James Whyle's Blog - Posts Tagged "apartheid"
An oral history interview on African LookBook
"...I was tried very briskly and absurdly and sent to the Mad Ward at Bloemfontein. Which was a wonderful place. There was no one who was mad in the Mad Ward at Bloemfontein; if you were mad, you went into the psychiatric hospital. The Mad Ward was just people who were very sane and didn't want to be in the Army.
Afterwards I wrote a play called “National Madness” which was the start of me being a writer and this line was in it: as I walked into the Mad Ward, I said, “What’s it like here?” and a guy said "Ek weet nie wat gaan hieraan nie, maar dis 'n helse sukses. “I have no idea what’s happening here, but it’s a huge success.” ‘Cause ya, they were the sanest people I’d met in a long time. Everyone knew this Army thing was complete bullshit and they wanted to get out.
AL: Was it actually called the Mad Ward?
JW: Yes, Ward Five, the Mad Ward in Bloemfontein. Ya, absolutely. It would hardly ever happen, but I remember once we went somewhere, we were marched along in our dressing gowns and things, and everyone would do it out of time on purpose and make it as ragged-assed and absurd as possible, cause we were mad! We had that advantage. [laughs]
AL: Could you leave when you wanted?
JW: Mad Ward? No, no, no..."
Full interview on African LookBook
Afterwards I wrote a play called “National Madness” which was the start of me being a writer and this line was in it: as I walked into the Mad Ward, I said, “What’s it like here?” and a guy said "Ek weet nie wat gaan hieraan nie, maar dis 'n helse sukses. “I have no idea what’s happening here, but it’s a huge success.” ‘Cause ya, they were the sanest people I’d met in a long time. Everyone knew this Army thing was complete bullshit and they wanted to get out.
AL: Was it actually called the Mad Ward?
JW: Yes, Ward Five, the Mad Ward in Bloemfontein. Ya, absolutely. It would hardly ever happen, but I remember once we went somewhere, we were marched along in our dressing gowns and things, and everyone would do it out of time on purpose and make it as ragged-assed and absurd as possible, cause we were mad! We had that advantage. [laughs]
AL: Could you leave when you wanted?
JW: Mad Ward? No, no, no..."
Full interview on African LookBook
