‘man, But Mnyapala hits Kitunda from behind with a stick. Kitunda falls unconscious. Bibi Kitunda rushes to look: at her husband, The man gets up. Mnyapala drags away Chausiku who is struggling hard and shouting for help. cHAUSIKU: Mother! Mother! Bibi Kitunda runs to help her daughter but is stopped short by a stinging whip. The man lashes her again, She runs to her husband and tries to revive him as Mnyapala and the ‘man disappear with Chausiku. Bibi Kitunda collapses on her unconscious husband. She cries silently. The villagers slowly come round—to help her. BIBI KITUNDA: Get out! Get out of here, you women, you! Two little men were enough to scare the whole lot of you. You have been enslaved body and spirit. Do you still regard yourselves as men? Do you call yourselves Wamatumbi? Ob no, not at all. You are mere women, you! You're forced to dig—yes. Your children are scized—yes. You are ‘yes’ men, What have you crept in here to do? You hid until those two were ‘gone, And now you steal in like thieves—to come to my aid. I dan’t want your help. Get out! (The villagers slink away.) Act IT SCENE I Tio women in front of their houses. They are enjoying the morning sun. FIRST WOMAN: How many days are left before our tura to work in Bwana Kinoo’s plantation is over? SECOND WOMAN: Two days to go, and then another village will relieve us. That is something to look forward to. Our men will have some rest. They really work them hard. When my iusband comes back, he is so tired that he can’t do a thing. FIRST WOMAN: Ah, so he doesn’t turn towards you! (She laughs mischievously.) SECOND WOMAN: I don’t mean that! But he does come back very tired. He immediately flings himself on the bed and sleeps like a log. Even if there is something to eat he doesn’t want it. FIRST WOMAN; Where's Chausiku’s mother today? SECOND WOMAN: She has gone to the plantation in place of her husband, Her husband couldn’t go after yesterday's beating. FIRST WOMAN: Chausiku—poor girl! (She shakes her head.) And this Mnyapala, of all the things to do! Why, did he have to procure Chausiku for the Askari, a young and green maiden like that? SECOND WOMAN: What could he do? FIRST WOMAN: So he had to steal other people’s tender maidens, for the Askari to spoil. Is that all he could do? SECOND WOMAN: If he had refused to do this thing, the Askari would have given him his portion,12 Kinjeketile FIRST WOMAN: He's just a stooge. I’m glad that Kitunda is now. the leader of the people, even though that is secret. But. Kinjeketile’s door opens slowly and he ernerges in a trance. The women stand up in awe. Kinjeketile slowly begins to circle the compound. He picks up a rhythm and the walk becomes a dance, Slowly the fempo increases and the rhythm becomes more intensified. He breaks into a dance. He dances and circles round the compound. Chausiku enters and seeing this rushes out to call her father. Soon they are all there—Kitunda, his son, his daughter and the two women— watching Kinjeketile, who is now tense and stiff like a wood carving. Slowly, he bends into a crouching position. His right hand comes to rest on his left thigh and the left hand on the right thigh. His wrists intercross—as if tied together. The arms jerk up and down but the hands remain in the same position. He falls face downwards, hands over his head. He writhes agonizingly towards the river, his arms forward. Kitunda and his son go to hold him at the feet to stop him. KINJEKETILE: Leave me! Leave me! You're hurting me! Let me go! (They let go of kim, and he is ‘pulled’ to the river. They all follow him.) BIBI KINJEKETILE: (off-stage) Why doesn't he come back? Oh, people, why doesn’t he come back? A man can’t stay in the water for so long KITUNDA: Don’t talk like that. Please don't cry. BIBL KINJEKETILE: Heisn’t back. Why doesn’t he emerge? KITUNDA: Quick! Somebody get hold of her! She’s going to plunge into the river! BIBI KINJEKETILE: Leave me! Leave me! (There is a scuffle off-stage. After a short while Bibi Kinjeketile, Kinjeketile 13 weeping and supported by the two women, enters, and is escorted home still struggling:) Leave me! Let go of me! KITUNDA: Calm down, there. This won't do, it won't do at all, BIBI KINJEKETILE: Leave me! Leave me! KITUNDA’S SON: [’ll go see if I can find him. KITUNDA: Wait, we must try to get help. Let us first escort her home, FIRST WOMAN: Don’t cry, sister, don't. Crying will not help. It’s God's wil SECOND WOMAN: Come, sister, let us go home. They take her home. Kitunda goes to his house, brings out a drum, and beats it loudly. He stops to listen. He sounds it again. He stops, listens. From a distance another drum is heard in answer. Kitunda stops drumming, but the other drum continues. SCENE Ii A crowd of people. Sound of women’s wailing in the back- ground. FIRST MAN: I think we ought to go ahead with the funeral ceremony, We've waited too long. FIRST OLD MAN: Come on, be sensible. How can we do that, seeing we don’t know whether the man is dead or alive? SECOND MAN: Still, who can stay under water for over ‘twenty four hours, and be alive? He went in yesterday about this time. FIRST MAN: The man has certainly been taken by Chunusi. FIRST OLD MAN: Chunusi does not inhabit rivers, man! Chunusi lives in the sea.14 Kinjeketile SECOND MAN: Who sa: well. SECOND OLD MAN: Certainly not! What utter nonsense! THIRD OLD MAN: What do you know KITUNDA: Please, keep quiet everybody! THIRD OLD MAN: What do you know about Chunusi? ‘Chunusi . KITUNDA: Please, listen everybody! FIRST MAN: (loudly) Let us listen, my friends! (Pause) KITUNDA: It has been our luck that this thing happened today, when it is our turn to rest. Our turn to work in Bwana Kinoo’s plantation is over. So, I think we should use this time to look for Kinjeketile’s body. The body may fhave been washed to the banks of the river: we might still find the corpse, in spite of the belief among some of you that Kinjeketile has been possessed and taken away by Hongo. FIRST OLD MAN: I said so myself. This is clearly Hongo’s doing, SECOND OLD MAN: Hongo does not take people away. He merely possesses them. FIRST OLD MAN: Nonsense. What rubbish... KITUNDA: Please let us listen to one another. For my part, I suggest that we start looking now. FIRST MAN: In this heat? SECOND MAN: True, it is hot. This is strange. We never have had such heat before. THIRD MAN: I think we should wait until the heat abates a little, I have never known such blinding heat before. ys so? Chunusi lives in rivers as They gaze at the sun, lolling about. Suddenly Kinjeketile's voice is heard off-stage. The people, startled, turn to look, Kinjeketile 15 Kinjeketile enters, looking stiff and wooden, carrying @ small pot in his left hand and a fly-whisk in his right. KINJEKETILE: (as he enters) Behold, the sun has risen, and it shines forth through clouds of smoke and fog. Behold, the rays of the sun