SIPHO
THEMBA
THANDO
MANDISA
LUVUYO
Father to Thando
 Brother to Themba
 Assistant Librarian
 Wants to be Chief Librarian yet doesn’t
get the position- he is too old to get the
job but not too old to vote.
 Wanted to be a lawyer when he was
younger but not given the opportunity
because of racism.

Sipho is a librarian, a keeper of histories,
stories.
 He reveals the past, he wants his stories to
be heard, he wants the truth revealedabout Themba and about his sons death.
 He feels, even in death his brother is still
taking from him.
 He raised Thando as his own even though
she may be Themba’s daughter.
 Sipho is now father to both children.

His wire bus, Sipho’s father made him
give it to Themba, even though Themba
had many toys of his own- he went on to
destroy it by letting a bus run over it. It
meant nothing to Themba, but alot to
Sipho. Sipho says that Themba took it
only because it was Sipho’s.
 The wire bus is a symbol of care and
love- that Themba destroys.
 Sipho’s blazer.

Sipho’s university education- their father
could not pay for Sipho, but later on he
cashed in a life insurance to pay for
Themba to go to university.
 Sipho’s money- Sipho supported Themba
while he studied- he did a three year
course in four years and then did not get
a job afterwards.
 Their fathers love- Their father made it
very clear that Themba was his favourite.
He even blames Sipho when Themba goes
into “exile” saying he should have
stopped him.

Their fathers funeral- Themba turns this
solemn occasion into a political rally.
Delegates were the first to throw sand on
the coffin, Sipho and other relatives were
pushed to the back and given no priority.
 Luvuyo- Sipho blames Themba partly for
his sons death- because Sipho was trying
to be like Themba- a “hero”. Luvuyo and
Sipho had a fight just before Luvuyo left
for the funeral, Sipho didn’t want him to
go, he knew there would be trouble but
Luvuyo went anyway , saying “ Uncle
Themba is right, you are a coward”.

Sipho’s wife- Sipho walked in on his wife and
Themba in bed together. This is the last time
he sees either of them alive.
 His daughter- Thando is possibly Themba’s
child. Mandisa also wants Thando to go to
London with her- Sipho feels that in a way
Themba is still taking from him.
 Themba also took all the limelight, the glory
away from Sipho. Themba was the Struggle
Hero, everyone knows him and loves him.
Sipho feels dull and boring in comparison.
Themba confirms this by telling Mandisa that
Sipho is in fact “ dull”.

Sipho’s daughter ( Possibly)
 Interpreter at the TRC- Truth and
Reconciliation Commission.
 In Thando’s job she is a tool for the truth
to be told and heard- she is a way for
stories to be told.
 Within the family, she is also a tool for the
truth to be heard- Her need to know
causes Sipho to reveal all his knowledge.

Thando is representative of all the
children of those who stayed behind,
living in Post-Apartheid South Africa.
 It is through the character of Thando that
Kani is able to get his message across of
Reconciliation, because Thando
understands the need for the truth in
order to forgive and move forward, to
rebuild South African society.
 Thando is also very traditional. She insists
on adhering to traditional mourning
procedures. She respects her father,
looks after him and obeys him.
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Daughter of Themba.
Grew up in London
She is a mix of cultures- her mother is from the West
Indies, her father south African and she is raised in
London.
She is a fashion designer- like herself, Mandisa creates
new things- she takes elements from different cultures
and creates something different.
She is very modern, non-traditional. She has modern
morals and values.
Mandisa is a “catalyst”. By her arrival with Themba’s
ashes, her modern ideas and outspoken nature she
causes the action of the play to take place.
Society see Themba as the hero- a
Struggle activist who did a lot for the rise
of democracy.
 Local opinion is that he was a
charismatic leader who brought about
change and had to leave due to the
threat of being killed by apartheid
police.

Sipho says at the end of the play:
 That Themba never threw one stone at the
police.
 Never blew up one Police station.
 He called for stay-aways yet himself was
unemployed and was being supported by
Sipho.
 He supported the student school boycottyet he did not have a child at school.
 He called for consumer boycotts when he
knew who bought the food he ate.

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A member of the Workers Executive
Committee- yet never had a job.
Proposed rent boycott when he did not have
his own house.
That Themba left the country because of the
fact the Sipho found him sleeping with his wife.
Sipho represents the ordinary man on the
street” during apartheid… he didn’t get any
accolades from people yet he walked in the
protests in the hot sun and he worked to
support his family and thereby uplifted the
black nation.
SIPHO SAYS THAT THEMBA WAS A GREAT TALKER
WHO WAS ONLY AT THESE GATHERINGS
BECAUSE IT WAS HIS HUNTING GROUND FOR
OTHER PEOPLES WIVES.
REMEMBER MOST OF THE ‘BAD’ THINGS WE
HEAR ABOUT THEMBA, COMES FROM
SIPHO… THIS IS ONE PERSONS VERSION
OF EVENTS.
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Sipho is obviously angry at his brother for all
he has done to him during his life.
He is jealous of the love and attention
Themba received from their parents and
the community.
However- Sipho definitely LOVES Themba.
He says so in the play.
At the end of the play Sipho RECONCILES
with Themba, he admits that he was not the
cause of Luvuyo’s death.
Sipho forgives Themba and is able to move
forward.
Sipho admits that Themba was a
Struggle Hero to Mandisa at the end.
 He also admits that Themba would
have been killed by the police if he had
not left the country.

When people spoke at the TRC they ha to
swear to tell: THE WHOLE TRUTH AND
NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH.
 If they did this, then reconciliation could be
found, amnesty granted ( Possibly)
 In the house, Sipho reveals THE WHOLE
TRUTH AND NOTHING BIUT THE TRUTH, and it
is because he does this that he is eventually
able to forgive Themba, find reconciliation
and grants a type of “amnesty” for his
brother.
