Mark Mathabane Focus assignment

Mark Mathabane

Mark Mathabane, October 18, 1960 tennis player, author, and lecturer.
He was born in Alexandra, Gauteng, South Africa.

Mark was inspired to start tennis by Arthur Ashe an African who played tennis professionally. Mark made several White friends by playing tennis with them; Mark would eventually use his connections with his white friends to get out of Alexandra. When Mark was a child his passion was tennis he loved the sport even if his friends and other Africans saw him as being a traitor to their kind by playing such a "white" sport. Mark now plays tennis leisurely on a regular basis

Mark Mathabane has written several novels multiple of his more known novel's are: Kaffir Boy in America which is a sequel to Kaffir Boy, Love in black and white, African women, Miriam’s Song.

Mark regularly lectures about the conditions in South Africa. He has been trying to make some sort of a difference back in his home country so no one else has to go the
Horrendous conditions his family struggled through.
Mark will often speak at High schools and college’s through-out the United States trying to raise awareness about the stupefying conditions that Africans live through in the "ghetto" of South Africa. Mark has even made appearances on Oprah, Today, CNN, NPR, the Charlie Rose show, Larry King and an uncountable number of other television shows and radio talk shows.

I put the most important aspects of Mark's childhood into the following sections. These were the events that I believe turned Mark into who he is.

The Peri-Urban(the local police) would continually launch surprise raids on Mark's neighborhood. These raids terrified Mark and were a constant through-out his life, at first every time Mark would see or hear the Peri-Urban alarms he would be so terrified that he wouldn't be able to speak properly and when he would it would be a stammering drivel not too useful to his parents who would constantly have to avoid the Peri-Urban due to the fact that their passes(a book that all Africans would have to carry to prove they could legally be in a certain area) weren't in order.
Because Marks parent’s passes were never in order they would be ever running for the police. But how long can one really evade the police? Marks Dad's luck ran out and he was arrested; he seemed to get caught continually so Mark's family had to live off little food a lot of the time. There had even been times when his family went without food for weeks. His mother was caught by the Peri-Urban a few times but she seemed to never be gone for long.

One of the most important things to Mark's development was his going to school; it got him out of the gang he had been hanging out with and it got him off the streets. He began to become absorbed in his schooling, he enjoyed reading the books that his Granny would constantly bring him.
I find that highly amusing because of Mark's original reluctance to going to school; as I recall Mark actually fought his Mum and Granny when they tried to take him to school. What made him decide he needed to go were two occurrences. The first being a women seeing Mark being brought to school and then starting to bawl stating she wish she had taken her son to school before the street claimed him. The second was the fact that his Mum and Dad got into a fight after his Dad found out that she had registered Mark at school.
I personally believe that Mark's going to school was the most vital event to the creation of the Mark Mathabane that we know today.

Next to going to school starting to play tennis was one of the great turning points in Mark's life. I know your probably thinking "Starting tennis! How could that be an important event?" just read on and you will learn just how important tennis had been to Mark. Mark hadn't originally wanted to play tennis he wanted to box after learning of a phenomenal boxer named Muhammad Ali who actually knocked out a Caucasian boxer! When Mark arrived at the ring though he tried to fight but he was beaten so badly that he no longer wanted to take part in such a violent sport. Then Mark heard of a man named Arthur Ashe an African who played tennis, Mark decided to play the sport. This would lead to Mark getting to know white people better and distance him from other Africans because they saw his playing tennis as a sort of treachery towards the other Africans. Mark actually was sent death threats and was nearly killed in an encounter with one of his old acquaintances from a gang he used to associate with. He used his connections with his Caucasian friends to eventually get out of the ghetto of South Africa and act as a spokesman to help with multiple problems in South Africa. None of what he had been doing could have happened if he did not start to play tennis and interact with white people.

Mark Mathabane; there is so much about him that it was tough for me to pick what parts of his psyche to include on the following section. I did my best to choose the most important parts of his personality

Mark had a growing hatred for his father when he was a kid. His hatred was fair, his father kept on getting arrested which caused money problems to the family so Mark starved on a regular basis. What made him even angrier was the fact that his friends Father's were always able to feed their children. Another way his hatred bred was how his Father would continually beat him for what seemed to be everything that he did. Mark even thought that his father hated him as well, this idea was dismissed when Mark left and his Father cried, his Father had never cried before, it showed Mark that no matter what his father did he still loved him. As far as I know Mark no longer holds the hatred of his Father in his heart.

