He would lament
at the plight
of the black man
the black person
He would lament
a voice silenced
the late Steve Biko
apartheid-murdered
some 33 years ago
He would lament
a Namibiathat forgot
Anton Lubowski
apartheid-murdered
some 21 years ago
He would lament
role models too few
a brawl in Khayelitsha
at a meeting is what
we have on offer
He would lament
(onehopes) at the plight
of the black woman too
Resources: Presentations
I’ll try to be slow
(girls and boys)
says a bureaucrat
dumbing us down
on my afternoon radio
I’ll try to be slow
coming over like
some tender proposal
on a steamy date
(Motown-style)
I’ll try to be slow
for your benefit
like we all take
our own African time
I’ll try to be slow
Freudian in its meaning
to myself anyway
in my native intellect
(Nothing premature
and the pushing
of ceremonial buttons
Plato-style)
Zwelinzima Vavi’s address to the Ruth First Memorial Lecture
17 August 2010, Wits University
I will always cherish this moment. It is such an honour to deliver the annual lecture in memory of Ruth First. The theme is “how policy is affecting the marginalised and its impact on poverty”.
His Excellency Jacob Zuma
President of the Republic of South Africa
Union Buildings
Private Bag X1000,
Pretoria,
0001
South Africa
BY FAX: +27 12 323 8246
19 August 2010
Your Excellency,
We are writing on behalf of the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) and the World Editors Forum, which represent 18,000 publications, 15,000 online sites and over 3,000 companies in more than 120 countries, to express our serious concern at two recent moves by the ruling ANC that seriously threaten press freedom in South Africa.
I stopped myself
from the proverbial
just when you thought
in the normal everyday
I stopped myself
doing the I told you so
post- the F-extravaganza
I stopped myself
ridiculing Metro-hell
as you know it to be
I stopped myself
trains as grimy as before
(late or cancelled too)
more than a window gone
I stopped myself
the F-joyhere still
our moment in herstory
(history as it was before)
I stopped myself
Around the world, more than 215 million women lack access to basic contraception. Empty Handed tells the story of women's lack of access to reproductive health supplies (contraceptives and condoms) in sub-Saharan Africa, and its impact on their lives. The film documents the challenges at each level of the reproductive health supply chain and identifies key areas of improvement.
To view the film, click here.
More of the same
is the appeal
after all the euphoria
has gone and left us
More of the same
service delivery not
just an oxymoron
(for only 67 minutes)
More of the same
poverty right here
still second-class citizens
(do you feel it as well)
More of the same
not corruption, fraud
sleaze and scams up high
(moral examples are few)
More of the same
keep the momentum
(the sky won’t fall)
Not tonight darling
I have a (stadium) headache
a big F-branded one
Not tonight darling
can you feel it too
its a R4.5 billion one
right here in our colony
Not tonight darling
the morning after is here
last night’s thrill is all gone
(now schools get burnt down)
Not tonight darling
I am counting the cost
notwithstanding the R93bn boost
and your positive global image
Not tonight darling
it just won’t go away
And with a smile
says our young lion
(he reduced to page
5
asour F-show comes first)
And with a smile
volunteers faithful
to the party’s
cause
will serve the people
And with a smile
membersshould get
priority in the food queue
over you the sweaty masses
(their patriotism comes
first)
Not girlfriends of
officials
(a little bit on their
side)
companions, friends even
the odd missionary too
well-connected in
Readingis cool
his teacher told him
says a Spelling-bee
a learner on my radio
Readingis cool
sabotage was the word
that got him winning
a Spelling-bee contest
Readingis cool
now adults phone in
and good-naturedly try
to trick him with long words
Readingis cool
on World Book Day
(past Freedom Day too)
and any other time
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