Themba, Can (1924-1968), a black South African journalist, wrote short stories in English, setting them against the background of the urban life of South Africa under apartheid (enforced racial segregation). In his journalistic articles, he often presented the facts in a dramatized, impressionistic form, as though he were writing a short story.
In 1953, Themba emerged as a new writing talent when he won a short-story competition organized by the magazine Drum. His story was called “Mob Passion,” a tale similar to the English dramatist William Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet. It is set against interethnic fighting between the Basotho and Nguni peoples, in which a boy and a girl from rival sides fall in love with each other. The boy’s death prompts a lament that interethnic conflicts destroy humanity. As in later stories, Themba avoided stressing political issues, for which some critics regarded him as naive. He focused instead on the harsh and depressing effect of urban life in general on black South Africans at that time. Themba’s style is a mixture of lively wit and cynicism.
Before winning the competition, Themba had already had a story published by Drum, which was on its way to becoming a highly influential journal. He joined its staff as a reporter and eventually became its associate editor. He contributed several stories and opinion pieces to its pages. Among his short stories were Forbidden Love (1955), Nice Time Girl (1954), and Marta (1956). Themba’s work was banned by the South African government for several years. It was finally collected in two volumes, The Will to Die (1972), a collection of short stories, and The World of Can Themba (1985), a collection that includes his journalism, edited by Essop Patel.
Can Themba was born in Marabastad, Pretoria, South Africa. His full name was Daniel Canadoise Dorsay Themba. He attended the University of Fort Hare, Alice, now in Eastern Cape. He worked as a teacher and journalist. Before joining Drum in the 1950’s, he edited the magazine Africa and also worked on the weekly Golden City Post in Johannesburg. He later taught in various high schools in South Africa. In 1963, he moved to Swaziland (now called Eswatini) and continued teaching there until his death.
