Ephraim Batana Tshabalala, who died in 1994 at the age of 84, was by all accounts a self-made millionaire with a modest upbringing and limited formal education.
“He named it Eyethu because he said, ‘now we have something that we can call our own as Africans’,” explains Sibongile Selaocwe . This was at the time when ownership of cinemas were associated with mainly Jewish and Indian proprietors.
“I remember an incident when one of the staff members used vulgar words unaware that he heard them. He reprimanded her and demanded that she wash her mouth with a toothpaste because it was filthy. A toothpaste and toothbrush were acquired from the grocery store at Baba’s expense. We were ordered to supervise the tooth-brushing ritual in the bathroom. It was hilarious.”amagwinya
It reflected Mshengu’s brand of humour. His first-born was named Dombolo, a reference to a dumpling – one of the favourite township food items sold in his shops. And while in the eyes of his detractors and the anti-apartheid movement he was branded"part of the system" by virtue of being a councillor in a government-created structure – the urban bantu councils – to the majority of Sowetans he was a caring father figure.
On Saturdays, there were three screenings that included one for children in the morning while on weekdays the main target audiences were older scholars. “They were charged half price and a certain percentage of the takings was donated to the schools involved to help with matters like uniform for children from needy families,” explains Mam’ Bongi.
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