You walked tall, comrade Denis, 
your humanity, your struggle for dignity for all,

shone through. 

It shines still as we bid you Hamba Kahle qhawe la maqhawe! 

You sacrificed a life of comfort, 
a life of the privileged minority in Apartheid South Africa, 

true to your revolutionary ideals, 
steadfast as you stared down the enemy, 

on that island of infamy. 

Today we mourn, 
for you do not walk with us. 

Today we reflect, 
on your principled example. 

Today, we salute you,
son of the soil.

Today we bid you farewell in body, 

but in our hearts,
in our collective thoughts,

you remain alive,
your memory abides, 

for though you may not walk with us, 
you shall always be a symbol, 

of the ceaseless tolling of the revolutionary bell. 


Hamba Kahle qhawe la maqhawe! 

You live in us,
you always will.

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 piece was first published on Afzal Moolla's personal blog.