banish from your eyes clouds of smoke and fog, that hid a brother from a brother, that hid a tribe from a tribe, that hid a Mrafiji from a Mngoni, that hid a Mmatumbi from a Mrofiji, There was darkness, it was cold. We were blinded by one and contracted by the other, A small, constricted, isolated band of people. ‘The sun has risen, it will All us with warmth and love— love for one another, ove between tribes— and the warmth of love will free us, ‘we will expand, yes expand we will reach out, reach out and we will unite. Kinjeketile passes through the crowd. When he passes by Kitunda, the latter kneels to feel Kinjeketile’s garment.16 Kinjeketile He is surprised. The garment is dry! When other people see Kitunda Kneeling, they also kneel. We will unite and we will be one body ‘And as it is in a human body when a toe gets burt, the whole body feels the pain. When a Mmatumbi gets whipped, itis the Mzaramo who will feel the pain, ‘When a Mrufiji gets tortured, it is the Mngoni who will cry out. When we reach this stage, then we will be united. We will be one people. (Clamour. Throughout the speech Kinjeketile’s body has retained the same transfixed quality.) When we are united, we will be free. We will be the children of Seyyid Said. The Red Earth will be destroyed, he will be kicked out of this country. Hear me. This is the water given us. This is the water of life. And this is the whisk of power. He who partakes of this water no harm will befall him, No bullet will penetrate his body. ‘These are the gifts given us by our ancestorsand ourspirits. Hear from me who comes from Bokelo, the land of our ancestors, the message from our forefathers: “Destroy the Red Earth!” ‘And these are the instruments. Kinjeketile 47 (Clamour) But that means war. And before we wage war, we must first be united, cRowD: (severally) War! War! KINSEKETILE: Unity before war! crown: Unity! Unity! KINJEKETILE: Let us now begin the nywiywila.* Let us spread the news of war. Who will take up this noble task of spreading the news? Four young men come forward. Kinjeketile takes some maize flour from his bag, mixes it with the water and gives it 10 the young men, One by one they kneel before him as he offers each a nibble of the mixture, and blesses them. He then applies on each man's head some of the mixture, and blesses them with the whisk. Go like the wind and spread the news to the south, north, west and east. Those who do not believe, tell them to come here, ‘And they will believe the voice of their ancestors from Bokelo, Their ancestors will come from the land of the dead, they will speak to them. They will believe. Alll this is possible because of the power of the water. Maji! “whispering campaign18 Kinjeketile CROWD: Maji! KINJEKETILE: Maji! CROWD: Maji! Maji! Kinjeketile! Maji! Maji! Kinjeketile! KINJEKETILE: Smoke, there was smoke. Fog, there was fog. But after the smoke will come light. After the fog will come the gentle glow of dawn, Smoke and fog were bred on our ignorance, our hatred, they sapped our unity and strength. This fog and smoke smothered our love for one another, the love between the Mmakonde and the Mmatumbi, the Mpogoro and the Mzaramo. Hatred is darkness. We were all our own masters, in disunity. The Mmatumbi felt superior to the Mngoni, the Mzaramo better than the Mkichi. This was darkness, ‘We will march from darkness into light. T have been given water. This water I have brought you. This water will bind together the roots of love and affection. And the roots will grow, expand, and reach out and tie, tie us in the bond of brotherhood, We will be one people. Maji! cROwD: Majil Maji! Maj KINJEKETILE: What happens after we are united? (Silence) KINJEKETILE: War. The total destruction of the Red Earth, who came here to oppress us with the whip. (Clamour) We must learn how to fight, how to use guns. We must be soldiers. Then we will be powerful. We must depend on our own strength to destroy him. (Calls out) Kitunda! Kinjeketile 19 KITUNDA: Here am. KINJEKETILE: You will be iesponsible for building an army, to teach our young men how to fight. KITUNDA: But KINJEKETILE: Come here. (He gives him some of the water to drink and sprinkles some on his head.) Do not be afraid. Do not fear, for our ancestors support and are behind us. This water is their witness. Did you not see—two days ago—two lions become tame and powerless in my hands? This water will make your bodies unassait- able by bullets. This water will make you an invincible army. It will help you destroy the Red Earth. CROWD: Maji! Maji! Maji! Maji! KINJEKETILE: Pariake of this water and believe. Believe in the power of the water. Believe in the water of life, cROWD: Maji! Maji! Kinjoketile! Maji! Maji! KINJEKETILE: Let us now go to the river and worship. Let us appease the ancestors, the spirits. Let us offer our thanks to Hongo. (Crowd follows Kinjeketile, chanting the slogan.) cROWD: Maji! Maji! Maji! Kinjeketile! Maji! (Fade owt) SCENE III Night, Kitunda is waiting near Kinjeketile's house. Kinjeketile emerges from his house, Kitunda follows him, KITUNDA: I was waiting for you. KINJEKETILE: How did you know I would pass here ?20 Kinjeketile KITUNDA: I know you normally go to the river at a time like this. KINJEKETILE: How do you know? KITUNDA: One night, some time ago, I,could not get to sleep; so I came out. It was too hot inside, and as T came out I saw you going towards the river. The following night I saw you doing the same. The third night too, T came out, and saw you go towards the river. KINSEKETILE: What is troubling you? KITUNDA: I have been waiting here because T want to talk to you. I cannot get the chance otherwise. KINJEKETILE: Go on. KITUNDA: I have one or two problems. KINJEKETILE: Go on. KITUNDA: When you came out of the river, your clothes were dry. I touched them. They were quite dry. KINJEKETILE: So? KITUNDA: This thing has been troubling me in my heart, KINJEKETILE: You don’t believe? KITUNDA: I believe, but is such a thing possible? KINSEKETILE: (after some deep thinking) I don't know how that came about, but such a thing is possible. (Pause) Why are you looking at me like that? As if you've never seen me before? KITUNDA: You don’t look like Kinjeketile any more, Your face is smooth, not dry. And even your stature— you have somehow shrunk, (Kinjeketile makes to go.) ‘One more question .. KINJEXETILE: Hm? KITUNDA: Who is Seyyid Said? KINJEKETILE: He is the Sultan of Zanzibar. Zanzibar is a very beautiful place. KITUNDA: That is the land of the Arabs. Kinjeketile 24 KINJEKETILE: There are many Arabs there. KiTUNDA: Even their Swahili Sounds like Arabie—lots of Arabic words? KINJEKETILE: So I hear. KITUNDA: Their language is very much like the language you use when you're addressing the people. You speak some strange Swahili—tike Arabic. KINIEKETILE: I do? KITUNDA: Yes. KINIEKETILE: Me? KITUNDA: You said we will be the children of Soyyid Said, KINIEKETILE: I said so? (He shakes Kitunda.) Tell me, please tell me. Te me all that I said. KITUNDA: You said that we should all unite, After we are united, then we can declare war. And that we will win. You said that the ancestors at Bokelo give us their support. You also said that after our victory, we will be the children of Seyyid Said. KINJEKETILE: After winning the war we will be under Seyyid Said? I said that? KITUNDA: Yes, Are you ill...2. Your face... where are you going? KINJEKETILE: I've been cheated! They have killed me— no, Uhave killed myself! It was a dream, yes, I was dream- ing! No, no no, no! I have been cheated! No! (He gives a terrible ery and falls down.) (Blackout) SCENE IV A mumber of men, some armed with guns and some with22. Kinjeketile sticks. They are lined up like soldiers while dancing the likida.