by Thabiso Tshowa “Hey, you, scrap boy! You’re dirtying our town,” said a teenage boy as he kicked my trolley, which tipped to its side so that all the scrap fell out. As I tried to pick them up, another one poured beer on my head. “Crawl back to whatever rat hole you...
Fiction & CNF
Irony of Life
by Yandisa Krobani Captain Mthethwa gazed at Mr Bhengu, seated on the opposite side of the table, where he could see both of the man’s arms. He looked blanky at the captain. The walls of the interrogation room were cream and dingy. Its claustrophobic atmosphere could...
In the foyer of the Market
by Brent Quinn. Excerpt from Fade to Black, a memoir of sorts. South Africa – the eve of our first democratic election. It’s an epistemic shift. The liberation heroes are free, and instantly we’re in a new country. Apartheid’s curse has lifted and miraculously,...
Extract from “The Birds know the postman”
by Mxolisi Nyezwa The room at Livingstone hospital where I was now detained felt completely weird and exceedingly cold as if we – the doctor with a lisp, my mother who stood or sat in a chair nearby, the ill looking nurse, and myself – were all trapped inside a big...
George
by Rory Kilalea. Rhodesia declared a unilateral declaration of Independence from Britain in 1965 to avoid black rule. A bush war erupted. Black freedom fighters attacked the white Rhodesian forces for control of the country. Men and women were enlisted. This story...
A Red-brown Dog Stands His Ground
by Frank Meintjies Even if you don’t like dogs, you would soon or eventually warm to Jack. With his distinctive colour, Jack stood out among neighbourhood dogs; his coat was reddish brown and the pupils of his eyes, though a deeper brown, had the same red tint. Jack...
The Silence of Roaring
by Warren Jeremy Rourke My thoughts are pooled on the young black girl that my personal assistant brought to my Edwardian hotel last night. I’m engrossed in the nuances of my memories of her when the convoy arrives at my gate to my private five-star game reserve....
These Aren’t Mine
By CL Farley Sean paces a tight circle in the bathroom. His legs jerk forward in a hurry to get nowhere, rushing through each stride like the arms of a metronome. It’s too cold to be barefoot on tiles but the discomfort distracts him from the large mirror. He can...
Weeds
by Mpumi Cilibe There were moments when I felt that Sissy was far stricter and harsher with me than with the rest of my siblings. But there were also times when I felt her tenderness seeping through the tough shell that encased the molten toffee that oozed out of her...
African Feeds
by David Kerr The stretcher bearers, too late, pull the blood-stained woman from the rubble. Garikayi closes the file, drags it into his Somalia folder, and mentally slots it alongside the Kenyan bombings. He feels the warmth of creative work rising. Yes, he is...