MEDIA RELEASE
All Media
29 April 2009
The Lion of the East musical was commissioned by the Mpumalanga
Department of Culture, Sport and Recreation (DCSR) to
commemorate the popular potato boycott that happened in
Popular known as the The Lion of the East, Sibande was the man
who led the Potato Boycott of 1958, which crippled the
agricultural sector in the country. The main reason for the
boycott was to protest against the inhuman working conditions
that farm labourers were subjected to in Bethal and surrounding
areas, which were published in Drum Magazine by Ms Ruth First.
Sibande, who was one of the 156 Rivonia Trialists, died in
exile,
The musical is one of many projects assembled by DCSR to
preserve the province’s rich history and honour people who took
an active role in fighting for the rights of all South Africans
and helped to bring about democracy in the country. The
department has also unveiled a larger than life statue of the
late Sibande on 24 September 2008 in Bethal as part of its
efforts of honouring struggle heroes and also upgraded the
SYNOPSIS
The incredible story of the 1958 Potato Boycott is told through
human characters that demonstrate and depict a gripping tale on
stage in the form of a musical.
The audience is taken on a journey into the reality of the harsh
and oppressive past that workers were subjected to. The story
reflects the profound impact the boycott had on the personal
lives and social relations of people who worked on the farms.
The resilience of Sibande epitomizes heroism and visionary
leadership values of selflessness, compassion for the people and
focus on the goals and objectives of the struggle.
The use of story-tellers in the musical creates a deep
contextualization of the life of this struggle hero. Based on
real experiences shared by people who used to work on the farms,
the musical dramatizes the factual information in an effective
way that creates meaning and understanding of the life of
Sibande while not losing the historical facts of the potato
boycott. To enhance this context, the musical utilizes music,
dance and folklores of the 1950’s era.
The story is told by a fictional character, MaDlamini, who has
deep and authentic information regarding the early life of
Sibande. She tells it by looking at Sibande’s life and describes
the oppressive conditions under which they were subjected to by
white farmers in Bethal.
For More Information Contact: Sammy Mpatlanyane
(013) 766 5014
082 923 0550