Oh! South Africa,
Oh! The land of
mixed cultural heritage,
You ask,
What do I know about
South Africa?
I’ll tell you,
What I know about
South Africa,
Her walk to freedom,
A long walk it was,
I’ll tell you about apartheid,
A system that held
sway for years,
I’ll tell you about someone
who fought this monster,
Who was incarcerated
for two decades,
half a dozen and one,
I’ll tell you about her sisters,
Who joined in the fight
for freedom,
They sang songs,
They recited slogans,
They raised placards,
Until her voice was heard,
Until her oppressors,
Gave up their hold,
And freedom came through,
Oh! South Africa,
Where’s the Mandela jacket?
Why have you taken it off?
The great Mandiba,
Lived and taught us unity,
He taught us one love,
He enshrined brotherliness,
Oh! South Africa,
Why have you forgotten
this so soon?
He weeps over you,
Like a mother
in search of her lost child,
He asks,
Why have we forgotten
our first love?
Oh! South Africa,
Land of equal rights for all,
To doublespeak is law here,
Let’s no longer be silenced,
For freedom has been let loose,
Like a bird from a cage.
Thompson I. Emate is a graduate of University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria. His keen interest in creative writing particularly prose and poetry has seen him spend most of his leisure time writing these two. He has his poems, ”Foot Soldier” and “Lilies”, published in a youth magazine. He lives in Lagos, Nigeria.