When Rain Clouds Gather by Bessie Head
This book is part of my required reading for the Unisa BA course that I’m busy with at time of writing, so please
forgive me if I go a little deeper with this review than my regular offerings.
Firstly, I need to look at the context in which this book was written. Bessie Head, the child of a white mother
and a black father, was born during a time in South Africa when interracial marriages were illegal, so she grew
up within a racially segregated country. She was also involved in the media as a journalist, which naturally made
her more outspoken and vulnerable to persecution due to her opinions, which were contrary to the
government of the time. Consequently, she went to live in Botswana in 1964 as a refugee rather than endure
the apartheid regime.
These issues lend authenticity to When the Rain Clouds Gather, as one of the primary characters, Makhaya, is a
South African insurgent who has fled to Botswana, where he plans to live in exile. He is caught in a social no
man’s land – a wanted man in South Africa, and unwanted by elements in Botswana.
In the novel, Head spends a lot of time examining the human condition, especially in the conflict that arises
between traditionalism, colonialism and the need for progressive thought. Botswana at the time is a land
administered by the British, but is still ruled by tribal chiefs. Great disparity exists between a wealthy elite (the
chiefs) and the common folk. There is little in the way of education, and people prefer to stick to their time-
honoured traditions as a way of life.
This in itself would not present much of a problem if it weren’t for the fact that the Botswanan countryside is in
the grips of a severe drought, and traditions have exacerbated issues such as soil erosion, which only compound
the people’s plight. Much of the novel is related to the discussion of agriculture, and people’s relationship with
the land and each other.
Head puts great stock in the powerful metaphor of water in this thirstland, from which the title of the book
derives.
“You may see no rivers on the ground but we keep the rivers inside us. that is why all good things and all good
people are called rain. Sometimes we see the rain clouds gather even though not a cloud appears in the sky. It is
all in our heart.”
People are central to this story – as agents of change and progress, as nurturers, and of course obstacles that
result in great evil.
Primary to the narrative is Makhaya, who is troubled, and whose faith in people has been damaged. When he
arrives at the village of Golema Mmidi, he is rootless and has no real plans going forward. He has a lot of
residual anger too, and an overwhelming feeling of helplessness, and of not being able to create the change
he’d like to see. We learn that he is a man who is dissatisfied with traditional values and who also has no great
love for authority figures (which is understandable, considering that he has fled South Africa).
Yet in the village, he encounters a white man, Gilbert, who has also rejected his home (Britain) for the life of a
pioneer in Africa. In the UK, Gilbert is stifled, forced to live according to social conventions. He is once again
coming up against tradition in Africa, yet he is a dreamer who sees boundless potential for prosperity, and here
he feels he is in a position to inspire those around him to strive for this brighter future.
Together, Makhaya and Gilbert work for a change for the better in the village, because they are able to think
outside the box and are also not afraid to try new methods when they see that the old ways aren’t working.
But we are also faced with the two chiefs. Paramount Chief Sekoto is not a bad man, though he enjoys the
many fruits of his powerful position. It is at his behest that the biggest decisions affecting his lands and his
people are made. For all his faults, he is a generous man, and he has a good relationship with the British
administrators and his own people. Although his younger brother Matenge is the opposite to him, that same
generosity of spirit sees him give Matenge the benefit of his doubt.
This book is part of my required reading for the Unisa BA course that I’m busy with at time of writing, so please
forgive me if I go a little deeper with this review than my regular offerings.
Firstly, I need to look at the context in which this book was written. Bessie Head, the child of a white mother
and a black father, was born during a time in South Africa when interracial marriages were illegal, so she grew
up within a racially segregated country. She was also involved in the media as a journalist, which naturally made
her more outspoken and vulnerable to persecution due to her opinions, which were contrary to the
government of the time. Consequently, she went to live in Botswana in 1964 as a refugee rather than endure
the apartheid regime.
These issues lend authenticity to When the Rain Clouds Gather, as one of the primary characters, Makhaya, is a
South African insurgent who has fled to Botswana, where he plans to live in exile. He is caught in a social no
man’s land – a wanted man in South Africa, and unwanted by elements in Botswana.
In the novel, Head spends a lot of time examining the human condition, especially in the conflict that arises
between traditionalism, colonialism and the need for progressive thought. Botswana at the time is a land
administered by the British, but is still ruled by tribal chiefs. Great disparity exists between a wealthy elite (the
chiefs) and the common folk. There is little in the way of education, and people prefer to stick to their time-
honoured traditions as a way of life.
This in itself would not present much of a problem if it weren’t for the fact that the Botswanan countryside is in
the grips of a severe drought, and traditions have exacerbated issues such as soil erosion, which only compound
the people’s plight. Much of the novel is related to the discussion of agriculture, and people’s relationship with
the land and each other.
Head puts great stock in the powerful metaphor of water in this thirstland, from which the title of the book
derives.
“You may see no rivers on the ground but we keep the rivers inside us. that is why all good things and all good
people are called rain. Sometimes we see the rain clouds gather even though not a cloud appears in the sky. It is
all in our heart.”
People are central to this story – as agents of change and progress, as nurturers, and of course obstacles that
result in great evil.
Primary to the narrative is Makhaya, who is troubled, and whose faith in people has been damaged. When he
arrives at the village of Golema Mmidi, he is rootless and has no real plans going forward. He has a lot of
residual anger too, and an overwhelming feeling of helplessness, and of not being able to create the change
he’d like to see. We learn that he is a man who is dissatisfied with traditional values and who also has no great
love for authority figures (which is understandable, considering that he has fled South Africa).
Yet in the village, he encounters a white man, Gilbert, who has also rejected his home (Britain) for the life of a
pioneer in Africa. In the UK, Gilbert is stifled, forced to live according to social conventions. He is once again
coming up against tradition in Africa, yet he is a dreamer who sees boundless potential for prosperity, and here
he feels he is in a position to inspire those around him to strive for this brighter future.
Together, Makhaya and Gilbert work for a change for the better in the village, because they are able to think
outside the box and are also not afraid to try new methods when they see that the old ways aren’t working.
But we are also faced with the two chiefs. Paramount Chief Sekoto is not a bad man, though he enjoys the
many fruits of his powerful position. It is at his behest that the biggest decisions affecting his lands and his
people are made. For all his faults, he is a generous man, and he has a good relationship with the British
administrators and his own people. Although his younger brother Matenge is the opposite to him, that same
generosity of spirit sees him give Matenge the benefit of his doubt.