* KiTUNDA: Who are you? MEN: We are pea-plants, KITUNDA: Bh? MEN: Pea-plants. KITUNDA: And like pea-plants .. . MEN: Weill crawl, ‘We'll crawl. Weill crawl. ‘We'll crawl. ‘We'll crawl. They fling themselves to the ground as they chant the above slogan and craw! on their bellies with the help of their arms, ready to pounce on the enemy. They then stand up. KITUNDA: What are you carrying? MEN: Bamboo sticks. (They show their guns.) KITUNDA: Bamboo sticks? MEN: Bamboo sticks! KITUNDA: For what? MEN: Kill! Kill! (They mime shooting and killing.) KITUNDA: Who? { MEN: The Red Earth. i KUTUNDA: Kill... MEN: the Red Earth, war dance Kinjeketile 23 xivunpa: Kill... MEN: the Red Earth, (The people dance. A man enters and approaches Kitunda.) MAN: The messenger from the Wazaramo has arrived. He has some people with him. KITUNDA: Welcome them. (He goes 10 stop the dance.) Atte-e-ention, (The dancers come 10 an abrupt stand still. They arrange themselves in lines and remain at attention.) Our brothers, the Wazaramo, have come to join us, (Clamour. Enter the messenger with a band of people.) Day by day we are growing stronger. Yesterday, and the day before yesterday, and today, our brothers have come tojoin forces with us. Soon we will be ready . NGULUMBALYO: (impatiently) We are ready now. We are ready for the war. MEN: War! War! War! KITUNDA: Silence | (Pause) Kinjeketite has nol given us the order to start the war. MACHELA: But he has given us the water. MEN: (severally) Indeed he has! Indeed! MACHELA: So what are we waiting for? We've got the water .... And he's not even seen these days. Let the war begin! KITUNDA: Our Jeader has not given us the order. We are waiting for his orders. NGULUMBALYO: But we are strong. The water is ours. Can we therefore fail to wipe out the Red Earth? MEN: We won't fail! REPRESENTATIVE OF THE WAZARAMO: I am a stranger here, but I would like to say a word if that is possible.24. Kinjeketile KITUNDA: You are no longer a guest, brother, you are one of us. Have your say. REPRESENTATIVE OF THE WAZARAMO: J think we should go see Kinjeketile, I have a message from my people for him. I think you should tell him of this; and I will tell him what [ have to say. (To the people) What do you say to this suggestion ? MEN: You have spoken well. KITUNDA: Do you approve? MEN: We do! KITUNDA: Let us now disperse. We shall know the answer in our next drill. (The men disperse.) KITUNDA: (fo the messenger) And how are you? REPRESENTATIVE OF THE WAZARAMO: Iam well. We're glad to be here, KITUNDA: How many people have you brought with you. REPRESENTATIVE OF THE WAZARAMO: There are about eight of us, We did not want to bring many people, because we were told that the whole movement is still a secret. We have come to find out the day. We are ready. KITUNDA: We have heard that you don’t want to join us because of your faith, You believe in Kolelo and we believe in Hongo. Because of this, you felt that you couldn’t join in with us. REPRESENTATIVE OF THE WAZARAMO: That was some time ago. But arising from the nywiywila, now we believe that in actual fact Kolelo and Hongo are one. Two names for the same spirit, Tell me—is it true that Kinjeketile stayed under water for a whole day? KITUNDA: Yes. Kinjeketile 25 REPRESENTATIVE OF THE WAZARAMO: And when he emerged from the river, did he have the water and the whisk? KITUNDA: Yes. REPRESENTATIVE OF THE WAZARAMO: His clothes, were they dry? KiTUNDA: Not a drop! Completely dry. REPRESENTATIVE OF THE WAZARAMO: Are you sure? KITUNDA: Yes, Iam sure. REPRESENTATIVE OF THE WAZARAMO: How? KITUNDA: I, myself, touched them. REPRESENTATIVE OF THE WAZARAMO: He who stays under water without getting wet, that same is Kolelo, no other. KITUNDA: Before you go in to see him, let me speak to him first. Let me tell him the good news and all that we have discussed. He keeps to himself a lot these days and never leaves his room. He is meditating, REPRESENTATIVE OF THE WAZARAMO;: Youare Kitunda? KITUNDA: Yes, I’m Kitunda. REPRESENTATIVE OF THE WAZARAMO;: We have heard of your good work, (Pause.) Do you trust him? xITUNDA: F'll go and see him now. Pil send for you later, (He leaves hurriedly.) (Fade out) SCENE V A dark room, Bibi Kinjeketile enters, carrying a small oil lamp. BIBI KINJEKETILE: (calling gently) Bwana, bwana, (More emphatically) Bwana! Kitunda wants to talk to you.26 Kinjeketile KINJEKETILB: Don’t bring in the light. Get. it out. ‘They said there would be light . . . to get rid of the dark- ness. Now I know better, I know their light is far more dangerous. It is better that we remain in this darkness. ‘The darkness is far better. I prefer the enslavement of the body to that of the mind brought by light. (He becomes aware of his wife's presence.) What do you want? BIBI KINJEKETILE: Kitunda wants to see you. KINJEKETILE: Let him in. (Bibi Kinjeketile leaves, Kitunda enters.) KITUNDA: I am here, I've come to inform you that the Wazaramo have joined us. Kinjeketile's body is as it was in the previous scene, He goes to shake hands with Kitunda. The news has pleased him. KINJEKETILE: Good, very good. KITUNDA: Yesterday and the day before too, many other people came to join our forces. KINJEKETILE: Good, things are going well. KITUNDA: We are now ready. KINJEKETILE: Ready? For what? KITUNDA: Ready for war. (Pause) KINJEKETILE: Not yet. How many people do you have? KITUNDA: If we say we are ready to start the war, we will have more than three hundred people. We will get more once we start the war. kunsexerize: And with three hundred people, you will defeat the white man? Kinjeketile 27 KITUNDA: Yes. KINJEKETILE: You are lying! Why are you so enthusiastic to go to war all of a sudden? Weren’t you the one who used to say we should wait, until we were stronger? Now you have changed, You could go to war even with four people. KITUNDA: That is not true, KINJEKETILE: Why then, this hurry, this enthusiasm ? KITUNDA: We have the water now, and we have the people, and what's more, we are