Rien n’indique ce qui se trouve derrière le portail de cette maison d’une rue tranquille de Soweto: des murs tapissés de livres du couloir à la cage d’escalier, à travers lesquels Thami Mazibuko, libraire du township, se fraye un chemin.
C’est la maison de son enfance. A cette époque, il ne possédait pas un seul ouvrage. A aujourd’hui 36 ans, il est à la tête de cette librairie-bibliothèque qu’il a créée à l’étage. Il a lancé l’affaire il y a quatre ans avec une trentaine de bouquins de sa collection personnelle, des centaines de dons ont suivi.
Les piles recèlent des best-sellers comme « Tout s’effondre » de l’écrivain nigérian Chinua Achebe et de trésors nationaux tels que « Mhudi » de Sol Plaatje, premier roman en anglais d’un Sud-Africain noir.
« Les livres permettent de vous glisser dans la peau d’un autre », explique à l’AFP l’homme au visage fin. « Je veux que les gens viennent ici et se laissent transporter ailleurs ».
Sorti de l’école, il avait quitté le township pour s’installer dans une banlieue alors blanche de Johannesburg. Il a vécu dans une maison remplie de bouquins avec des membres de sa famille artistes.
C’est là qu’il a développé un appétit insatiable pour la lecture, traînant ses livres jusque dans le club de reggae dont il était un habitué.
Il a petit à petit commencé une collection personnelle, qu’il a amenée avec lui en retournant s’installer dans le township de la banlieue de Johannesburg.
Certains, qui n’avaient pas de quoi s’offrir des livres, ont alors commencé à en emprunter un, puis deux. C’est ainsi qu’a commencé le Soweto Book Cafe.
Aujourd’hui, Thami Mazibuko vend des livres à ceux qui ont l’argent. Les autres peuvent s’abonner pour un peu plus de trois euros par an (50 rands) pour emprunter. Même si en réalité, il prête des bouquins à peu près à tous ceux qui le lui demandent.
« C’est une des raisons pour lesquelles j’ai créé cet endroit: l’alphabétisation et donner un accès aux livres et à l’information, un droit humain fondamental », revendique le passionné.
« Je ne sais pas lire »
Le Book Cafe accueille régulièrement un groupe de lecture d’une cinquantaine de jeunes, baptisé « La lecture c’est super cool ». Agés de quatre à seize ans, les plus grands font la lecture aux petits et le libraire les initie aussi à des jeux de société ou aux échecs.
Sindisiwe Zulu, 27 ans, a lancé l’idée au départ pour aider sa nièce en difficulté scolaire.
Cette dernière lui avait avoué: « je ne sais pas lire, je ne comprends rien, c’est pour ça que j’échoue ». Le cercle s’est ensuite élargi petit à petit.
Les petites librairies de quartier comme celles-ci ont connu un engouement pendant le confinement strict lié au Covid, qui a fermé les bibliothèques publiques pendant plus d’un an.
Une enquête a révélé il y a une dizaine d’année que Johannesburg comptait 1.020 librairies, soit seulement cinq de moins que Paris et bien plus que New York. La plupart regorgent d’ouvrages d’occasion, comme la librairie de Mazibuko. Lui aime particulièrement se concentrer sur la littérature africaine et organise parfois des lancements et des lectures.
Mais surtout, il offre un espace sûr dans le quartier: « Je viens ici faire mes devoirs, lire et me détendre », raconte Anele Ndlovu, 14 ans, une habituée. « C’est là que j’aime réfléchir à ce que je veux dans la vie », poursuit la jeune fille qui rêve de devenir trader.
Pour l’instant, elle est plongée dans un polar de Michael Connelly, mais ensuite elle lira « des livres qui apprennent la vie ».
