“I might not be South African, but…” : a poem against xenophobia
Nana just left this poem, attributed only to ‘A Black African’ [Update - the poet, Deejay, swung by the comments], in a comment on our post about the xenophobic violence in South Africa. You can share it with others by clicking the ‘Share This’ link at the end of this post, then selecting the ‘Email’ tab.
Xenophobic Cry
I might not be a South African
But I’m black; my skin is the same as yours
My colour is the same as yours
My genes are African, nothing but African
When your leaders were beaten by whites
I was there to shelter them
I was patient with them
I offered them food, shelter,
Most of all, I offered them protection
I might be a South AfricanI can’t speak Zulu, cause I’m Vhenda
I can’t speak Zulu, cause I’m Shangaan
I don’t know what an elbow is in Zulu
As much as you don’t know it in my language
Since when was Zulu the only South African language?
Yes……………I’m not from Gauteng
I was not born here, but I’m South AfricanWhere should I go if you beat me
I’m not beating your father, mother, brother or sister who works at my area in the mines
I’m not calling them makwerekwere though they can’t speak my language.I might be dark in complexion
I might have the foreigner’s looks
I might have the foreigner’s body structure
Now I am scared to go to the only place that I call home
I’m scared of working down the street without my ID
Whites wanted me to do that century ago
Now you, my black brother is acting whiteWhy should you Black South Africans do this?
What makes you think that you better than me?
Who told you that I’m responsible for your unemployment?
Who told you that I’m less human?
If I need to go back to Vhenda……..let all the Zulus go back to KZN
Let all the Tswana’s go back to Botswana
Let all the Sotho’s go back to Lesotho
Let all the Ndebele’s go back to Kwandebele
Let all the Xhosa’s go back to Eastern Cape
Yes…………let all the Swati’s go back to SwazilandIs this not ignorance?
Your unemployment is your responsibility
Use your intellect
Get up and work
Let education empower you
Seek humanityBefore 1994 you blamed whites
Now you are blaming me
Who are you going to blame after chasing me away?
Who are you going to blame after killing me?For what it’s worth………………….
I’m sorry I was not born here
I’m sorry I can’t speak Zulu
I’m sorry for being too dark for your Joburg
I’m sorry for cleaning the toilets you don’t want to clean
I’m sorry for doing your garden
I’m sorry for repairing your shoes
I’m sorry for protecting your leaders while they were in Exile
Yes…………………what you call Exile………..is my country
And most of all…….I’m sorry for building South African infrastructurePlease my brothers let there be peace and prosperity amongst black African people.
Written by a Black African …………………Deejay
May 23rd, 2008 15:30
Hi Guys
Just to let you know that I am the Author of the poem and am glad it has reached this far.
Please refrain from publishing it without mentioning my name “Deejay” or without my concern.
Regards
Deejay - The Author (Xenophobic Cry)
http://splakaveli.blogspot.com/
May 23rd, 2008 17:55
Hi Deejay and Sokwanele
Sorry about the mix up. I received your poem from a friend through email. It expressed so many things that I have been feeling and wondering about. Thank you for letting us keep it on the blog. I hope to read more of your work - it moves.
Nana
May 23rd, 2008 20:12
BRILLIANT…AND THE TRUTH TOO !!
May 23rd, 2008 20:59
WeLL..
Im a young African that is now living very far away from my origins. I might not be black, but i grew up in a black society, and in some ways i consider myself more black than many Africans. I somehow feel sorry for Africa.
We make so many mistakes, and it seems we dont learn enough from them, not to repeat them. Its a shame what we are doing to ourselves.
This poem brings up locked feelings…feelings left from racism. Do you not think that it is hard leaving your Family in your country to find a job, and having to put up with likes and dislikes of local neighbours? Is it not hard to work at low rank jobs, though i know i could be doing something much better in my land although gaining smaller amounts? These people work themselves out, everyday, they sweep our streets and take care of our kids, they cook for our husbands and build our houses.
Dont hate.
May 23rd, 2008 21:44
To the press I would like to say the events in South Africa offer a big challenge for investigative reporting where you should go and find out who is behing this . In my opinion ZANU PF/Mugabe has a hand. I might be wrong! Judging by the images we are seing on TV, I don’t think the people we see have the capaability to organise themselves to do that. Again I might be wrong. Or is it the SA govt behing this? For if they were doing it by themselves, surely we police would have acted decicively. Why are they being treated with kid gloves???
Having said this do these thugs expect other countries to do the same? Our neighbours here in Mabvuku are South Africas!
This is Barbarism at its worst!
Sokwanele!
May 23rd, 2008 22:34
Thank you for sharing this powerful poem.
