Book Review: AGAINST THE ODDS: The Story of Rosina Sedibane Modiba: A Biography by Lorato Trok.



AGAINST THE ODDS: The Story of Rosina Sedibane Modiba: A Biography by Lorato Trok.

By Obakeng Jacobs.

“This book {AGAINST THE ODDS: The Story of Rosina Sedibane Modiba} comes at a time when patriarchy still plagues our society, where women are underrepresented in many fields” – Faith Chabalala (SOLOMON STAR)

AGAINST THE ODDS: The Story of Rosina Sedibane Modiba is a brilliant new book, published by Geko Publishing in 2019, about athletic sensation Rosina Sedibane Modiba who has been shrouded in absolute obscurity by either intent or ignorance.

  Written by Lorato Trok who is an acclaimed children’s books author and this book being her first biography for young adults. The book briefly describes the upbringing of a talented and fantastic athlete at the cusp of world athletic dominance to the sudden end of a career destined for great things at the height of South Africa’s rudimentary apartheid regime. Finally, it brings to the fore an important conversation of the inconsistencies, neglect and complete disregard by the post-apartheid government of heroines in sports of yesteryear and present.

Trok (2018) concedes that Rosina Sedibane Modiba’s story and contribution to South Africa’s athletics was not well known; and that there was limited literature coupled with her. It is further evidenced by Crystal Nkwana, a principal of Bathokwa Primary School, who was unaware of  who Rosina Sedibane Modiba  was at the Rosina Sedibane Modiba School Opening  in 2002, albeit the fact that Rosina was a teacher at her school. Perhaps that might explain the assumed difficulty of writing a biography with limited substance on the subject at your disposal.

 This biography, immersed in so much amazing literary prospects came short of biographical base and punch as it heavily relied on newspapers, journal and online sites sources.  Lorato’s depiction is succinct and unswerving, fastened too with known facts; however it flounders’s on shock and a push to the edge in revelations.

In all honesty this book is an important contribution to the South African biographical genre. It ushers in a more pointed gendered discussion on honour and historical narration in the current epoch across disciplines.

  Lorato Trok has charted a daunting endeavour by breaking away from her comfort zone which is children books to biography writing. She has succeeded in locating Rosina Sedibane Modiba at the apex of social discourse, agenda in sports and gendered biographical writing in South Africa.

The re-emergence of Rosina Sedibane Modiba’s story presently came about due to Lorato Trok’s visit to Bathokwa Primary School in Saulsville. Wherein, she was told about a phenomenal woman, Rosina Sedibane Modiba an H.O.D and sports coordinator at the school, whose story was little known despite her once being a beacon of hope, resistance and pride for black people during a dark period in South Africa’s history.

Lorato Trok’s journey and interest on the life of Rosina Sedibane Modiba started in earnest; it is during this period she made contact with the unknown heroine.  She was intrigued and drawn to the story of Rosina Sedibane Modiba because of her resilience, tenacity and fortitude in the face of all kinds of social vices such as apartheid, merciless patriarchy and societal expectations.

 There are partial similarities between the biographer and her subject; both of them are black women who have fought hard against their socio-economic conditions to make it in their respective fields. Lorato Trok being from Kuruman a small town in the arid Northern Cape with nothing but burning desire to be a scribe and contribute to the literature of South Africa. Thus it does qualify her to write on Rosina Sedibane Modiba as service to her and many other unknown heroines; and to correct the historical injustice done to her memory and legacy by the then and present government.

Rosina Sedibane Modiba in Trok’s book lacks even an ounce of mischief often associated with teenagers, “Rosina became the best known young track star in Atteridgville and in all of Pretoria”. One of the things that stand out from the book is the lack of appreciation or use of language and its concomitant significance.  A reader is denied engagement through the five senses, like smell and touch, as there is an absence of adjectival argot and too embracing imagery.

This brief contends that there is limited use of literary devices in description of moments in the life of the subject except in rare instances where “the stadium was a sea of white faces”. James Mokoka has been given too much voice in the story, not that one should negate his impact in Rosina’s life but it would have been ideal to have a limited discussion on or with him.

The heroine’s perfect behaviour and commitment solely to track is the envy of Vatican Nun or Buddhist Monk, a heretic of the 1970s sportsmanship. Although Trok did an outstanding job in telling Rosina Sedibane Modiba’ story in an uncomplicated and easily understandable manner (Chabalala, 2019)

AGAINST THE ODDS: The Story of Rosina Sedibane Modiba was Trok’s maiden work in biography, for that literature technicians and maniacs should give her space to breath, even find herself. According to Trok (2018), she wrote this story subsequent to a school being named after Rosina Sedibane Modiba with no detailed story behind it. Furthermore, to contribute to the correction of historical injustice done to her role, memory and legacy in the South African sports fraternity; as it is one of the many stories of gallant and valor black women being erased from memory.

Amidst the back and forth on the nitty gritties of the book, AGAINST THE ODDS: The Story of Rosina Sedibane Modiba is a biography for young readers which is firstly to orientate, preserve, and honour a magnificent athlete’s legacy. One who paved a way for many women athletes in South Africa, introduce children to outstanding people who are often not recognized in the mainstream biography writing and to draw valuable lessons from their lives and show how history always informs the present/future.

This book is highly recommended; it is an important contribution to the memory of one of the phenomenal black athletes this country has ever had.
Trok succeeded in shredding the shroud of Rosina Sedibane Modiba.

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Pula!

Obakeng Jacobs is a book seller at a mobile bookstore called Black Ink Books Saloon based in Jan Kempdorp, Transport Economist by training; he dabbles in book clubbing at Skema Biko Nights, social activism and often writes on anything of everything.
Let’s talk at obakengjacobs@yahoo.com.

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