Mark’s friends had taught Mark that school was a waste of time and that he really didn’t need it seeing as how impressionable Mark was when he was a child he listened to them. Because of what his friends had warned him about school Mark was originally hesitant to go; he actually fought his Mum and his Granny when they tried to get him ready to go register at his school. Mark’s opinion about school was suddenly changed when his family came across an old woman on their way to school. The old women immediately figured out where they were taking Mark and started to cry saying that she wished she had taken her son to school before he joined a gang and was killed. When this happened Mark started to change his view on school a little bit seeing it as an escape from a death out on the cold streets. This shows that although Mark had originally hated school his mind can be changed by an emotional or important event that shows him the good (or bad) side of something. It is a good thing Mark was so impressionable because it was how he eventually escaped from the horror that had been his life in Alexandra.

Mark would learn from every single event that would happen to him. It was because of Marks ability to learn from all his past experiences. Take for example when he was a child and he would make fun of the “shit-men” (these were men who had the burden of going around and taking the fecal matter bins from the houses and throwing them in a truck to be sent away) as they went by. One of these days the man carrying the waste was in a bad mood and chased of Mark and his friends when they made fun of him. He wound up catching Mark and made him take off all his clothes and stand in the waste. The experience made Mark decide to never make fun of people in such a manner ever again. Not all the lessons Mark learned came at such a price but one things remains the same he learned from all his encounters.

Mark’s psyche changed continually through-out the novel. He was able to become more mature about life and all things as he lived through the horror that is known as his life.

Mark used to hang out with gangs; they would roam the streets and make fun of the numerous people that they passed. They would continually get into fights and I believe that if Mark had not escaped from the streets grasp then he would surely be dead. It was actually one of the people Mark used to hang out with that would one day try to kill him.

Mark was a fighter in more way then one. Mark was literally a fighter; he would get into fights regularly as a child, that made him want to become a boxer and fight for a living. But mentally Mark would struggle to survive, he would fight to live constantly. If it wasn’t for Mark fighting and struggling he wouldn’t be where he is today

Mark had several beliefs about society; two different religions were forced upon him neither of which he enjoyed.

Because Mark’s father was originally from a tribal reserve he would have Mark and his brother perform tribal rituals regularly. He would do this so that they would understand what they were to do whilst they were at the tribal reserves that they may one day return to. Mark hated these rituals with a passion; I believe this was because of his hate for his father being redirected to the Tribal faith. Mark’s family always thought that whenever something bad happened to them it was because a jealous neighbor cast a voodoo spell on them so they would go to a tribal reserve to lift their “curses”.

Mark’s mum eventually tired of her husband’s ridiculous tribal belief. She took the kids and got all of them baptized she was lucky enough that two white missionaries had arrived and were willing to baptize her children. Mark’s Father was completely against this as he seemed to be with everything that Mark’s mum decided was a good idea.

What Do I already know

Mark Mathebane (Left);I may not know much about Mr. Mathabane at this moment in time other then what I have read off the back cover and a small amount of information I know have already found out and stored. I am extremely interested in his life story and I can't wait to start to read his autobiography (Kaffir Boy). I know that he lived in the "ghetto" of South Africa and is african-american. Mr. Mathabane would also hang out with a few white men. I also know that when he went to college he edited the paper, and graduated with honours. After College Mark Mathabane was a journalist part-time or full-time I do not know but I hope to find out in my studies. Mark Mathabane was born and raised in Alexandra of South Africa and would talk to a few of the white people and proved that some of the stereotypes about African-american people were wrong and was showed that some of the stereotypes about white people were also wrong. Finally of coarse the fact that he lived through all his troubles to write his autobiography (Kaffir Boy) By reading his autobiography I wish to become more learned in the life of Mr. Mathabane and perhaps even the time that he lived in.

Biography Day One

• Mark Mathabane lived in a ghetto in South Africa with very few white people. In fact only about ten percent of all the white people lining in South Africa see the really horrible parts due to signs that read:
  
• "Warning this road passes through proclaimed Bantu locations. Any person who enters the location without a permit renders himself liable for persecution for contravening the Bantu (urban area's). Consolidation act 1945 and the location registration act of the city of Johannesburg."
  
• Signs much like those can be found on any road leading to Alexandra (Where Mark Mathabane was born and raised) and any other ghetto town or city.
  
