GISBSON KENTE LECTURE REVIEW
Gisbson Kente Lecture Review
By Thami akaMbongo Manzana
Soweto Theatre – 28 February 2025
Let us begin with the truth.
The venue was not sold out, despite what was claimed on Soweto Theatre’s social media platforms. Optics matter. Integrity matters more.
The event was scheduled for 3pm. It started an hour later.
Some might argue that it was because of the Soweto Derby between Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs at FNB Stadium. But if that was the case, then it exposes a deeper problem — a miscalculation in programming.
Unless we were meant to miss the irony of hosting a lecture about the Father of Township Theatre at the same time as one of the biggest township sporting spectacles in the country.
Programming is political. Timing is intentional.
The Questions That Went Unanswered
In the build-up to the lecture, there was visible discomfort within the artistic community regarding the selection of Mbuyiseni Ndlozi as Guest Speaker.
When a photograph of Dr Ndlozi alongside James Ngcobo, Artistic Director of Joburg Theatres, began circulating, we at The Creative Passport did what responsible media should do — we asked questions.
Those questions were ignored.
We asked:
What is the thinking and vision behind the 2026 Gibson Kente Lecture, particularly in relation to the current cultural and social climate?
Who has been confirmed as the Guest Speaker for this year’s lecture, and what informed that choice?
What can audiences expect in terms of format, themes and outcomes — especially for young practitioners?
How does Soweto Theatre respond to the public commentary?
Will there be any staging, revivals, readings or reinterpretations of Gibson Kente’s work linked to the lecture?
Silence.
On 03 January 2026, we published an article titled “Legacy Is Not A Name” questioning what it truly means to honour Gibson Kente.
Because the real question was never just who speaks.
The real question was:
Does the lecture advance Kente’s ideological and artistic legacy — or does it merely borrow his name?
On Dr Mbuyiseni Ndlozi’s Presentation
Let me be clear.
Dr Ndlozi is educated. He is articulate. He is a powerful speaker.
This review is not an attack on him.
But it is a necessary interrogation of alignment.
In his lecture, Dr Ndlozi spoke extensively about Jesus Christ, drawing parallels that some may have grasped and others may have struggled to connect. He spoke highly of the era of Thabo Mbeki, emphasising the role of arts and culture during that presidency. He was critical of Jacob Zuma and the late Nathi Mthethwa.
Interestingly, during his biography reading, there was no mention of his role as a former Member of Parliament — the role through which many South Africans came to know and admire him. Yet his association with the Thabo Mbeki Foundation was highlighted.
These details matter because framing matters.
But here is the deeper issue:
The lecture was about Gibson Kente — the Father of Township Theatre.
Yet theatre itself felt peripheral.
Dr Ndlozi focused significantly on the SABC and cinema, even advocating for defending and protecting the SABC.
But one must ask:
Is it not the same SABC that once canned a Gibson Kente production?
If we are to defend institutions, must we not first interrogate how they have historically treated the very artists we claim to honour?
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The Spirit of Bra Gibs
I recently had the privilege of spending time with artists who worked closely with Bra Gibson Kente towards his final days. They spoke about his discipline. His political clarity. His courage. His UMRHABULO — that sacred rehearsal process rooted in community and accountability.
Listening to them, one realises that many township theatre-makers today have never been exposed to that living knowledge.
And sadly, the lecture did not bridge that gap.
Where were the artists who worked with him?
How many of them have stood on the stage named after him?
How many have been centred — not as audience members, but as knowledge holders?
If we conducted a case study, how many of Bra Gibs’ collaborators have meaningfully benefited from this annual lecture?
Legacy is not symbolism. Legacy is access.
The Theatre Itself
The state of theatre in Soweto is fragile. That is not an exaggeration. It is reality.
Some practitioners have argued that the entire Soweto Theatre should carry Gibson Kente’s name. Instead, one theatre within the complex bears it.
Fair enough.
But how many of his works have been staged there?
How many revivals?
How many readings?
How many reinterpretations by young township directors?
We have seen countless productions of Sarafina! by the late Mbongeni Ngema celebrated across major stages. And rightly so.
But where is the same institutional commitment to Gibson Kente’s repertoire?
If we are serious about honouring him, then stage his work. Fund his revivals. Give his surviving collaborators yearly access to that stage.
The Fear in the Room
Let us also be honest about something else.
Many artists were disappointed.
But artists survive through institutions. And institutions, unfortunately, have mastered the art of subtle silencing. If you criticise too loudly, doors close quietly.
So people clap. They smile. They network.
But privately, they ask the same questions.
Would Bra Gibs have wanted silence?
Or brutal honesty?
His work confronted power. It unsettled authority. It spoke directly to the lived experiences of Black communities.
This lecture did not.
It felt ceremonial.
And Gibson Kente was never ceremonial.
The Real Crisis
How do we advocate for more funding for the SABC while township theatre practitioners struggle to access the very theatre named after their father?
How do we speak of national cultural policy while local creative economies in Soweto are suffocating?
How do we honour a revolutionary theatre-maker without centring theatre?
These are not attacks.
They are necessary provocations.
A Challenge to Joburg Theatres
To Joburg Theatres and Soweto Theatre management:
Do better.
Honour Gibson Kente beyond an annual lecture.
Stage his plays.
Create residencies for township theatre-makers.
Invite his former collaborators to curate seasons.
Turn legacy into living practice.
Because if we are not careful, the Gibson Kente Lecture risks becoming an event about power — rather than a platform that challenges it.
And Bra Gibs did not build township theatre so that we could be comfortable.
He built it so that we could confront.
Truthfully.
Brutally.
Without fear.
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