united. KINSEKETILE: Come on, don’t lie. You're lying, The truth is that your daughter was raped by the Askari and you want revenge, You want to use those people to fight your private battle, KITUNDA: This is not true, not true, not a single word of it is true! (A long pause) What do I do now? What am I to tell those people out there? They have come to fight, they have come to follow you. What do I tell them? That there is no war? That you're hiding from them? KINJEKETILE: I’m not hiding from them, KITUNDA: Yes you are, You're afraid of them. These people came from far and wide to follow you and... KINJEKETILE: They did not come because of me. KITUNDA: They have great faith in you. They have come ‘because they believe in you. And all you can do is to run away from them, KINJEKETILE: (angrily) They have no faith in me! (He checks himself, and continues to speak in a normal tone.) People have faith in the water. About the war, I never said that there would be no war. All I'm saying is: let28 Kinjeketile us Wait until we are completely united, until we are many and strong. KITUNDA: We are already united. And there are enough of us to fight a war. KINIEKETILE: No, you are not ready to fight! What you mean is, you are confirmed in the belief that the water and the spirits will fight the war for you. You are depend- ing on the water. Remove the water, and you will have a war—amongst yourselves, tribe against tribe, KITUNDA: But there is no need to think like that because we have got the water. We have been given the water by our spirit Hongo. Hongo és our spirit. T don’t see why there should be any doubt. KINFEKETILE: How do you know that it was Hongo, and not another spirit? If this is Hongo, then why does he say that we will be the children of Seyyid Said after winning the war? Why does he help us? Why get rid of the white man, only to usher in an Arab? If that is the case, it would be better for us to remain just as we are KITUNDA: Are you saying that you don’t want us to fight? KINIEKETILE: Fight we will, we must, But not with the help of the water, We must not depend on the water. KITUNDA: (accusingly) It was you who brought the water. Kinsekerite: I did not bring the water, 1... KITUNDA: You brought the water. You brought these people together. You made them believe in you. Now that they are under you, you are turning away from your responsibility. Or was it all lies, You have cheated us. That stuif about being possessed by Hongo and the water was all an act, a deception. You were not possessed by Hongo, or anything for that matter, and if it’s true you Kinjeketile 29 ‘were in the water, how come your clothes were dry when you came out? Answer me. What have you got to say? ‘A liar, a cheap, dirty liar! It was all fies! Now your lies have caught up with you. T must tell the people! (He turns 10 go, but is arrested by Kinjeketile's words.) KINJEKETILE: Go tell them. And by tomorrow there won't be a single soul out there. And you will be under the white man’s rule for ever. KITUNDA: (mad with controlled rage) You . .. lowly, cheat- ing, scoundrel, You dirty liar. KINJEKETILE: It’s not important to me if you do hate me. (He continues, as if he is talking to a child.) Wf this Seyyid Said could with our consent enslave us body and mind, he would be a far worse enemy than the German, He could rule us without ever setting foot in this country. Let us therefore wait. We will be strong; but not by being strengthened by some dubious aid from the out- side. We will be strong because this strength comes from us—our own streagth. With this we will fight and we will win, Have patience. KITUNDA: But there is no need to wait. We already have the water. KINJEKETILE: (with resignation) He doesn’t understand. He does not understand. (He shakes his head.) Look, true, we have been given the water. But the question is, who gave us the water? Was it really Hongo? If it was Hongo, why did he say that we shall be the children of Seyyid Said? Why is he selling us, his own people, to another master? These are difficult questions. Only Hongo can answer them. Perhaps it is he who is betraying us. In that caso, L cannot go to him, When I let him possess me he robs30 Kinjeketile me of my thinking power. I don’t know a thing when he possesses me, | must wait for a revelation—from God. (Kitunda starts.) KiTUNDA: You blaspheme! You can only reach God through Hongo. It is impossible otherwise, (Pause) Don’t you believe in Hongo? (Pause) KINJEKETILE: Give me time. Have the patience to wait. KITUNDA: We cannot wait any longer. People have been made strong by the water, and they want to start the war as soon as possible, KINJEKETILE: (to hirmself) A man gives birth toa... word, And the word . .. grows... it grows bigger and bigger. Finally, it becomes bigger than the man who gave it birth... KITUNDA: What? KINIEKETILE: Nothing. Please show in the envoy from the Wazaramo, (Kitunda makes to leave.) Kitunda. KITUNDA: Yes. KINJEKETILE: Who has the power over matters of life and death? KITUNDA: God. KINJEKETILE: Not Hongo? (Kitunda shakes his head.) So we must be sure. The lives of the people are in our hands. (Kitunda leaves. Kinjeketile circles the room like a caged animal. His wife enters.) BIBI KINJEKETILE: Bwana, bwana. (She goes to comfort him.) The envoy you asked for is outside, Kinjeketile KINSEKETILE: Tell him to come in. (Bibi Kinjeketile leaves.) KINJEKETILE: Welcome, welcome. I heard of your arrival. Tam very pleased. (Shaking hands.) Very, very pleased. How is Mzizima? REPRESENTATIVE OF THE WAZARAMO: Everything is all right there. We have heard the npwiywila and are aware of what you are trying to do. Our leader, Kibasila, sent me to come and see you personally, You see, a lot of things are being said about the water. We hear that even lions become tame under its influence; bullets are quite ineffective, We have heard a lot of other things you have said as well. KINJEKETILE: That's good. Are you ready to join us? REPRESENTATIVE OF THE WAZARAMO: We are ready to do so on conéition that you answer one question. In fact that has been the main reason for our staying out so far, KINJEKETILE: Let me hear the question. REPRESENTATIVE OF THE WAZARAMO: Are Hongo and Kolelo one and the same spirit? KINJEKETILE: Why do you ask? REPRESENTATIVE OF THE WAZARAMO: We believe in Kolelo. We can only follow his guidance. But the more we hear of your spirit Hongo, the more we ate convinced that he is Kolelo. Kolelo lives in the water. Your spirit does the same, And all the miracles he has performed prove that he is Kolelo, But the nywiywila said that he is Hongo. We come to ask you—whether this is Kolelo or Hongo, or whether these two names belong to the same spirit. If it is so then we are ready to join you. If not, then we cannot fight together. (Pause)32 Kinjeketile You haven’t answered my question. KINJEKETILE: