Pictured are Prof Puleng Segalo (Head of Graduate Studies and Research, College of Human Sciences), James Ngcobo (Director of the play The Suitcase), and Natalia Molebatsi (Unisa Library).

In honor of celebrating Es’kia Mphahlele’s writing of The Suitcase, the Market Theatre in partnership with Unisa’s College of Human Sciences hosted a panel discussion facilitated by Natalia Molebatsi, Prof Puleng Segalo, Head of Graduate Studies and Research in the College, and James Ngcobo, Director of the play The Suitcase. The discussion interrogated the underlying subject matters that Mphahlele incorporated in his short story.

Ngcobo’s production of The Suitcase adapted from Mpahlele’s story captures the powerful story of black love, which he emphasised upon in the discussion by stating that we never see or show black people in love or intimate. It’s not by accident that stories about love were taken out of the classroom in the past. He said one of the things he loved about this story is that there are beautiful jewels within the story and Maphlahlele never mentions the word apartheid but rather showed it through descriptive scenes in the story.

Prof Segalo spoke on the difficulties of loving yourself when one is confronted with a certain image of what beauty is, which only shows the one side of what the story is. She further said the society would tell people what is exotic, savage and beauty and by doing so, it is taking away the encouragement of people loving themselves just the way they are. “A man's story is his steps and those who walk with him.”

Ngcobo travelled back in time and spoke proudly of how our grandmothers are encyclopedias of where our families come from and our history. Professor Segalo added that those important conversations with grandmothers should be taken to the classrooms because we need to know that part of our history in order to know how to move forward.

Directing the play with the passion of using it as a vehicle to tell the story of the past and the present, Ngcobo encouraged future writers and directors to have an obsession with their actors and understand them.

The Suitcase elaborated on the meaning of leaving behind loved ones at home in hope for a better life which cannot be guaranteed. The emotive display of humor, love and pain portrayed the journey that a black couple travelled in an unfamiliar environment with restrictions that were out of their control. It reminded the audience on the meaning and struggles of love in a trying time when black people were just faces. Mphahlele’s writing emphasised that within the pain that was experienced, there was joy and love that blossomed.

*By Nomshado Lubisi (CHS communications & marketing)