Today we grieve,

The mother of the nation has breathed her last,

today we reflect on her gallant past.

 

Today we mourn,

the falling of a giant tree,

who rattled the foundations of Apartheid,

in the collective struggle to be from oppression free.

 

Today we weep,

tears of sorrow and tears of pain,

for our mother who shall no longer walk amongst us again.

 

Today we sing,

songs of freedom and of profound loss,

as we remember the cruel and brutal obstacles she had to cross.

 

Today we reflect,

on the years of banishment and of solitary confinement she was made to suffer,

with no husband, no family, nothing but her will acting as her protective buffer.

 

Today we recall her strength,

as she fought alongside her comrades without a pause,

while remaining ever faithfully dedicated to the valiant struggle, to the cause.

 

Today we console each other as the truth cuts deep,

her life one of loss and of unimaginable pain,

as we call out our eternal refrain –

 

Hamba Kahle* Mama Winnie Mandela!

We will not give up your fight!

Matla ke a Rona!**

The Struggle Continues.

Viva the undying spirit of Winnie Mandela!

Viva the struggle against racism and oppression!

 

* – Hamba Kahle – an isiXhosa and isiZulu term meaning “travel well” – often used when bidding a departed one adieu.

* – Matla ke a Rona – victory is certain – a slogan during the struggle against Apartheid oppression and racial discrimination.

 

Afzal Moolla was born in Delhi, India while his parents were in exile, working as political exiles against Apartheid in South Africa. He then travelled wherever his parent’s work took them, spending time in Egypt, Finland, and Iran.  Afzal works and lives in Johannesburg, South Africa.

This poem was first published on Afzal Moolla's personal blog.