What question? REPRESENTATIVE OF THE WAZARAMO: Are Hongo and Kolelo one and the same? KINIEKETILE: (almost timidly) Hongo is merely another name for Kolelo. REPRESENTATIVE OF THE WAZARAMO: We thought so. KINSEKETILE: Will you come to our aid then? REPRESENTATIVE OF THE WAZARAMO: I can’t promise. But I'll send one or two people to tell Kibasila and the elders of your answer. KINJEKETILE: Do you think they will believe it? REPRESENTATIVE OF THE WAZARAMO: Yes, they will believe it KINJEKETILE: Good, very good. (He «rns round to ‘face the envoy) Do everything you can, but they must join us. Do you hear, they must! (The envoy looks surprised at this burst of energy.) Please, do your best! (Almost beside himself, beseechingly) They must . . . they must REPRESENTATIVE OF THE WAZARAMO: Yes—I will tell them. I will explain everything to them. (Exit) SCENE VI Kinjeketile is at one corner of the stage. In front of him are some gourds on one side, on the other, @ small fire from burning coals. At the other end of the stage a meeting is in process. MKICHI: We are here to finalize our plans. Things have changed since our first meeting. Kinjeketile was possessed Kinjeketile 33 by Hongo. We all saw this. It is not for us to decide when to start the war. [tis up to him to tell vs. REPRESENTATIVE OF THE WAZARAMO: Many people are behind us, and ready. Is that not right, Kitunda? KITUNDA : Yes, the army is ready. And the time is ripe, too. In fact I feel that if we wait any longer, the overseer might get wise to our activities. I think he is begianing to suspect. FIRST MAN: That's all right, Don’t worry about him, He knows of our activities, and is helping by turning a blind eye to them. I think he does not want the Askari or the Akida to know anything, If they find out, you know what will happen. KITUNDA: That’s good news. I was worried. FIRST MAN: No need to be. He even knows the place where you do your army training. What worries me, though, is that our turn to work in the cotton plantation degins soon. This means Kinjeketile’s teachings to the people and his meditation will have to end. The people who come to hear Kinjeketile or to get the water must be told not to come—or if come they must, they must do it more seeretly—and in smaller groups. REPRESENTATIVE OF THE WAZARAMO: That's right. I think we must come to a quick decision. MKICHT: I think we must start the war. With the water how can we fail? On top of that we are stronger now. ‘Our brothers the Wazaramo have joined us. And there are many people ready to join us once we start the war, KITUNDA: We cannot do that. We can’t start the war until Kinjeketile gives us the word. MNGINDO: But when? We have been waiting and waiting; now we're tired 0° waiting.34. Kinjeketite MKICHI: And we see no reason for waiting. If bullets cannot harm us, how can we possibly lose the war? XITUNDA: How do you know that bullets won't harm you? MKICHI: Hongo said so, he gave us the water. REPRESENTATIVE OF THE WAZARAMO: We call him Kolelo. (Pause) But as Kinjeketile has said, Hongo and Kolelo are the same thing, and as such it is as if Kolelo had given us the water, and made us invulnerable to German bullets. ‘There is nothing to fear. (Kitunda remains sitent, shaking his head.) MKICHI: Say what you want to say, Kitunda. KITUNDA: Let us wait for Kinjeketile. MKICHI: But Kinjeketile does nothing all the time. He locks himself in, tatks to himself like a madman. We can’t wait for a man like that. We have the strength, We have the water. Why wait? KITUNDA; Let’s wait a few days more. MNGINDO: Till when? SECOND MAN: The people are waiting to hear from us. ‘And when the Askari returns from the journey he’s made, things might change. : They might. KITUNDA: We have waited patiently for a long time, You have come from far, and have taken pains... mxtcut: In my village people want to know what's happe: ing. From the time we came, long before Kinjeketile became possessed, until today, we have been patient. Now we can't... Kinjeketile 35 KITUNDA: (Pealizing the situation is getting out of handy You cut me short. [ was abput to say—Iet_me finish. I was about to say that we have already waited for a long time, So we can wait for one more day. Just one more day, tomorrow. Tomorrow is an important day. Kinjeketile will come to address our army. And all the people will be there. After the meeting we should meet here. MNGINDO: All right then, let us wait until tomorrow. MKICHT: But remember, we give you one more day only. MEN: (severally) Is that all right everybody? Do we agree to one more day? One day, and no more... . KITUNDA: Let's have some order, please. Are we agreed to wait for Kinjeketile? So we meet tomorrow night— right? MEN: Tomorrow night! KITUNDA: So, untit tomorrow, brothers. Now we can g0 home. People leave the stage, but Kinjeketile remains there and in the same posture, although from time to time he makes a slight movement of feeding the fire. Apart from that he is dead still, The lights fade on him, and there is a brief blackout. When the lights come up again he is seen with his head bowed low down. He looks tired and sleepy. The coals are no longer burning, Kitunda and Bibi Kinjeketile enter. BIBI KINJEKETILE: I think he has gone mad. I don’t understand what he says any more. He was like this all night. Then suddenly he would shout—No I don’t want! I don't want!” Or he would ask loudly ‘Who are you?’ And there’s no one there. KiTUNDA: I must talk to him, pIBI KINIEKETILE: Bwana! (Trying to rouse him.) Bwana!36 Kinjeketile KINJEKETILE: (faintly) What? BIBI KINJEKETILE: Kitunda wants to speak to you. (He sees Kitunda and immediately goes over to meet him.) KINJEKETILE: I am not yet ready. Give me some more time—one more day. One mere, KITUNDA: It cannot be done. It’s not me. I’m not refusing you the time you want. Tt’s the people. You gave them the water. They believe in its power. They see no reason for waiting any more. (Pause) KINJEKETILE: (to himself) A man gives birth to a word... the word grows bigger and bigger... and destroys the man who let it loose. A word born of man grows strong, and ends by enslaving him. (To Kitunda) You will give me ‘one more dayt KITUNDA: Don't ask me KIWEKETILE: (with great authority) 1 said you give me one more day! (Cajoling) People, Kitunda, people! Can’t you see that thousands and thousands of them may die if we are not certain, And we will be their murderers. Till be the one who murdered them. Hongo will have killed his own people. Or, let us agree on this. When you lead the people to war you will act and plan as if the water did not exist, Use your own strength. You must not depend on the water, do you hear, you must not depend on the water! Promise me that. KITUNDA: There is no need to promise anything, I believe in the water. Or you tell me now that Hongo never gave us the water, that it was your doing. You