‘We Remember’ : A Poem written In Honor of the Victims of Murambatsvina
By Dumisani O. Nkomo
(This poem was read by the author at the Commemorative Service held to honour the victims, by Churches in Bulawayo on Saturday May 20, 2006)
May 2005 we remember
2005 May we remember
May 2005 we reflect
We remember the razing and ravaging of homes
We reminisce on how poverty was criminalized
We reflect on how the poor were brutalized
Displaced, dislocated, dislodged, dismembered
Destroyed, devastated, damaged, defaced
Dehumanized, demonized, deflowered, demoralized
All because of “madisnyongoro”
May 2005 we remember the remnants of Ngozi Mine, the devastation of Killarney
We shall chronicle Village 4 Heany Junction
We shall Herald the story of the Bagdads in Victoria Falls
We shall not forget, we shall not revenge, we shall remember
Because we are the Mirror of society
Yes the Standard, the Independent Guardian of truth
The studio of justice, the Voice of the people
May 2005, we remember
Great darkness enveloped the nation
The great dawn of a magnificent era of independence was turned into a horrific error of the midnight of displacement and mass social dislocation
Our inspiring dream of housing for all became an endless nightmare of homelessness and helplessness
May 2005, the day became night
Zimbabwe became a massive refugee camp
Refugees in the land of our birth
Exiles in our homeland
May 2005 we remember
Zimbabwe land of promise, land of our fathers
You became a land of transit camps
Land of the displaced, land of misplaced leaders
From the dusty streets of Makokoba
To the crammed streets of Mbare
Zimbabwe you became land where
Being poor became a crime
Where making an honest living is now a punishable offence
A great darkness visited a land
And yes only when it is dark
Enough can we see the light
Only in darkness can we see the light
A light shone in the darkness
The light of churches of Bulawayo
The light of churches in Manicaland
The light of churches in Gweru
The light of churches in Victoria Falls
The light of churches in Harare
A great beacon of humanitarian agencies and churches
Lutheran, Catholic, Evangelical, Pentecostal, Anglican,
Yes for once we remember
How a common vision ended division
In order to bring provision
To God’s hungry, isolated and excluded
Yes we remember how churches
Remembered to love
Remembered that churches
Are not museums for saints but hospitals for sinners
Yes, for once we remember
How we remembered to clothe the naked
And to feed the hungry
Yes we remembered to be father
To the fatherless, friend to the widow
May 2005, Remember
They came with baton sticks,
With teargas, with clenched fists
And with outstretched boots
They came with armored cars,
With AK’s and FNs
But yes we remembered
That we wrestle not against flesh and blood
The children of God armed
Themselves not with swords, spears and guns
We armed ourselves with the weapons of love
We did not take up pistols, revolvers or rifles
We put on the breastplate of righteousness
We did not fight with stones or sticks
We armed ourselves with the shield of faith
We did not arm ourselves with tanks and missiles
We armed ourselves with the sword of the spirit
We did not arm ourselves with baton sticks and teargas
We armed ourselves with the belt of truth
We did not arm ourselves with the belt of truth
We did not arm ourselves with hatred and malice
We armed ourselves with the gospel of truth and the whole Armour of God
May 2005 we remember those no longer with us, those who have graduated to the Father
We remember those from Ngozi Mine and Killarney
What shall we say Baby Paradza, of Ernest Moyo of Macingwane
What shall we say of Smart Moyo, Margaret Tshabalala, Elias Mbedzi, Luke Mpofu, Thabani Jele ?
Where are they today ?
They lie dead and buried
But the truth can never be buried
But the truth can never be buried
Truth buried in the ground shall rise again
‘okulempondo akufihlwa’
We remember the unsung heroes of gospel
Amaqhawe e -Vangeli, o-Jeff Mkhwananzi,
OmfokatChatindo, okaNeta, uMdawini, ithole likaSibanda, OLucky Moyo, ibhabezi lako Motsi, ubaba uMlilo, okaNqindi, UGraham kaShaw, oMagedu, uGegani Ndlovu
Umfoka Manceda, okaShatayo
Izinyane lengwenyama u Pius ka Ncube
Lamanye amaqhawe lamaqhewekazi
They did not curse the darkness
They lit a candle
Do not fear
Those who are afraid are violent
Those who are afraid oppress the people
Yes, remember our God has established his throne,
He has not surrendered his throne
God reigns in power and wisdom
He reigns in justice and mercy
He reigns in grace and compassion
He reigns in righteousness and truth
Our God reigns in sovereignty
He reigns over the universe, over the cosmos, the galaxies
Yes our God reigns over Zimbabwe over Africa
Bayethe Nkosi yethu, Bayethe Nkosi yezizwe
Bayethe Simakade, Bayethe Nkosi yamaxuku
Bayethe Bhubesi, bayethe Ngwenyama !
June 27th, 2008 03:31
A wonderful poem. Poignant. Controlled anger born out of despair and love for our beautiful country and its people. I wrote these two myself.
BORN TO RULE
At the final whistle we were way behind:
we had stretched the rules as far as we could,
knowing that our supporters wouldn’t mind,
for our intentions were nothing but good.
There is no way we’ll accept the result
for we have never done anything but win.
We’ve always been an unstoppable cult
who have never had to take it on the chin.
We demand another few minutes more
so that we can knobble the opposition.
That way we can definitely ensure
the impossibility of concession.
For our football team is ZANU PF
and Robert Mugabe is the only ref!
REGAL REMATCH
At the kick off we were primed and ready:
we had completed all of our training.
We knew there was no chance of its raining
as our captain’s faith in God was steady.
It was He, he said, who had won the game
the last time we’d beaten our opponent
without skill or luck as a component;
so we can expect much more of the same.
Now our adversaries have all pulled out:
a result of maiming their supporters.
Their hopes and dreams all efficiently slain:
our preordained result beyond all doubt.
We won’t listen to all those reporters
who say we’ve destroyed democracy again!
Derek Fenton