Kim Karabo Makin - Satellite Activism

[00:00:02] Speaker A: We're planning, the three of us were planning what to do, how to ensure that culture becomes a weapon of struggle, and so on. At the same time, we're conscious that because we're fighting, we must create institutions which will make sure that our actions come before what we say. So that when we say we have acted, which means somehow we must find an underground. So we're discussing this with the Democrat asks the question, how are you going to take arts and culture underground? Are you going to say, Huma Sakella must play his trumpet underground? Are you going to say, gwangwa must play his strong bone underground? And of course, we were startled. We were very startled. It was a good question. Yes, a very good question. And we didn't have an answer to that. We said, go and think about it. And we thought about it and we realized, release culture. You know, there's got to be front and center, open space for itself, but underneath, we should then say, use those platforms. How do we prepare people to be disciplined, to be political, to learn how to organize, to create organizations? [00:01:30] Speaker B: There's a drain that from Mozambique, Angola, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Botswana. [00:02:18] Speaker C: As I attempt to reconcile a history of my hometown that was omitted from my upbringing, I question the extent to which context is informed by place versus people. In the case of Mehdu, I suppose this begs to investigate the extent to which its history was as its founders in exile. [00:03:11] Speaker D: So I would like to say, when people ask, how is exile? It is quiet here, but that is a lie or a half truth here. The bad things I once said about memory come back. Memory is a thin, red hot membrane on the brain. It vibrates all the time, makes sound, rings and chimes, and once, when overused, can shrivel like burning plastic. Do not ask me what life is for. Like memory, it is thin. It vibrates and can shrivel. And once, long ago, I believed some people who talked about life being birds flying freely, you see what memory can do. But listen. [00:04:05] Speaker A: It Africa, my Africa. From the sheer countries in the savannah del Fuer. Africa of the proud warriors in the ancestral suvannans. Africa that my grandmother sees on the banks of the far river. I've never known you, but my gaze is filled with your blood, your beautiful black blood spread over the fields. The blood of your sweats, that sweat from your eyebrow, the sweat of your labor, your eyebrow, your labor of slavery, the slavery of your children, the slobber knife when you kindled Africa, tell me, Africa, are you the back of bands? It lies down under the burden of humiliation. That trembling back full of red yes. Then a voice answered me with earnest quietness. You feel your son this strong, young, that too there beautifully around white with its flowers, the bitter tastes of medicine. All that. To Sara. [00:09:58] Speaker B: Apartheid is the creation of the west. You see, it is not a boer phenomenon. Or a purely a maverick phenomenon. Among some lost Afrikaans. [00:11:08] Speaker E: At the end of this week now we are feeling a little sad. Because for about a week. All the delegates who came here on behalf of the AMC and of Mehdu. Are people who are flung all over the world. We are refugees, exiles. We do not get an opportunity in our own country. To show our talent. And to express our love for our people and for our country. [00:11:40] Speaker A: Dear fellow artists. You came all the way from South Africa, or whatever corner in the world. To meet here and to discuss your cultural heritage. And to struggle as cultural workers. For a future democratic society. In which people are allowed to respect. [00:11:57] Speaker F: One another, to express, to see, to curate, to create, to probe, to collate, to study, to embrace, to subvert, to listen, to publish, to celebrate, to appreciate, to link, to going, to challenge, to educate, to honor, to remix, to experiment, to enrich, to counsel, to revolutionize, to communicate, to refine, to partner, to laugh, to contemplate, to provoke, to illuminate, to shrivel, to energize, to surrender, to synthesize, to question, to conceptualize, to agitate, to resuscitate, to substantiate, to navigate, to animate, to ready, make, to piss, take. To be continued. To acknowledge and applaud. Applaud. [00:13:17] Speaker A: SA. [00:13:58] Speaker G: We are very happy and also very proud that during this conference. There are alternative links between dutch artists, dutch artist organisations and the ANC have been established. It means that what happened during the last 30 years. The official cultural treaty between the Netherlands in South Africa. Has been broken down radically. And it has been broken down not because the government wanted it. It has been broken down because the artist organization themselves campaigned for it. And the solidarity movement. [00:14:34] Speaker B: That the doors of learning and culture shall be opened to all. We must be saved. And the only saving that there is is in the richness of the culture. And the means whereby this future richness of that culture can be attained. I don't think I need speak at any great length on this point. The very fact that the cultural accord has been broken, has been terminated. Indicates that through the efforts of the people of this country. This recognition has gone very far, has gone very deep. [00:15:54] Speaker A: Saul. Like. [00:18:59] Speaker H: I don't know. I think to isolate a country is also a problem. Because then you have no contact anymore. [00:19:06] Speaker A: No, you are not isolating the country. You are isolating the regime. It is simply tactical, you know. We are saying the people of South Africa should not have any kind of contact or exchange with the world. I'm saying the Bata regime does not have a right to have any contact with the world. If the world is human. [00:20:58] Speaker B: A new man is born. Do something to facilitate change in Africa. Do something to fling the dogs of folksmore and roman island prison wide open. Do something favourable for the exiles to return back home o Africa. Let all this be done before dawn, o peace loving South Africans. Let it be done before dawn. Do something to facilitate change in Africa. Do something to fling the doors of Baltimore and robben island peasant wide open. Do something favorable for the exiles to return back home o Africa. Let all this be done before dawn. All peace loving South Africans. Let it be done before dawn. Let it be dance before dawn. Let it be done before dawn. Let all this be done before dawn. All these loving South Africans. Let it be done before dawn. [00:23:15] Speaker I: But we did not. [00:23:45] Speaker A: Let down. [00:23:48] Speaker I: It's a lot you wanna but. [00:24:19] Speaker A: Consider what staggering memories frighten Anna bought the group that should agree. Perhaps I should just borrow the remembrance voice again, highlight carrot and say, you know, the real deal to have a home is not a favor. It.