gave us the water to deceive us. Kinjeketile 37 (Pause) KINJEKETILE: Give me one more day. KITUNDA: It cannot be done, Come and speak to the people yourself. KINJEKETILE: (hesitantly) Very well. I will come. SCENE VII A number of men; most of them armed with guns and dancing the likida. Others are watching. KITUNDA: Who are you? MEN: We are pea-plants. xrTuNDA: Eh? MEN: Pea-plants. KITUNDA: And like pea-plants ... MEN: We'll crawl! We'll crawl! Weill crawi! We'll crawl! They fling themselves to the ground and crawl on their bellies with the help of their arms. KITUNDA: On your feet, stand up! (They stand up all at once and in perfect unison. The dancing stops.) Now Jet us wait for Kinjeketile, (The men relax and converse.) FIRST MAN: After the address T hear we are going to worship and to offer sacrifice. SECOND MAN: I have brought a black chicken with me. THIRD MAN: Getting a chicken at a time like this must have meant a Jot of looking around.38. Kinjeketile FIRST MAN: See that man. He is a Mzaramo. THIRD MAN: Is that so? FIRST MAN: Yes, he came all the way to join us THIRD MAN: ['m telling you man, we are ready! Here comes Kinjeketie. SECOND MAN: Kinjeketile! But—he is changed. No, it is not him, Look at the way he’s walking, THIRD MAN; Of course it is Kinjeketil. KITUNDA: At-e--ntion! KINJEKETILE: Listen, everybody. We think that we are ready... Listen! Today Pve come to tell you that... although it is true that there are many people present here... FIRST MAN: (talking fo his neighbour) I can’thear a word he says. His voice. What has happened to his voice? It’s changed. KINJEKETILE: Please listen, The main thing I want to say is, that the Red Earth must be wiped out, but before doing that. . NGULUMBALYO: When? When do we kick him out? Name the day, we are ready. KINJEKETILE: No, you are not ready! MEN: (severally) Yes, we are ready! MACHELA: Give the word, When do we start the war? KINJEKETILE: Be a little more patient. The time will come. Now let us go and appease the spirits. NGULUMBALYO: This is the time for fighting, not for prayers. We've prayed long enough. Tomorrow we begin our turn in the cotton plantation. If we don’t decide now, it will be too late. I say we start the war now! MEN: Now! Now! Now! KINIEKETILE: Silence! Don’t you know the saying that Kinjeketile 39 hurry hurry has no blessing? Remember there might be lots of deaths. FIRST MAN: Deaths? There can never be deaths, We have the water. Maji! MEN: Maji! Maji! Maji! KINJEKETILE: Wait! Kitunda, tell them... (His words are drowned by rhe slogan.) MEN: Maji! Majit Maji! The cotton plantation is not far! ‘The war has begun! Kill the Red Earth! Kill! i! Maj Maji! Majil Hack down the cotton plantation! Hack! Kill! The people leave noisily. Kitunda hesitates to follow them. He wants to go to Kinjeketile. KINJEKETILE: Follow them. Go with them, Remember what I told you—lead them to victory. (Kinmda leaves. The slogan ‘Majil’ can still be heard, gradually getting fainter. Fade out as he speaks the last line.) The word . man breeds a word .. . and it knocks down its creator . destroying him.Act Ul SCENE I Kitunda stands alone on the stage, addressing the audience. KiTUNDA: I don’t know what happened. All at once, we wanted blood, we wanted to kill, we wanted to destroy. We did not think, but we were suddenly seized by ven- geance. We wanted payment—to harm as we had been harmed, to kill as we had been killed. In this tumult of blood we started the war. I don’t remember giving any orders to attack, but two young men, Ngulumbalyo Mandai and Lindimyo Machela, descended on Bwana Kinoo’s plantation, and destroyed it completely. They cut down the trees with the same force the Germans had used, to flog @ black skin, And each blow they dealt, it wasn’t the cotton tree they slashed, it was a German they slayed. The anger and hatred that flooded us! So the war began. At Kibata there was an Arab—he and his family—we took his shop and his goods. I told our people that plunder was contrary to Kinjeketile’s teachings—it was taboo. They refused to listen. We camped at Mikeja, Suddenly, doubts assailed me, Bullets had harmed our people. Not many, of course, but enough to make me worried, We lost some more men before we reached Mzizima, While waiting for Kibasila at Mzizima, we exchanged words. SCENE II Tired people, sprawled all over the stage. They are waiting ‘for Kibasila. Kinjeketile 41 FIRST MAN: No sign of Kibasila and his people. NGULUMBALYO: If they don’t’ come, it doesn’t matter. It’s not necessary that they should join us. We can manage without them, We have won several times before, we will win again. Kitunda, give the order for us to march on, (Pause) Come on, leave that brooding of yours. These days you keep to yourself—rather aloof, T would say. Or are you afraid? Yes, he is afraid all right. T know it, he was afraid from the very beginning! Kinjeketile the liar and Kitunda the coward, you make a good pair. FIRST MAN: Leave him alone. Can't you see he doesn’t want to quarrel with you? (A long pause) 1 think we should send someone to tell them that we are here waiting for them. Or shail I go there myself? KITUNDA: Do you think they don’t know that we are waiting here? REPRESENTATIVE OF THE WAZARAMO: Then why don’t they come’ Perhaps they do not recognize Hongo any more, Have they denied him? KITUNDA: Perhaps they have heard that people have died. NGULUMBALYO: (velementiy) Liar! No one died, do you hear, no one died! Listen to him. He has no faith. He blasphemes. Say that once more so that everybody can hear you. KITUNDA: Some people did die. (Ngulumbalyo approaches him angrily.) NGULUMBALYO: Say that again, if you call yourself'a man,42 Kinjeketile REPRESENTATIVE OF THE WAZARAMO: Peace friends, peace. There is no need to quarrel over this now. Kitunda is our leader, We can’t treat him like this. Especially you, you ought to respect him as much as you are res- pected by those under your command. If you treat him like this, what about the people from the other tribes? KITUNDA: I don’t really mind if he or his company treats me without any respect. After all, he is still young, full of unschooled blood and vigour. He has, of late, from the day we left Somanga, been quite big-headed. He fancies himself quite a man, and yet I taught him how to hold a gun, NGULUMBALYO: You get hold of your weapon and Tl teach you a thing or two about fighting, you coward! (Machela brings the weapons.) REPRESENTATIVE OF THE WAZARAMO: Come, come, there is no need for that. (To Machela) Take them back. KITUNDA: Don't worry, I have no intention of fighting him, But I want to say something, a few words, about a truth we all know, but dare not admit. People have died, and these same people drank the water. (Pause) NGULUMBALYO: I know the people you are talking about. They drank the water, true, but they violated the taboos. KITUNDA: