WE COME FROM AFAR

You came and we warmly welcomed you
Welcoming you following the customs of our ancestors
Apparently we were acting out of total ignorance
When we received you with open arms
You turned that into ignorance and deception
“Go on deceiving yourself and we will scheme you”
And like a maggot entering a wound you invaded us

You asked for certain rights when you settled among us
And we gave you such thinking that we were following the traditions of our forefathers
That the hunger of a traveller is after all so small
Yet we didn’t know that we were quote in trouble and piling hot coals on our heads
When you saw our humanity and kindness
You said “what an easy way through”
You took away our birthright
You packed us like melons and threw us on barren lands
Which are so so dry
Where nothing grows
Land unfit for decent burial

As we awakened it dawned on us that you were bringing something big
Now we returned to squat on your land
And you lorded it over us
And made us lick an extremely dry gourd
And you turned us slaves on the land of our forefathers
We would wake up very early to plough your extensive fields
Yet we never received a cent from our efforts
You became so stout, and you could now buy every manner of property
While like oxen we ploughed your extensive fields
We bended at all times without getting any rest
We rest only when we sleep

When we tried to work in the mines and in the kitchen
We encountered double trouble
We were beaten and kicked
And our identity was stripped
We were bossed by children
Controlling us frightening us, slapping us at will
We could only ask ourselves if it was a dream

We were nannies in the kitchen
Washing the ladies’ underwear and mopping the floor
We were turned into woman man
We could not look at other man in the eyes in abject shame
Shyly avoiding man’s eyes like a girl courted
The sun hardly set without the Mrs harassing you
And we would hurriedly responded even when we had not been called
Oh! What a long journey we have travelled!!!

Sivela kude

Sivela kude

Langena salamukela ngezimhlophe
Salamukela sisithi senza umkhuba wabokhokho
Kanti kasibuzanga elangeni
Sithe ngokulamukela ngezimhlophe
Lakuphendulela lakwenza ubuwula lezaba.
Lathi “lala lulaza sikwengule”
Langena ngenxeba njengempethu

Lithe ngokungena lacela amalungelo thize
Salipha sisisthi silonda isiko labokhokho
Lokuthi “isisu somhambi asinganani.”
Kanti kasazi ukuthi sizidonsela amanzi ngomsele, sizokhela amalahle ekhanda
Lithe libona ububele lesisa sethu
Lathi zimbiwe ngulinda
Lasemuka okungokwethu ngokuzalwa
Lasipakitsha samajodo layasichitha ogwaduleni olome qha qha!
Olungamili ngitsho lani
Olubi lokungcwatshelwa kulo

Sisathi phaphathu kwasa ukuthi kukhulu elikubelethileyo.
Sithe sisathi sikhonze kweyenu imihlabathi
Lasidlisa imbuya ngoluthi
Lasikhothisa imbenge yome qha!
Lasiphendula izichaka emhlabeni wabakwethu lapho okulenkaba zabo khona
Sasivuka kule sibhebhewulana lemiganga yamasimu
Kodwa kwezethu imbhilaphi akwaze kwathontela lutho
Laqhela laba ngaka, sezwa sekuthiwa selithenge lokhu lalokhuya
Sibhebhewulana laleyo miganga sitshayelwa sankabi
Singakwazi ukwelula iqolo sigoba njalonje
Siphumula ngokubeka umhlubulo.

Sithe sithi kesizame ezinkomponi lemikulwini
Sahlangatshezwa ngoluphindiweyo
Sitshaywa, sikhahlelwa
Banqunulwa ubuyithi bethu
Sitatazeliswa ngokuzinsane okusanuka uchago emakhaleni
Kusidonsa ngomkhala, kusibiza sitshintshanise imilenze kubeke impama lapho kuthandile
Sizibuze ukuthi yithi labo kumbe siyaphupha.

Emikulwini saphenduka onene sabhixana lezabomesisi sakorobha izindlu
Sabangabafazi singamadoda
Kwabanzima ukuthi sihlanganise amehlo lamanye amadoda
Samane sawatshelelisa sikhophozela okwentombi iphoselwa amathathu
Lingatshoni umesisi engakuhazanga ngezithile utatazele uze usabele lanxa ungabizwanga.
Yebo ke sesiwudonsile ummango!!!