Cecil John Rhodes: British Empire Hitman

It is the 2020s in unfriendly and disengaged Philipi, one of Cape Town’s youngest townships with no more than forty years of history. A visibly tired and sluggish Mama Priscilla (Nambitha Mpumlwana) who doubles as the show’s narrator and a domestic helper with over forty years of experience, opens up her house and life to the audience.

Central to European colonial conquest which laid the foundation for white settler colonialism in ‘conqueror South Africa’(Ramose 2018) since 1652 is the violent dispossession of the land of the Indigenous people by European conquerors.

This review is not merely about the personal dance of words but highlights the moral obligation to present the work plainly, acknowledging its demand for a high standard. Trevor Lynch’s enthralling performance, Billy Langa's genuine reaction, and Mahlatsi Mokgonyana's heartfelt direction are notable mentions that enhance the narrative.

The production tells the story of the community of Ha Satane, a fictional township plagued by unemployment, poverty, and crime. Salvation seems to come in the form of a new priest, whose charm masks his sinister motives.

The same people who revel in citing philosophical, political, religious, and intellectual traditions from Europe, Asia, and so forth that are named after people are likely to cringe, frown, and fret if one were to choose to refer to the philosophical and political thought of the outstanding philosopher-kings Mohlomi and Moshoeshoe by the names of these philosopher-kings.

"My father had complete confidence in the intellectual and administrative superiority of the White man. He was convinced that, come what will, these would see him safely through all trouble.