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Founder of the Soweto Book Cafe, Thami Mazibuko, gestures in his home in Soweto on April 5, 2022. – In Thami Mazibuko’s childhood home, the 36-year-old has turned the upper level into a bookstore and library, seeded with 30 of his own books, now overflowing with hundreds of donations. After he finished school, he left Soweto and moved into the formerly white suburbs of Johannesburg, where he stayed with relatives who were artists, with a home full of books. He developed an insatiable appetite for reading, even bring books into the reggae club where liked to listen to music. When he decided to move back home, he brought his growing personal collection with him. So began the Soweto Book Cafe, officially founded in 2018. (Photo by EMMANUEL CROSET / AFP)
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Founder of the Soweto Book Cafe, Thami Mazibuko, pulls a book out of a bookshelf in his home in Soweto on April 5, 2022. – In Thami Mazibuko’s childhood home, the 36-year-old has turned the upper level into a bookstore and library, seeded with 30 of his own books, now overflowing with hundreds of donations. After he finished school, he left Soweto and moved into the formerly white suburbs of Johannesburg, where he stayed with relatives who were artists, with a home full of books. He developed an insatiable appetite for reading, even bring books into the reggae club where liked to listen to music. When he decided to move back home, he brought his growing personal collection with him. So began the Soweto Book Cafe, officially founded in 2018. (Photo by EMMANUEL CROSET / AFP)
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Thami Mazibuko,
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Anele Ndlovu, 14, one of the book club’s regular visitors, poses for a portrait at the Soweto Book Cafe in Soweto on April 5, 2022. – In Thami Mazibuko’s childhood home, the 36-year-old has turned the upper level into a bookstore and library, seeded with 30 of his own books, now overflowing with hundreds of donations. After he finished school, he left Soweto and moved into the formerly white suburbs of Johannesburg, where he stayed with relatives who were artists, with a home full of books. He developed an insatiable appetite for reading, even bring books into the reggae club where liked to listen to music. When he decided to move back home, he brought his growing personal collection with him. So began the Soweto Book Cafe, officially founded in 2018. (Photo by EMMANUEL CROSET / AFP)
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Founder of the Soweto Book Café, Thami Mazibuko, 36, walks up the stairs of his home in Soweto on April 5, 2022. – In Thami Mazibuko’s childhood home, the 36-year-old has turned the upper level into a bookstore and library, seeded with 30 of his own books, now overflowing with hundreds of donations. After he finished school, he left Soweto and moved into the formerly white suburbs of Johannesburg, where he stayed with relatives who were artists, with a home full of books. He developed an insatiable appetite for reading, even bring books into the reggae club where liked to listen to music. When he decided to move back home, he brought his growing personal collection with him. So began the Soweto Book Cafe, officially founded in 2018. (Photo by EMMANUEL CROSET / AFP)
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The founder of the Soweto Book Cafe, Thami Mazibuko, looks on in his home in Soweto on April 5, 2022. – In Thami Mazibuko’s childhood home, the 36-year-old has turned the upper level into a bookstore and library, seeded with 30 of his own books, now overflowing with hundreds of donations. After he finished school, he left Soweto and moved into the formerly white suburbs of Johannesburg, where he stayed with relatives who were artists, with a home full of books. He developed an insatiable appetite for reading, even bring books into the reggae club where liked to listen to music. When he decided to move back home, he brought his growing personal collection with him. So began the Soweto Book Cafe, officially founded in 2018. (Photo by EMMANUEL CROSET / AFP)
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Stacked books and paintings on the wall are seen at the Soweto Book Club in Soweto on April 5, 2022. – The Book Cafe also hosts a youth group, called Reading Is Super Cool, with 50 regular members from ages four to 16. Older kids read to younger ones, and Mazibuko teaches them board games like chess and go. Sindisiwe Zulu, 27, started the book club to help her niece get through school. (Photo by EMMANUEL CROSET / AFP)
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The founder of the Soweto Book Cafe, Thami Mazibuko (C), looks on in his home in Soweto on April 5, 2022. – In Thami Mazibuko’s childhood home, the 36-year-old has turned the upper level into a bookstore and library, seeded with 30 of his own books, now overflowing with hundreds of donations. After he finished school, he left Soweto and moved into the formerly white suburbs of Johannesburg, where he stayed with relatives who were artists, with a home full of books. He developed an insatiable appetite for reading, even bring books into the reggae club where liked to listen to music. When he decided to move back home, he brought his growing personal collection with him. So began the Soweto Book Cafe, officially founded in 2018. (Photo by EMMANUEL CROSET / AFP)
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Founder of the Soweto book club, Sindisiwe Zulu, poses for a portrait at the Soweto Book Cafe in Soweto on April 5, 2022. – The Book Cafe also hosts a youth group, called Reading Is Super Cool, with 50 regular members from ages four to 16. Older kids read to younger ones, and Mazibuko teaches them board games like chess and go. Sindisiwe Zulu, 27, started the book club to help her niece get through school. (Photo by EMMANUEL CROSET / AFP)
