Hunger eats a man, by Nkosinathi Sithole

Hunger eats a man, by Nkosinathi Sithole. Penguin Random House South Africa. Cape Town, South Africa 2015. ISBN 9780143538967 / ISBN 978-0-14-353896-7

Nkosinathi Sithole's novel Hunger eats a man is poetic, funny and highly relevant, highlighing the ongoing plight of many rural South Africans and the power of a community working together to bring about change.

Priest clears his throat and says, "I think here in Ndlalidlindoda it has been winter for many years now." He sounds excited by his observation. MaDuma does not honour his introspection by raising her head as she answers, "You are hungry" "Exactly! We all have been hungry for many years and that is winter." MaDuma is greatly annoyed by her husbands asinine talk. She removes her eye-glasses and confronts him. "Get out!" she roars. "Don t bring your hunger to me. I've got my own problems!" But later she calls him from where he is sitting outside and leaves a tray with his food on the coffee table. The food is served on a green-and-white plate and another identical one is used to cover it. Next to the covered plate his wife has placed a glass of water. Priest does not have to lift the covering plate to know that his food is pap and potatoes. For a long time now he has eaten pap and potatoes with his family. The taste of the food, or the absence of it, does not matter. It is better to have pap and potatoes than to have nothing. As Priest is chewing his disagreeable food, he hears a soft voice speaking to him: "Father, the principal said we should bring R50 to school" The voice is Sandiles, Priests son of fifteen. He is, according to his father, a cute young boy who takes after him in being smart. Priest loves his son very much. But right now, just when he is hungry but cannot eat what is supposed to be his food, just when he is depressed, this boy tells him that he should miraculously have R50 to send to school. No! This is not his son! He glances at the boy and sees a ghost or devil who has come to tempt him. Priest is angered by this devil in front of him. But his anger is contained when he recalls a day when, as a young boy, he was crying for food and his mother asked him if he thought that by giving birth to him, she could give birth to the food as well. "He said they need the money to pay the privately paid teachers and the security guards," Sandile continues. This makes Priest even angrier. The principal is now at the receiving end of his anger. The idiot! He will go to him right now! Priest looks at the ticking clock on the wall and decides that it is late, the principal will have gone home already. He seems ready to spit or swear, but then changes his mind when he sees the picture of Jesus hanging next to the clock, looking directly at him. For a moment he closes his eyes and says a short prayer. But his rage is too much for him, so he explodes, "This principal of yours is crazy! Where does he expect us to get the money from? Doesn't he know that there is no work? Even if we did have work, does he think we could give our money away to be wasted?" Sandile looks at his father and thanks God that he does not have his black complexion. "But, Father-" "No, my son. They will not eat my money. Let them do that to the fools." As Priest finishes speaking, Sandile waits, confused. [...]

This is an excerpt from the novel Hunger eats a man, by Nkosinathi Sithole.

Title: Hunger eats a man
Author: Nkosinathi Sithole
Genre: Novel
Publisher: Penguin Random House South Africa
Cape Town, South Africa 2015
ISBN 9780143538967 / ISBN 978-0-14-353896-7
Softcover, 15 x 23 cm, 184 pages