• his mother came from Gazankulu (a tribal reserve for the tsongas in northern Transvaal)
  
• his parents met in Alexandra, married bought a shack in the ghetto and had a child (Mark)
  
• When 69 black protestants were massacred many shot in the back trying to escape Mark
• realized the poor conditions for Africans in a ghetto

Biography Day Two

• he had a three year old sister (when he was 5) named Florah and a one year old brother named George
  
• lived from paycheck to paycheck
  
• family tried to save things as much as possible
  
• two weeks after his fifth birthday the police raided his neighbourhood and while her mother had run off to hide Mark was left with his brother and sister in a horrendous situation with the police. All the children had been frightened and hysterical
  
• after the raid another party of Peri-urban (police) came to Marks house looking for his parents, they beat him badly when he did not immediately open the door to them and then after having found his father they tried to get a bribe, receiving none they handcuffed him and I can only assume they took him to jail.

Biogrpahy Day Three

• Mark's father spent 2 months on a white mans potato farm doing hard labour for his pass crime
  
• The police became a constant in Marks life, always there, performing raids on the neighbourhoods weekly
  
• While other children could sentry and warn their parents of the police Mark was unable because of his earlier encounter with the police that whenever he saw them he went blank
  
• Mark's families shack collapsed on night so he and his family had to be moved to another similar shack in the neighbourhood.
  
• George's brother was being taught rituals, Mark hated the rituals with a passion and believed them useless
  
• Mark would be beaten by his Father on what seems to be a regular basis; one day he in fact vowed to kill his Father one day when he gets older and stronger
  
• Mark's Dad was laid off and then while looking for another job was sent to jail for unemployment(only supposed to be gone for 4 weeks but didn't come back still in jail)

Biography Day Four

• Because of his Father in jail and his Mother unable to get a job permit Mark and his family
• were running out of food, then they ran out and they barely got anything to eat
  
• Soon his brother and sister got very sick, he was fine though for some reason
  
• The family actually skipped Christmas that year
  
• His Mum started to drink and was regularly drunk; she was angry in general
  
• His Mum became pregnant again (he had thought she had been sneaking food)
  
• His Granny came; paid the rent, gave money to take kids to hospital and for treatment bought them food and then had to leave again
  
• His Mum starts to clean houses for some rent
  They would search for food at the dump until Mark found a dead black baby wrapped up
  
• baby Maria was born
  
• Mark's father came back
  
• got a new pass but tough to get a job due to criminal record
  
• Mark had hallucinations from hunger
  
• Dad got his old job back
  
• Mark went to his first christian service (hosted by white men)
  
• Evangelists tried to force Christianity onto the people there.

Biography Day Five

• Father in jail again
  
• Mark started to beg for food
  
• his mum stopped him by telling him that his neighbours were witches trying to poisen and kill him
  
• His father came back
  
• He was destined to be the family sage b/c he had an "innie" and he was left handed
  
• went to get school papers sidetracked went to granny's
  
• Piel had been arrested for not having a pass (only 13 big for his age)
  
• Piel got a note saying he was still a student and not a legal adult yet
  
• Mark went for his papers again; this time the baas couldn't see them
  
• A month later went back on a friday (only open on Friday's)
  
• Had no birth certificate so he couldn't get the papers
  
• went to get birth certificate; no luck until a WHITE women helped them out
  
• mum told him that not all white people were bad
  
• going to start school-> thought that he didn't need it
  
• when he went to register it was a struggle b/c of Mark
  
• Dad and Mum fought, mum left a little but hurt from the fight
  
• the fight was b/c of him going to school; his dad didn't want him to but his mum registered him anyway
  
• Banned from church services
  
• The prices for everything went up
  
• dad still paid the same
  
• looking for new food sources found grasshoppers, worms, weeds, blood (until it was no longer free)
  
• getting angry at his dad for lack of food his friends dad's provided well for them why couldn't Marks
  
• His mother is pregnant again!
  
• hunger a constant in his life
  
• To ignore the hunger pains Mark started to play many sports whenever he could
  
• mark got the chance to money and eat all the food he could so he went for it he went inside a compound to a back room with 9 other boys. There were 8 men in there While the other boys rushed to eat Mark was hesitant
  
• even when offered food he refused he wanted to get out
  
• nothing had happened yet the boys were just eating the "free" food
  
• When the other people got naked Mark bolted from the compound as soon as he realized what was going on
  
• he vowed to tell no one about the occurrence at the compound even though the adults and police knew only they wouldn't do anything
  
• His family believed that every bad thing happened to them because of voodoo cast on them by a jealous neighbour
  
• Mum arrested for not having her pass in order
  
• back the next day released by a neighbour with proper passes
  
• his mum got them all baptised believing that God would help them with their troubles