History & Culture of English-speaking Countries 2

Tutorials on Southern Africa

Tutorial worksheet 3

Mtutuzeli Matshoba. "Three Days in the Land of Dying Illusion"

1. Where is the writer going? How is he travelling?

2. What has been the effect of the radio on rural Black South Africans?

3. Who are "godukas?" (144)

4. Who are "shebeen queens?" (145)

5. On travelling through the landscape south of Bloemfontein, what is the writer reminded of? (147-150)

6. What is the writer’s attitude towards history? (150-151)

7. Why does the writer prefer city-life to country-life? (151)

8. "We’re being blackmailed into slavery by the children they give us." (155) How is the speaker "blackmailed" and how does this relate to South Africa’s system of migrant labour?

9. What is the Xhosa woman’s attitude towards the fate of Xhosa men under apartheid? (155)

10. What is the writer’s first impression of the Transkei? (158-159)

11. What makes the writer think about the past? (161) Why does the writer reflect on his own sexuality?

12. "There is only one ‘product’ that they can export, and that is illicit in most parts of the world." (161) What is the ‘product’ referred to, do you think?

13. Why does the writer think about Nongqawusa when the bus reaches Umtata?

14. " … they must substantiate their praises with lobola." (167) What is lobola?

15. Why does Nongqawusa call on Makanda (Nxele) to return? (169)

16. What do Nongqawusa’s voices tell her must be done in order to save the Xhosa nation? (170-171)

17. Mhlakaza says: "The cattle are the race." (177) What does he mean by that?

18. According to the writer, why were there so many "colourfully-dressed young women" (179) in Umtata?

19. What is the writer’s chief doubt about the "independent bantustan of the Transkei?"

20. Why is the writer pleased to leave the Transkei? Why does he refer to it as "the Land of Dying Illusion?"