Whether they violated the taboos or not— that is unimportant. What is important is that people who drank the water have died, And that means that one who drinks the water can die, Kinjeketile 43 (Beople stand up and move menacingly towards Kitunda.) NGULUMBALYO: Listen to your leader! He blasphemes! ‘Weren't we promised immunity by our ancestors? MEN: (Severally) Yes! We were! We were given the water! The water of life! NOULUMBALYO: Can we possibly trust a leader like him? Can we trust this man who has no faith in our ancestors? MACHELA: We can’t trust him! He's not our leader! MEN: (severally) You lead us! That's right! Ngulumbalyo for leadership! No, no, no! Let’s listen to Kitunda! Kitunda wants to speak! Kitunda speak up! KITUNDA: Listen. Look at us—fighting one another. Where's our unity’ Where’s our strength? NGULUMBALYO: We have strength. Haven't we got the water’? MEN: We do! NGULUMBALYO: And our brothers the Wazaramo will add to our present force, Against such a force the Red Earth doesn’t stand a chance. We will sweep him into the ocean. (Shouts of jubilation from the people.) KITUNDA: Listen, all of you, we want to get rid... MEN: (severally) We do! We do! Come on, listen to what Kitunda has to say. KITUNDA: Since we all want the same thing... (More noise and shouting.) FIRST MAN: Give him a chance. Listen... SECOND MAN: Look, there ure peuple coming, (The men turn 10 look.)44 Kinjeketile NGULUMBALYO: What did I tell you? Didn't I say that Kibasila will not let us down? There he is. Be ready to welcome him. NGULUMBALYO: Kibasila Oyeet MEN: Oyee! NGULUMBALYO: Maji! MEN: Maji! Maji! KIBASILA: I shake hands with you in peace. NGULUMBALYO: Welcome, brother, welcome. KIBASILA: (fo Ngulumbalyo) Are you Kitunda? NGULUMBALYO: I am Ngulumbalyo Mandai—Mmatumbi by tribe. KIBASILA: Who, then, is Kitunda? KITUNDA: Lam. KIBASILA: Your deeds of bravery have reached us. We have come to join you. (Clamour. The people dance with joy. Kitunda and Kibasila greet each other warmly.) KITUNDA: Attention! Today we have found new strength, today we have found a new heart, We have united our forces in good faith. And this unity will certainly bring us victory, if we use our strength with discretion, if we really become one body, and if we follow one leader. But if any soldier chooses to take an independent fine, and do just what he wants, contrary to the given orders— then we will come to a bad end. And we must try to avoid a bad end. Today we will rest. We will get to know our brothers and we will dance the likida together tonight. Everyone will drink the water and tomorrow we march towards the enemy. (To Kibasila) Brother, welcome. Some of the men meet and shake hands, while others relax. Drums are brought in. Ngulunbalayo and Machela sulkily, draw to one side and exit talking to each other. Kinjeketile 45 SCENE III Mahenge. In front of a German fort. Kitunda’s areny at the ready for war. Kiturda, Ngulumbalyo, Machela, Mngindo, Mkichi and Kibasila are all present. KITUNDA: We have come to the end of the trail. Let us make this their end, and not our own. There are only four German forts left in the country. If we take this one then the white man will be paralysed for good. He will bbe finished. (Clamour) But... but, this is the strongest fort, There is the big gun to reckon with. The people inside are not many. ‘The Germans and their followers are not even one quarter of our number, but as I said before, there is the big gun to reckon with. NGULUMBALYO: Why do we have to fear the big gun, if we have greater protection? Weren’t we told that whoever drinks the water is protected? What are you telling us now? Or don’t you believe in the water? (Pause) KITUNDA: (quietly but emphatically) Many people died. And all those people who died had drunk the water. NGULUMBALYO: They did not, the liars! Some of them drank the water but violated the taboos, After the batties they plundered and took the loot. They raped people's wives. And we were forbidden to do all these things. KITUNDA: We have been through this, not once or twice, ‘but many times. And this is not the time to talk about the matter again. There is a war ahead of us and, by46 Kinjeketile God, I don’t want people to die because of some silly beliefs and superstitions. NGULUMBALYO: Water- stition? KITUNDA: (commandingly) Be quiet! I have been asked to lead this army, and to conduct the attack, I have every intention of doing so. This war will be fought in accordance with my orders, Or else, relieve me of my command, ly? Do you call it—a super- (Pause) We will divide ourselves into three groups. Kibasila, you will take your men and attack the enemy from the west. Ngulumbalyo, you and your men will attack the fort at the centre. Me and some of my men will remain here, and some of them will attack from the east. These will attack openly but they will be greatly assisted by the sun. The sun, which will be behind us, will dazzle the Germans at the fort. Their soldiers won't be abie to see properly against the sun, Ngulumbalyo, you and your men will camouflage yourselves with tree branches as you advance. Each one will hide behind a tree branch and advance cautiously. ‘That way the Germans won’t see you, they will simply see a forest. By that time, half of my men will have already begun their attack. Once you hear the first shots from them, then, and only then, will you start advancing, but well camouflaged. Kibasila, once you hear that Ngulumbalyo and his men have begun fighting, then you will start attacking from your side. That is all {have to say. Any questions? No. Then Twill show my men where they should station themselves, Kinjeketile 41 when and how they should start the war, (To the headmen of the Wakichi and the Wangindo.) Come with me. Bring half of your men, (Exit) KIBASILA: (speaking to his neighbour) Tell our men the news. And meet me there. (To Ngulumbalyo) I will wait for a signal from you, If I don’t get it, then I will attack, after confirming that you have indeed started the attack. To victory! NGULUMBALYO: To victory! (Turning 10 the men) Who are you? MEN: We are pea-plants. NGULUMBALYO: Eh? MEN: Pea-plants, NGULUMBALYO: And like pea-plants. .. MEN: We'll crawl... NGULUMBALYO: Eh? MEN: We'll crawl! NGULUMBALYO: What are you carrying? MEN: Bamboo sticks (showing their guns). NGULUMBALY0: Bamboo sticks? MEN: Yes, bamboo sticks. NGULUMBALYO: For what? en: Kill! Kill! Kill! NGULUMBALYO: Let's go and do the job. Majil MEN: Maji! Maji! NGULUMBALYO: Kill! men: Kill! Kill! Exit. After a moment Kitunda enters, accompanied by a soldier. KITUNDA: Tell the rest of our men to be at the ready.48° Kinjeketile The soldier goes out. Kitunda walks to the edge of the stage and peers far into the valley. The soldier returns, SOLDIER: They are ready. (Enter a second soldier) SECOND SOLDIER: The attack has started. KITUNDA: I know, I can