AFRICAN DRAMA
ATHOL FUGARD: Sizwe Bansi is Dead.
Give an account of the preparations for Ford’s visit to the Assembly Plant.
Explanation
The preparation for the visit of Henry Ford to the Assembly Plant exposes the evils of racial discrimination and particularly the oppressive nature of the apartheid system of government in South Africa. Mr. Henry Ford is to visit the plant in order to commission the expansion of the car plant. Baas Bradley is the foreman. He does all within his power to see to it that the preparations for the visit of the plant proprietor does not fail.
First, there is a notice for all the workers informing them of Fords's visit and the preparations to be made. The next thing is Baas Bradley's instruction that there be a general cleaning. Styles recalls that during the general cleaning, -iot water with brushes and electric mops are used to wash the floors first, then the thick oil and dirt under the machines are washed. In no time the place is spotless "like you would have thought it had just been built".
The second stage of the preparation involves the painting and marking of safety precautions. This Styles says has not been done for the past five years. These safety precautions are marked in different colours of paint and translated into the native language of the black workers.
At the end of all the washing and painting, the workers are directed to have a hot shower so that they can look Jean and fresh. To do this, they are given soap and a towel each. The workers are clean to the point that they feel very embarrassed for being fresh because they are not used to it.
The next step in the preparation is the supply of new working tools to the workers. Styles observes that his tools needed replacement a year earlier but have not been replaced until now. New overalls are equally given to the workers to make them look as if they are always using new tools and overalls. Brand new fire proof aprons are also given :a them.
Armed with all these necessary tools, the workers are to get back to work, sing and pretend that they are sappy to be part of Mr. Ford's plant.
Styles is asked by Mr. Baas Bradley to translate these instructions to his fellow black workers. He mimicks Baas Bradley in a satirical manner and this adds to the humour of the play. Again, this further exposes the hypocrisy of the whites in South Africa. Through the translation too, the workers are told that the light will be slowed so that they can ,work and sing when Mr. Ford arrives. However, when the august visitor arrives, he does not even look at the plant nor the workers.