Rian Malan en Pik Botha praat saam oor Angola, die weermag, die ANC en meer

by Claire on Jan 19th, 2010

Vroeër jare sou menigte mense heel waarskynlik twee keer gekyk het as hulle Pik Botha en Rian Malan saam sien rook het. Wie weet, miskien selfs vandag nog. Die twee was nou nie juis aan die selfde kant gewees tydens die Apartheidsjare nie. En tog, hier staan hulle en “reminice” langs die Muur van Herinnering.

Kirby van der Merwe het saam gekuier terwyl die twee teruggedink het oor daai jare en, verbasend tot dieselfde gevolgtrekkings gekom het oor baie wat gebeur het. Wys jou net – in retrospeksie kan dinge baie anders lyk. Lees meer oor hoe Rian destyds oor die Angola oorlog, kommunisme en die ANC gevoel het in My Traitor’s Heart. Sy nuutste boek is Resident Alien.

Pik Botha en Rian Malan was in die ou bedeling nie juis aan dieselfde kant van die politieke muur nie. Kirby van der Merwe het hulle gevat na mure wat in die nuwe Suid-Afrika al vir omstredenheid gesorg het.

Rian Malan is bekommerd oor sy lang hare. Oor wat sy ma in die aftree-oord in Parys in die Vrystaat daarvan gaan dink as hy soos ’n takhaar in die koerant verskyn. “Ek moet die goed laat sny,” sê hy terwyl hy die slierte met sy vingers kam.

Lees die volledige artikel in Die Burger

Boekbesonderhede

Resident Alien deur Rian Malan
Boektuisblad
EAN: 9781868423569
Find this book with BOOK Finder!

Scribd.com boekuittreksel:

Resident Alien

Laai dit nie? Kyk daarna in die Little White Bakkie eboekwinkel

My Traitor’s Heart deur Rian Malan
EAN: 9780099749004
Find this book with BOOK Finder!

Foto te dank aan Die Burger

Cats: Afrikaans, Biography, Non-fiction, Politics, South Africa
Tags: Afrikaans, Biography, Die Burger, English, Jonathan Ball, Kirby van der Merwe, My Traitor's Heart, Non-fiction, Pik Botha, Politics, Resident Alien, Rian Malan, South Africa, Vintage
Quick URL

« Anthea Jeffery Attacks the Goldstone Report(s)

Brent Meersman Interviews Ambassador Tony Leon »

Recent comments:

Ben - Editor
January 19th, 2010 @13:46 #

The photo here is just priceless.
Kathryn
January 19th, 2010 @14:07 #

"Vroeër jare sou menigte mense heel waarskynlik " what the crap-o could that line possibly mean!? maybe i shld've listened to Mej. Joubert and tried for more than an F. she said: "the whole world is Afrikaans Kate, without it, you won't be able to go into business". i sd "whateeeevvver".
Ben - Editor
January 19th, 2010 @14:12 #

"In previous years, many people would have looked twice if they saw Rian Malan and Pik Botha having a smoke together" - my rough, assisted translation :)
Kathryn
January 19th, 2010 @14:31 #

Hahaha! thnk u Ben.

was actually up til late last night rereading parts of Resident Alien. fun, easy, informative and contrary compilation. v nice.
Helen
January 19th, 2010 @16:53 #

That's a deeply hysterical photo -- the Brotherhood of the Weed. Pik's beret?!? And Rian using the wonderful untranslatable (sorry, Kitty) word "takhaar" to describe his appearance -- pretty accurately, too.
Megan
January 19th, 2010 @18:47 #

Die lewe is kak broer,kom ons rook en praat saam.
Where is my Afrikaans teacher now to slap me upside the head?
Very funny, love the beret!
Rustum Kozain
January 20th, 2010 @10:44 #

Vroeër jare sou menigte mense heel waarskynlik - "Previously/in previous years, many people most probably..."

Yeah, that's a weird, funny picture.

First half of article is also funny. Had to laugh at Penis Botha's coy 'Koot', which stands in for Afr. 'God', like 'jeepers' is euphemism for 'Jesus'.

But yeah, of course the politicians had no idea what Eugene de Kok was doing.

I've been reading Resident Alien. I admire Malan's dogged persistence in the AIDS pieces and, more satisfactorily, in "In the Jungle". But there's a weird mutant sensibility that I just don't trust: the hound-dog mixed with an opportunistically constructed naivete. Cheap irony.

I also happen to have been dipping into "20 Years of Rolling Stone" (1987), which has two Hunter S. Thompson pieces. Malan's got nothing on him.

I had a collection of Thompson; can't remember the title, but the cover pic was of him and his beloved magnum, out shooting ghosts in the snow of Colorado. Anyone out there borrowed it? Like I think in 1994? You can still return it. This library never closes.
Annette
January 20th, 2010 @13:44 #

Oh my word, I used to think Rian Malan was good looking. Jislaaik, my bad. (Another comment of great literary value!) And I didn't realise old uncle Pik was still around, I remember how he used to always hover around in every Nat picture or broadcast, like an old vulture... "but what about the Aborigines?"
ar
January 20th, 2010 @13:52 #

Rustum lives! And the beard/book/cooking update?

Annette, Rian IS good looking ok? Specially with his hat and his guitar and his skew tie.
Helen
January 20th, 2010 @13:57 #

Oops, I forgot to update you on Rustum. No beard, just rather handsome designer stubble. I can't tell you about the book or the cook, because we, er, *mumbles* mostly talked about cats. Or I did. *hangs head*.

I think it was the fragrance of tobacco that lured R from his lair...
Rustum Kozain
January 20th, 2010 @15:30 #

I am indeed alive. Trying to scrub the detritus of too much blues, whisky, cigarettes, the system, off my tired hide.

But, Helen, it's er the naughty steps for you, I'm afraid. Netiquette dictates no reporting on private movements, activities or cosmetic details of other individuals. <looks around in mock paranoia>
ar
January 20th, 2010 @16:47 #

No need to be coy about the stubble, Rustum. We all have some I’m sure. *Rubs chin to check. Yes. What?!? Has Fiona been right all along? Oh god have I been living a lie?*

Nudging the thread vaguely back towards its topic though (as untraditional as that may be in these parts): Nobody could mistake Rian for Rustum, because Rian would never try and scrub that sort of detritus off. It’s patina, not detritus, anyway.
Rustum Kozain
January 20th, 2010 @16:56 #

Patina indeed. I was misquoting something and couldn't remember 'patina'. But I was misquoting a private note... Have you been at the controls again?

Regards
Thread-drifter
ar
January 20th, 2010 @17:04 #

Have I been at the controls again? No! Fie! Not 'til the Boeing goes over.
Helen
January 20th, 2010 @20:07 #

Can I get off the naughty step if I say I'm sorry? I plead ignorance of this chapter of Netiquette (although it makes sense), but I did promise AR I would report on you. She (he???) was asking after you. Or was that Richard? They suspected you of going away to grow a beard. I think you were in your submarine.