
The Rooted Legacy of Can Themba
Featuring: Siphiwo Mahala. Facilitator: Zukiswa Wanner
Siphiwo Mahala is the writer of a biography: Can Themba: The Making and Breaking of the Intellectual Tsotsi (2022). Mahala’s biography gives insight into the life and writing of Can Themba (1924–1967), an iconic figure of the South African literary world and Drum journalist who died in exile
In conversation with Zukiswa Wanner, Mahala gives more insight into this rich and absorbing biography which claims to be the definitive history of a larger-than-life man who died too young. Siphiwo Mahala’s intensive and often fresh research features unprecedented archival access and interviews with Themba’s surviving colleagues and family.