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1954

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 June 2019

David Attwell
Affiliation:
University of York
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Summary

Johannesburg

3 July 1954

My dear Pat,

Sorry I couldn't send this earlier: as soon as I arrived home I was seized by almost incurable laziness. I feel triumphant about having got over it.

The deaf and dumb post isn't going so well because the Dept. insist on having someone with a social work diploma, my experience with the deaf and dumb notwithstanding. Still, I am looking around for something: as long as it will be something permanent, more or less. This shifting about I've been doing for the last 2 years must come to a stop. But I can't think of coming back to Basutoland without my family, which is out of the question at present.

I hope you will find this satisfactory (the translation). If I may say so, I find it a little on the ‘intellectual’ side, Still, perhaps it is as it should be, being an introductory number. My impulsive reaction tells me the man-in-the-street wouldn't care tuppence whether or not the Liberals won or lost in the provincial council elections: the Liberals couldn't be that important!

Best regards to you and the family, especially to Mrs Duncan

Yours sincerely,

Ezeke

Johannesburg

5 August 1954

Dear Pat

I received a long letter from Sir Allen1, replying to mine. He accepts almost the whole scheme as I have explained. He thinks however that it would be best for me

  • (a) to trade on my own account in order to avoid the possible accusation that I am poaching on the preserves of other booksellers locally;

  • (b) to hire a van for a trial period of 6 months instead of expending capital at this stage – he is prepared to finance such hire provided it is not unduly high;

  • (c) to work on a return or sale basis to save me capital outlay, which means he would supply me with books and I would be responsible for the payment of only those I shall have sold. (I expect my gain would be from the sale per book, I don't know much about these things.)

  • I think myself it would be an admirable basis to work on. I have two worries: where to hire such a van and the procuring of a commercial licence, although I don't know if the latter is really indispensable – what do you think about these two points?

    Type
    Chapter
    Information
    Bury Me at the Marketplace
    Es'kia Mphahlele and Company: Letters 1943-2006
    , pp. 46 - 54
    Publisher: Wits University Press
    Print publication year: 2009

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