see it from here. It seems as if the rumour is untrue. They don’t have big guns. They have ordinary guns, and that's good. We should be able to take Mahenge either today or tomorrow. Blackout. Sounds of intense fighting can be heard, with the boom of the big gun showering bullets clearly audible above the din, After a few seconds the lights come up on Kitunda addressing the audience. KITUNDA: That is what we thought. But we wore wrong. Ngulumbalyo and his men simply advanced on the fort, nakedly. And all along we thought that the stories circulating about this big gun were lies. How wrong we were! For suddenly it started spurting bullets, and all the while Ngulumbalyo and his men marched right on, chanting, ‘Maji!” ‘Maji!” Maji!” and being mown down by the thousand. Kibasila, on hearing the chant, also got possessed. His people forgot our war stratagems, and took up the chant, ‘Maji!” ‘Maji!” ‘Maji!” and rushed towards the fort. And all the time they were being mown down by the thousand. I sent soldiers to curb this madness, but it was no use. I personally went, but there was not a sane man among them, and nobody would listen. We lost more than one thousand two hundred men from the Second Company. Those of us who survived stumbled about like raving lunatics, some screaming, ‘Kinjeketile Kinjeketile 49 has betrayed us!’ And although they were crying, no tears flowed, no tears. Others were struck into a stupor, and did nothing. Most of us felt it was no use fighting any more. We fell into a hopeless despair. Some of us were taken prisoner, others fled. A surprise awaited us when we were taken inside the fort.Act IV SCENE T Inside the fort. Kinjeketite lies unconscious on the floor, torn and bleeding. Kitunda and the other prisoners enter, in various moods of despair, a dispirited lot, although some are chatting away as if nothing had happened. They sit in small groups, but Kitunda goes towards the unconscious ‘man, to stand alone. He recognizes who it is. FIRST SOLDIER: Why are you looking at him like that? Do you know him? (No response from Kitunda, but he looks apprehensive.) KrBastta: Who is that? People start moving in on Kitunda, He stops them from coming nearer, and shouts for help. KITUNDA: Askari FIRST SOLDI | Askari! He has gone mad, Who is he protecting? (They iry to get round him to see the man.) KITUNDA: No! No! Askari! Askari! (The people get close to the unconscious man. They recognize him.) FIRST SOLDIER: It’s Kinjeketil. SECOND SOLDIER: Kinjeketile! THIRD SOLDIER: Kinjeketilet (They advance.) MEN: (severally) Kill him! Kill him! Kill him! (Kitunda intervenes—grapples with several men. The Askari, a Kinjeketile 51 black man, enters and fires a bullet in the air. Every one freezes.) askani: Go back to where you were. Sit down! (They obey.) What's the hurry? He will die. You will all be executed tomorrow at the market place. KITUNDA: Why was he beaten like this? ASKART: (calls) Daudi! DAUDI: Yes sirt AskaRt: Wake him up. Splash him with water. (To Kitundd) He refuses to retract his words. The master gave the order that he kas to admit before the people that the water was a lie, that it was nothing, that it certainly vas not medicine. He has to say this to the people before he is hanged. KITUNDA: And he has refused? (Daudi pours some water on Kinjeketile’s face.) ASKARI: He has refused. Kitunda is rapt in thought. 4 German officer enters with 1wo soldiers carrying whips. GERMAN OFFICER: Wake him up! (Kinjeketile tries to get up.) Will you tell the people tomorrow that the water was a lie? Kinjeketile shakes his head. The officer orders him to be beaten. He tries to get up. He is beaten again. He falls feebly, tries to get up, but he can't; he has no strength. GERMAN OFFICER: Will you tell them? (Kinjeketile shakes his head. The guards want to beat him again but the officer stops them.) Water. (They pour some water on Kinjeketile.) Listen, if you agree to tell the people that the water didn’t have any medicine, we will let all these people go free. Kinjeketile looks at his fellow prisoners. He sees Kitunda, They look at each other for a long time.ners 52 Kinjeketile FIRST SOLDIER: Come on, speak out, if you are going to confess! Or is it because we are not of your tribe? ‘We are not Wamatumbi like you? SECOND SOLDIER: These Wamatumbi! They got us in trouble, and now they won't utter a word to get us out of it. THIRD SOLDIER: (pleadingly) Speak children, FIRST SOLDIER: Come on, say it! ASKART: Shut up! Quiet, everybody! KITUNDA: (to the German officer) Master, give mea chance to speak to Kinjeketile. I'm sure, if { ask him, he will agree to what you want him to do. Please. Give me a chance, please. GERMAN OFFICER: All right KITUNDA: We should be alone. GERMAN OFFICER: Remove the other prisoners. «Think of our They are ushered out. Kitunda and Kinjeketile are atone. They shake hands warmly. KiTUNDA: How did you get here? KINJEKETILE: A week after the war started, I was arrested. Thave been held prisoner in two forts—this is the second. KITUNDA: There are many people you can save. They will be free to go home. KINJEKETILE: (sharply) Shut up! Don't say anything. Let’s talk about something else. (Pause) Did you do what I told you? KITUNDA: No one listened to me, Had they listened KINJEKETILE: No regrets. No regrets. It is done, it is finished. (To himself’) When a.word controls man... KITUNDA: Will you confess tomorrow that . Ui avian, Mat Kinjeketile 53 KINSEKETILE: I don't want to talk about it, KITUNDA: You must talk about it, KINJEKETILE: T war's! KITUNDA: You will! (Pause) KINIEKETILE: They want me to say that the water was a Jie, Where was the lie? KITUNDA: Was the water true? Did you believe in it? (Kinjeketite laughs long and bitterly. A pause.) KINJEKETILE: Do you know what they will say tomorrow? “The officer will say that we were wrong. He will tell ‘our children that we were wrong in fighting him. He will tell that to cur children, Kitunda, That to fight him is wrong! That to fight for one’s country is wrong! And he wants me to help him by retracting all that T said. He wants me to say that the water wasa lie. Do you know what that means? The moment I say that, people in the north, south, east and west will stop fighting. They will fall into hopeless despair—they will give up. I will not say that! A word has been born. Our children will tell their children about this word, Our great grand- children will hear of it. One day the word will cease to be a dream, it will be a reality! (The Askari enters, followed by the German officer.) ASKARE: Are you ready? KINJEKETILB: Ready. KITUNDA: What is the decision? (Kinjeketile does not answer.) GERMAN OFFICER: Has he agreed? (Kitunda shakes his head. Blackout.)Printed by The English Press Limited, PO, Box 301%, Nairobi, and published by the Oxford University Brese, Bastern Africa Branch, P.O, Bok 12582, Nairobi.