The Suit By Can Themba -

Themba writes about the shebeens, the jazz, and the close-knit neighbors. But the shadow of the impending forced removals looms large. Just as Philemon tries to control his wife by controlling the space of his home, the Apartheid government tried to control black bodies by bulldozing their homes. The personal tyranny of Philemon mirrors the political tyranny of the state. The story builds to a tragic crescendo. Matilda finally begs Philemon to end the charade. Relenting, he throws the suit out the window.

Instead of beating his wife or throwing the lover’s clothes away, Philemon devises a uniquely sadistic punishment. He forces Matilda to treat that suit as a living guest. She must set a place for it at the dinner table. She must talk to it. She must take it for walks. She must pour tea for it. the suit by can themba

There are stories that entertain us, and then there are stories that hold a mirror up to society so fiercely that the glass seems to crack. Can Themba’s The Suit —first published in the legendary Drum magazine in the 1950s—belongs to the latter category. Themba writes about the shebeens, the jazz, and

The lover flees through the window, leaving behind his expensive, tailor-made brown suit. The personal tyranny of Philemon mirrors the political

And here is the gut-punch. As neighbors gather to mourn, one of them asks, “What killed her?”

Philemon looks at the corpse, then at the empty chair, and whispers: