How Doc invented the devil and a monster

11 January 2007 - 02:00
By unknown
Sekola Sello  Pic:George Mashinini
Sekola Sello Pic:George Mashinini

Among his many attributes, Doc Bikitsha was a renowned inventor of fairy tales that turned into folk legends.

Among his many attributes, Doc Bikitsha was a renowned inventor of fairy tales that turned into folk legends.

Early in the 1960s he wrote about the Devil dropping from the heavens into the confines of Pretoria Zoo.

The townships were ablaze with the story and many a song was composed about Satane o wele ko Pitoria [Satan has descended on Pretoria].

Decades later, he would have a good chuckle about how he conned his way out of trouble by using his stories as a cover-up for getting drunk and going Awol.

Another classic of his was a story about a monster floating in the waters of the Vaal River - hence the popular "Vaal Monster" tag.

The stories raised the circulation of the newspapers Doc worked for - and his popularity. - Charles Mogale