"Even a footnote can be a tragic figure" - Demitrios (Dimitri) Tsafendas (1918-1999) as literêre karakter

Abstract

On 6 September 1966, former prime minister Hendrik F. Verwoerd was assassinated in parliament by Demitrios Tsafendas. Whilst two books were published on this subject (Scholtz, 1967 & Schoeman, 1975), the individual resonsible for this historical event disappeared from the public eye for more than three decades. During his appearance before the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, Tsafendas was reduced to a mere contextual component. A handful of people attended his funeral following deliberate efforts to keep this event too under wraps. Thirty two years later, Dutch author Henk van Woerden published the first biographical novel about Tsafendas – a work entitled A mouthful of glass (1998). As was the case with Tsafendas’s identity crisis, this book – and in particular the Afrikaans translation thereof by Antjie Krog (2000) – was received with much criticism and to date, uncertainty exists about how to categorise this mélange of truth and fiction. Two theatre productions based on Van Woerden’s publication followed in 2003 – both of which were performed and published (Krueger, 2003 & Sher, 2003). A number of references to Tsafendas subsequently appeared in various literary texts (amongst others Hirson, 2004 & 2011; Sher, 1995; Van Wyk, 1996; Vladislavić, 1989; Wicomb, 1987 & Winterbach, 1999). However, for the most part, both the person of Tsafendas and the events of 6 September 1996 have neither featured significantly in Afrikaans literature, nor in writings on historical events of the time. This investigation serves to determine whether literature and published history contribute more to a memory bank than history per se.

Die voormalige Eerste minister Hendrik F. Verwoerd is op 6 September 1966 deur Demitrios Tsafendas in die parlement vermoor. Twee boeke verskyn oor dié sluipmoordaanval (Scholtz, 1967 & Schoeman, 1975) maar die figuur verantwoordelik vir hierdie geskiedkundige gebeurtenis verdwyn vir meer as drie dekades grootliks uit die publieke oog. Voor die Waarheid- en versoeningskommissie word Tsafendas tot blote kontekstuele nota gereduseer en by sy begrafnis daag ’n handjie vol mense op nadat daar gepoog is om ook dié gebeurtenis uit die publieke oog te hou. Twee-en-dertig jaar later verskyn die eerste biografiese roman oor Tsafendas – Een mond vol glas (1998) deur die Nederlandse skrywer Henk van Woerden. Soos Tsafendas se identiteitskrisis word die boek, veral wat betref die Afrikaanse vertaling deur Antjie Krog (in 2000), besonder krities ontvang en is daar onduidelikheid oor hoe presies dié vermenging van feit en fiksie gekategoriseer moet word. Twee teaterstukke word op Van Woerden se publikasie gegrond én gepubliseer (Krueger, 2003 & Sher, 2003), en enkele verwysings na Tsafendas duik later in literêre tekste op (o.m. Hirson, 2004 & 2011; Sher, 1995; Van Wyk, 1996; Vladislavić, 1989; Wicomb, 1987 & Winterbach, 1999), maar grootliks vind Tsafendas én die gebeurtenis van 6 September 1966 (soos in die geskiedenis ook) besonder min neerslag in die Suid-Afrikaanse letterkunde. Hierdie ondersoek is daarop gemik om te bepaal of die literatuur en die boekgeskiedenis’n beter geheuebank as die geskiedenis kan wees.