After The War They Stayed

Dancing The Dance Drill, Fred Khumalo's novel about African men who decided to stay in Europe after the World War 2. 

Some soldiers stationed abroad do not go back home after the war. We know about Ukraine because it is an ideological war, but there are other wars in progress, elsewhere.

Heroes are ex-soldiers who return home and are knighted for bravery. There are no medals for men who did not go back to England, Scotland and Ireland after the two world wars. They remained behind for a variety of reasons.

Some married local women. Others saw the advantage of being white in Africa, Asia and Pacific, such as having servants, eating well, and houses with gardens after being born in apartment buildings in Europe.

Some soldiers also stayed behind because they did not want to return to government lies back home. We know about African Americans who remained in France for their safety and sanity.

They could be lynched in their army uniform in Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and other parts of the South. Being born black in the U.S. did not guarantee them full tenure of their lives, so they stayed.

France is also the main arena in Dancing the Death Drill, the novel by Fred Khumalo, a South African journalist, famous for historical novels. It is based on the sinking of SS Mendi, a warship. The author also weaves in friendship between African American and South African ex-soldiers that stayed behind in France.

The decision to stay after any war is a personal one, but realization that the way of life back home is not worth dying for, is the main reason why some soldiers never return to governments that told them to do their patriotic duty.

By: Nonqaba waka Msimang.