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 Ngco...