Unscrupulous acts and schemes
Seem unstoppable in the Republic
White lies and rands,
It seems;
Flagrantly fly around
And with chance granted,
They all disappear like a fart
In a Bishop’s ropes-
Not to be seen by the naked eyes
Of the people.
Is the state captured?
Rands do not reach the palms
Of the people.
But with chance granted
And sums not adding up,
They develop legs and wings;
To walk and fly out
Of the Republic-
Only to reach, in no time,
Swiss accounts and Dubai,
With no account
To the people.
Billions disappear,
And only appear
To grease the palms
Of investors and politicians
Who imbibe far too much of Machiavellianism
And far too less
Of the Psalms in the bible.
Is the state captured?
What of the future of the Republic?
When that is of the Republic
Is misappropriated by the selected few?
Who are not of the Republic?
But, notable
What is of the people?
In earnest
Rhetoric and realpolitik are marshalled
In the Republic,
To dispute and disrespect
The will of the people;
Who grapple
With the raging tempest
Of corruption.
Bureaucracy and state machinery
Are all marshalled
To cage the soul of the Republic
To an Armageddon nest.
The state is captured!
So goes the claim.
Will Zondo prove or disprove the claim?
The nation’s psyche is fractured!
Hopes and aspirations are shattered
And sadly,
The Will of the People is dishonoured!
The State is critical but stable
And sadly,
Unscrupulous acts and schemes
Continue unabated in the Republic
And the only hope for the people
Remains the silver-lining
To be brought about
By winds of political change
Thembani is a Cape Town-based researcher and published academic author. Thembani enjoys writing poetry when he finds the time or when time finds him. Some of his poems have been published online by the reputable online poetry publication- the poetry potion (www.poetrypotion.com)