THE MANDELA MYTH- A Poem

THE MANDELA MYTH

South Africa, Land of the Rand,

In a less Rainbow-coloured view;

Is where more of the wealth and land,

Are owned by even fewer few. ⁽¹⁾

The many who were promised more,

And set free by the ANC;

Have merely swapped their masters for,

A Rainbow-hued wage-slavery. ⁽²⁾

The Miners voting with their feet,

At Marikana, who downed tools;

Were branded by the black elite,

As reckless, feckless criminals.

Apartheid Police caused blacks to die, ⁽³⁾

But every Marikana black; ⁽⁴⁾

Was free to choose to be shot by,

His own Police Force in their back.

Corruption rules, crime violence soars,

With unemployment more than rife;

Mandela’s myth is scarred with flaws,

South Africa heads for more strife.

Amongst the few who’ve really gained,

Are leaders of the ANC;

Who’ve robbed their brothers, unrestrained,

By any code of decency.

Mandela, Zuma and their ilk,

A brotherhood of millionaires; ⁽⁵⁾

Have freed their brothers up to bilk,

Whilst they increase their own fat shares.

And such wealth will go on to soar,

Because South Africa, it’s true;

Exploits its people even more,     

Than other states and countries do. ⁽¹⁾

The politicians who now mourn,

Are hoping to mask their own taint;

If they paint a new wondrous dawn,

And suck-up to this plaster saint.

⁽¹⁾  According to the ‘Washington Post’,

South Africa is the world’s most unequal country

and has become more unequal in the last 20 years.

⁽²⁾ ‘Rainbow Nation’ phrase coined by

Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

⁽³⁾ Sharpeville 1960, 69 Blacks killed.

Soweto 1976, 176 Black students shot.

⁽⁴⁾ Marikana 2012. 34 striking miners shot dead after

Cyril Ramaphosa, ANC Vice-President & director of

mine owner Lonmin branded them as “criminals”.

⁽⁵⁾ ANC Millionaires: Nelson Mandela; Jacob Zuma;

Thabo Mbeki; Cyril Ramaphosa; Julius Malema;

Mamphela Ramphele; Mosima Sexwale; etc.

© Richard Layton