May 24th, 2008 00:46
sekwanele mawethu
i am from south africa and i work in a foreign country england maybe those people they dont understant how is it to be a foreign kubuhlungu ukungabikho kokwenu .ababntu baziswe zimeko esouth africa and icrime esouth africa ayiqalang ngoske kufike amazimbabwe inigerian kudala zilapha esouth africa conning amacard ethu bethengisa idrugs but anizange nibabulale why now benzentoni abantwana beafrica.xa sisislaw sodwa sithi makuthiweni.nxe bakuthi yehlisani umoya kwakhe kwanjena phi na
May 24th, 2008 01:35
gideon gono must provide money to zimbabweans who faced attack instead of carrying on like zimbabwe is where the u.s dollar was made!!! he is bleeding zimbabwe dry… his children in australia each used more than 10000usd a month, and now wherever they are still get that plus more. a friend of mine, lets call him bacardi bumped into their bank statements and confirmed they sometimes got more than this and splurge on their boyfriends cars, one of which i understand is awaiting for this gono girl to buy him another. after watching video clips on news24.com, i wanted to send the little i have for their recovery. no…. gono must fix this. living in australia isnt a breeze, we want to come home… but please. can this all come to an end
May 26th, 2008 13:51
SOUTH AFRICANS SHOULD LEARN FROM SWAZILAND. THAT SMALL COUNTRY SHIELDED THEM DURING APARTHEID AND GAVE MANY FREE TERTIARY EDUCATION WHICH IS STILL FREE IN THAT SMALL COUNTRY. MOST PROMINENT RSA POLITICAL FIGURES AND THEIR CHILDREN WERE EDUCATED THERE. SWAZILAND HAD REFUGEES FROM THE EARLY EIGHTIES TILL MID-NINETIES, BUT NEVER EVER DID THIS TO THEM.
SWAZIS HAVE LIVED HARMONIOUSLY WITH WHITES, ASIANS, INDIANS AND AFRICANS FROM ALL OVER WITHOUT ANY PROBLEM. THIS DOES NOT MEAN THAT THE INVASION OF THESE PEOPLE HAS NO NEGATIVE EFFECTS AND CONSEQUENCES ON THE SMALL SWAZILAND, IT DOES, BUT THE NEGATIVE THINGS THAT ARE PERPETRATED BY FOREIGNERS HAVE NEVER EVER PUSHED SWAZIS TO VIOLENCE TOWARDS THEM.
VIOLENCE IS NATURALLY NOT IN SWAZI GENES.
MA SOUTH AFRICA AMAHLE PLEASE STOP THIS VIOLENCE. YOU FORGET SO EASILY THE PEOPLE WHO STOOD BY YOU DURING YOUR PERILOUS TIMES.
SOKWANELE BO!!!
May 27th, 2008 00:55
Xenophobic reply
You might not be South African
and indeed you are black, your skin is as mine.
Our colour is as one.
Our genes are African, as brother and sister
When our leaders were beaten, we seeked refuge
and you were there for certain.
Your patience was humble,
your generousity was king
You offered food
Indeed you offered protection
You might be a South African.
You need not speak Zulu, if you are Venda.
You need not speak Zulu, if you are Shangaan.
You need not express yourself in my language.
for I am not pressured to speak your language.
Zulu is by far not the only South African language
You need not be born here, however you are one with me.
I have no right to beat you
and not because you do not beat my mother, brother or sister.
I have no right to call you names, for you are one with me.
Yes, you might be dark in complexion
Yes, you might have foreign looks
and yes, you might have the foreigner’s body structure.
So now that I have beaten you, where will home be?
Times were, when every black man needed an ID to be,
and the white man had it better that way.
Now I, your black brother have turned my back against you.
I have forgotten that the future without consideration of history
is as bleak and dark as the history we fought.
I am not better than you.
And unemployment is another kind of many struggles we need to fight.
You are not any less human.
I have forgotten that the spirit of Ubuntu has interwoven us into the
very fabric that makes us Vendas, Batswana, Basotho, Ndebeles, Xhosas
and Swatis and more
This may be ignorance, however without justification, it may also
be the lack of education to reason.
My unemployment is my responsibility,
however so, I need guidance.
The guidance out of this alienating environment,
the guidance towards light, to be
brought out of the social conditions in which I live,
for living below 2 U.S. Dollars a day makes me feel less human.
Without justification of my inhumane actions I am sorry I beat you.
Before 94’ I fought a battle,
now I fight another one, only the difference is:
The enemy is myself.
I need not blame you before I come to realize this.
For what it’s worth
How can you apologize towards your birth place?
How can you apologize for the languages you speak?
How can you apologize for being who you are?
The intention of your “cry” has pierced my conscience
and the ones of many. However be prepared to stand
taller for you need to be heard.
I have forgotten the spirit of Ubuntu, for my South Africa is
your South Africa too, & I still am because we are.