Asithandile Gxumisa's Public Diary

If the mountains of Olympus were the seat of the gods of Greece, then the valleys of Thembuland are the seat of the paladins of Africa. For in Cofimvaba of that great realm was born Mr Hani, a giant among pygmies. His comrade-in-arms, Mr Mandela, was also a native of that ancient land, though not exactly his neighbour. An old river runs through Mr Hani's place of birth, and it is from its fascinating name that his village gets its beautiful name. "Cofi" is a Xhosa word that means "to froth", and "mvaba" is a goatskin bag for milk. This river, after a downpour, is said to swell up and froth like a milk-bag. Mr Hani was among three lucky children of his mother who survived death at infancy; the other three were not so lucky. Still, the lot of the latter three was better than the fate of countless children who are today crushed by the scalpel of the humanitarian doctor in the womb. Lucky? I think that Mr Hani's escape was more the work of Provi...