... Definitely not the executive,

nor the executives
far removed from the grime
and the slime.

Who killed the miners at Marikana?

Not the Prez,
not even the press for a change,

strange,

so who killed the miners at Marikana?

The unions perhaps,
or the errant miner
led astray,

in that obscene demand for better pay.

Who killed the miners at Marikana?

Not armed cops,
firing bullets of lead into the back of the head,

execution-style it’s been said.

Who killed the miners at Marikana?

It seems no one can be found,

as bodies decompose deep under gold dust ground,

while families grieve,

there's no one around to take the fall,

so,

who killed the Marikana Miners?

No one.

No one at all ...

* inspired by the protest song “Who Killed Davey Moore” by Bob Dylan.

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.