The first time I watched Sarafina! I was about 13 years old. In a neighbour’s dimly lit house, my friend and I had drawn the curtains to ‘hide’ as we watched something we were forbidden to. We sniffled and cried in the darkness for every violent act that was shown on screen. We cried when Crocodile, Sarafina’s boyfriend, was shot in the back. We cried when Miss Masembuko was captured and later murdered. At least we managed to laugh at a mischievous Sarafina when she went to visit her mother who worked as a househelp in a suburband we also sang along to some of the music.
Watching this movie earned me a beating from my mother who later found out and warned me against watching inappropriate material. This beating came on the heels of her finding me reading “Carcass for Hounds” by Meja Mwangi which fictionalises and iconizes the Mau Mau uprising. My foray into consuming resistance-themed film and literature was triggered by my social studies teacher who noticed my love for reading and gave me the book.
“And when you can, watch Sarafina.” he had whispered as an afterthought.
The combination of the film and the book confused me at my early age; more so because I could not understand why I was being punished for indulging in film and reading novels. There were no ‘bad’ scenes in both. I was more confused because I could not understand why a people fighting for their rights were so bad it warranted killing them. Sarafina was a teenager. Dedan a youth. They both wanted what was best for themselves, their country and future generations.. Their courage got them killed but also birthed something new and fearless. At least for a time.
The recent “Gen Z” protests took me back to these two mediums. It was like reliving Sarafina . At the beginning of the year, I took time to rewatch the film and most of the things that did not make sense to me then as a 13-year-old began to compute. Of course, these realisations were partly inspired by four years of high school where we studied literature set books for our English course. Studying the set books opened our eyes to how governments work. In most of the books, it’s the youth who become restive, agitated, and ultimately rise up. For instance, in Kifo Kisimani, it’s Mwelusi, a young man who galvanises his community against the oppressive Mutemi Bokono’s regime. Although he died, by his brother’s hand no less, the message was out and the people were ready to act on it.
Tuesday June 18th, 2024 will go down in history as the day Kenyan youth, comprising Gen Z and Millenials, took to the streets to protest an oppressive regime. Although the protests were sparked by the Finance Bill 2024 that was termed punitive by many, this was just a mere trigger. The youth were protesting unaddressed structural grievances.. They were rallying against joblessness, police brutality, and the kicker, punitive taxes in the Finance Bill. This was captured somewhat succinctly by an X user who posted, “Gen Z went hunting for a rabbit and instead caught a buffalo.” The demonstrations brought Kenya’s unattended inequities to the fore.. Members of Parliament in Kenya, for example, are some of the highest paid in the world, even before perks like health insurance and sitting allowances. The irony is that most of their constituents wallow in poverty as they flaunt their ill-gotten wealth – recording themselves while counting wads of cash, buying helicopters with taxpayer money and showing off their expensive watches. This is against a backdrop of failed systems; hospitals that don’t work, a government that does not pay its doctors and teachers well, among other issues.
Just like what happened in Sarafina!, the youth realised that they had no saviour. If you want change, then you must get it yourself. In a show of unity, fearlessness, and untold courage, the youth marched on June 18th and demanded for a better country. What was unprecedented in this protest was its turnout and its organic mobilisation that cut across class, ethnic and political lines . It’s like a wave had spread and everyone was speaking in the same language. From 20-year olds to 50-year-old mama mbogas, we were all decrying the same thing. We just want a better country. We want systems that work. And we are going to get it now. I must admit I was a bit sceptical on that Tuesday. I did not think it would unfold as it did. Also, it was the first time in a long while that I felt truly patriotic. Fighting for my country felt like the right thing to do. And for my mother to call and give me her blessing to go to the streets, it was an unforgettable time. I channelled my inner Sarafina, without the moves, and made my voice heard.
And for the lives lost, we shall continue, for it was not in vain. We remember Rex, Belinda, and all the others who have died and many who keep on forging on.