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Founder of the Soweto Book Cafe, Thami Mazibuko, gestures in his home in Soweto on April 5, 2022. – In Thami Mazibuko’s childhood home, the 36-year-old has turned the upper level into a bookstore and library, seeded with 30 of his own books, now overflowing with hundreds of donations. After he finished school, he left Soweto and moved into the formerly white suburbs of Johannesburg, where he stayed with relatives who were artists, with a home full of books. He developed an insatiable appetite for reading, even bring books into the reggae club where liked to listen to music. When he decided to move back home, he brought his growing personal collection with him. So began the Soweto Book Cafe, officially founded in 2018. (Photo by EMMANUEL CROSET / AFP)
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Founder of the Soweto Book Cafe, Thami Mazibuko, pulls a book out of a bookshelf in his home in Soweto on April 5, 2022. – In Thami Mazibuko’s childhood home, the 36-year-old has turned the upper level into a bookstore and library, seeded with 30 of his own books, now overflowing with hundreds of donations. After he finished school, he left Soweto and moved into the formerly white suburbs of Johannesburg, where he stayed with relatives who were artists, with a home full of books. He developed an insatiable appetite for reading, even bring books into the reggae club where liked to listen to music. When he decided to move back home, he brought his growing personal collection with him. So began the Soweto Book Cafe, officially founded in 2018. (Photo by EMMANUEL CROSET / AFP)
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Thami Mazibuko,
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Anele Ndlovu, 14, one of the book club’s regular visitors, poses for a portrait at the Soweto Book Cafe in Soweto on April 5, 2022. – In Thami Mazibuko’s childhood home, the 36-year-old has turned the upper level into a bookstore and library, seeded with 30 of his own books, now overflowing with hundreds of donations. After he finished school, he left Soweto and moved into the formerly white suburbs of Johannesburg, where he stayed with relatives who were artists, with a home full of books. He developed an insatiable appetite for reading, even bring books into the reggae club where liked to listen to music. When he decided to move back home, he brought his growing personal collection with him. So began the Soweto Book Cafe, officially founded in 2018. (Photo by EMMANUEL CROSET / AFP)
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Founder of the Soweto Book Café, Thami Mazibuko, 36, walks up the stairs of his home in Soweto on April 5, 2022. – In Thami Mazibuko’s childhood home, the 36-year-old has turned the upper level into a bookstore and library, seeded with 30 of his own books, now overflowing with hundreds of donations. After he finished school, he left Soweto and moved into the formerly white suburbs of Johannesburg, where he stayed with relatives who were artists, with a home full of books. He developed an insatiable appetite for reading, even bring books into the reggae club where liked to listen to music. When he decided to move back home, he brought his growing personal collection with him. So began the Soweto Book Cafe, officially founded in 2018. (Photo by EMMANUEL CROSET / AFP)
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The founder of the Soweto Book Cafe, Thami Mazibuko, looks on in his home in Soweto on April 5, 2022. – In Thami Mazibuko’s childhood home, the 36-year-old has turned the upper level into a bookstore and library, seeded with 30 of his own books, now overflowing with hundreds of donations. After he finished school, he left Soweto and moved into the formerly white suburbs of Johannesburg, where he stayed with relatives who were artists, with a home full of books. He developed an insatiable appetite for reading, even bring books into the reggae club where liked to listen to music. When he decided to move back home, he brought his growing personal collection with him. So began the Soweto Book Cafe, officially founded in 2018. (Photo by EMMANUEL CROSET / AFP)
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Stacked books and paintings on the wall are seen at the Soweto Book Club in Soweto on April 5, 2022. – The Book Cafe also hosts a youth group, called Reading Is Super Cool, with 50 regular members from ages four to 16. Older kids read to younger ones, and Mazibuko teaches them board games like chess and go. Sindisiwe Zulu, 27, started the book club to help her niece get through school. (Photo by EMMANUEL CROSET / AFP)
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The founder of the Soweto Book Cafe, Thami Mazibuko (C), looks on in his home in Soweto on April 5, 2022. – In Thami Mazibuko’s childhood home, the 36-year-old has turned the upper level into a bookstore and library, seeded with 30 of his own books, now overflowing with hundreds of donations. After he finished school, he left Soweto and moved into the formerly white suburbs of Johannesburg, where he stayed with relatives who were artists, with a home full of books. He developed an insatiable appetite for reading, even bring books into the reggae club where liked to listen to music. When he decided to move back home, he brought his growing personal collection with him. So began the Soweto Book Cafe, officially founded in 2018. (Photo by EMMANUEL CROSET / AFP)
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Founder of the Soweto book club, Sindisiwe Zulu, poses for a portrait at the Soweto Book Cafe in Soweto on April 5, 2022. – The Book Cafe also hosts a youth group, called Reading Is Super Cool, with 50 regular members from ages four to 16. Older kids read to younger ones, and Mazibuko teaches them board games like chess and go. Sindisiwe Zulu, 27, started the book club to help her niece get through school. (Photo by EMMANUEL CROSET / AFP)
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