Welcome to Our Hillbrow

by

Phaswane Mpe

Tshepo is the son of Piet and a woman from Tiragalong. He grows up in Tiragalong and is the first person to leave the village and go to university in Johannesburg. The people of Tiragalong are very impressed with Tshepo, and he’s something of a village celebrity (he was Refentše’s idol) before he’s struck by lightning and dies. Tshepo’s mother dies of grief immediately afterward. A bone thrower blames Tshepo’s neighbor for his death, and the people from the village murder her. Tshepo, his mother, and Piet (who was killed when Tshepo was too young to really know him) all reunite in heaven after their deaths.
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Tshepo Character Timeline in Welcome to Our Hillbrow

The timeline below shows where the character Tshepo appears in Welcome to Our Hillbrow. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 2 
Regret and Redemption Theme Icon
Prejudice and Ignorance  Theme Icon
Storytelling Theme Icon
...revealed that Lerato’s father, Piet, was also the father of a beloved boy from Tiragalong, Tshepo. Tshepo was the very first Tiragalong child to study at the University of Witwatersrand, and... (full context)
Chapter 3
Regret and Redemption Theme Icon
Prejudice and Ignorance  Theme Icon
...to toe. Then, she gently smiles. She says she sees the resemblance between Lerato and Tshepo, and this pleases her, and she says she believes that they have the same father.... (full context)
Storytelling Theme Icon
...famous—or notorious” in the area. This man helps “sniff out” the old woman responsible for Tshepo’s lightning strike (though it isn’t until afterwards that the village people realize he’s wrong). (full context)