post apartheid stress syndrome

This is the video of my POEM of the same title. It comes at a time in South Africa's 'new' history where corruption is rife, money grabbing the order of the day (govt. officials) and violence in desperate need of addressing. While I am deeply appreciative of the 'miracle' of our 'transformation' from apartheid, the 'new' rulers are ruining their moral high ground (or taking revenge) in a protracted form of entitlement. The knee jerk posturing of the ANC YL leader Malema is having a deplorable effect on the aspirations of many of the black youth. While HE lives off the fruits of the struggle, he 'stirs up' the unfulfilled resentments that bred it. The soccer world cup is at hand, and apart from waving a magic wand, I am not sure how everything is suddenly going to fall into place. To put it succinctly: the 'settlers' are coming! Fortunately I have no doubt that the majority of South Africans are fully behind the success of the 2010 World Cup! When the ANC rightfully took control of this country under the guidance of Nelson Mandela, they undoubtedly held the moral high ground. This aspect has not really registered with those in governance. Further, I had extremely disturbing encounters at a government school where I found the notion of 'ubuntu' (apart from some truly wonderful pupils) was not a concept the youth were happy to embrace! A thug mentality orchestrated extremely childish (yet scary) intimidation tactics in a school that is supposed to embrace diversity and change! This was an outrage. So this poem comes as a PLEA FOR SANITY, A REQUEST TO TAKE STOCK, A CHALLENGE TO RISE ABOVE NEPOTISM AND MAKE THE TRANSITION TO TRANSPARENT AND ACCOUNTABLE GOVERNANCE FOR ALL THE PEOPLE OF SOUTH AFRICA. It seems that the ANC have been taking their cue from the MALpractices of the apartheid regime!

ps please visit my web site at www.helge.co.za for an overview of my creative input into this country of my birth!


post apartheid stress syndrome

pass

pass

passed

waiting in the corridors
fighting in the minds of those
identifying with the work
of our fellows

and then the strange came

and then the swarm swarmed
the beehive money
for the taking

the quondam regime
being so despicable
made it easy to be immune
to assume entitlement
for laws of just settlement
were wavered in the winds

of course change has come
change to be like them {{the apartheid regime}}
they {{the ANC}} fell into the trap
with their arms wide open

had learnt the uncorrected things
to fit into the old flake shoes
also to stomp the path well ridden

they missed an opportunity golden
they thrashed the thing they loved
where money does buy love

is only to be human

nature

they just couldn't rise above
the dis-ease of euphoria

this is their legacy
as it now bends
whether they want to stone it
or not