X3 Locked & Loaded - Zungangishiyi lana
Ramona Baijnath
Director Corporate Communications | PhD Industrial Sociology | MBA Candidate
This weekend, in a crowded Melrose restaurant, surrounded by an mashup of South Africans imbibing and jiving together amongst fire dancers and jiggly bellies [sans safety gear], I finally decided to select my own election beats.
I’m done with random selections. Master KG’s, Jerusalema (feat. Burna Boy & Nomcebo Zikode https://music.apple.com/za/album/jerusalema-feat-burna-boy-nomcebo-zikode-remix/1518859310?i=1518859616) - yes, this is it! I’m intent on Mastering my own destiny like KG. So, let’s go:
Jerusalema ikhaya lami [Jerusalem is my home]
Ngilondoloze, uhambe nami [Save me and walk with me]
Zungangishiyi lana [Do not leave me here]
Ndawo yami, ayikho lana [My place, is not here]
Mbuso wami, awukho lana [My kingdom, is not here]
Ngilondoloze, uhambe nami [Preserve me and go with me]
Being a nosey Sociologist [the redundancy does not escape me], I make it my business to intrude on the chatter of ?Azanians, some of whom are excited and resolute, others more despondent than our deepest Blyde valley, some who have no idea where their X3 [3 votes] will fall but are committed to dropping those three X’s at our moment of reckoning. We are all in our feels. Two days to go - we have decisions to make!
In the wee hours of Friday, I met a youth who was even more desolate than that valley in Graaff-Reinet. A fellow in-migrant, he hailed from our mutual kingdom in KwaZulu-Natal and crossed the border in pursuit of work in eGoli. I popped the question and he retorted with, "What's the point of going to the polls? We mean nothing to them!" There were no tricks in his eyes, just the heavy desolation of one used to being unheard.
I'm not perfect I came?from?ruthless times
As a?Juvenile
Ngilondoloze, zungangishiyi lana [Do not leave me here]
Look into my eyes
See?pain and sacrifice
What goes on my mind
Struggling to survive
Ngilondoloze, zungangishiyi lana [Do not leave me here]
Umfowethu omncane was pleading, ‘Zungangishiyi lana’ [Do not leave me here] but he was left anyway. 30 years into our freedom, we have left many behind. Amongst all the razzle dazzle of politicking, never close your eyes to this reality. Regardless of where we deliver our X3 ?- we have to make the decision to walk back home, to those we left behind.
Our family meeting last night, with Malume?Cyril frayed many tempers – but it’s kind of his job to brief us on our Country’s readiness to go to the polls albeit there were some liberties taken.
领英推荐
The blue guy called me again this morning. I had blocked him but he is resourceful. I didn’t hang up this time – we all deserve a fighting chance to be equally rescued. The Aunty and the others have no interest in pursuing me.
Meanwhile, the party’s got hot over the weekend, the green and gold guys put on a show of strength with Siyanqoba rocking FNB stadium despite reports to the contrary and the red guys hosted Tshela Thupa in Limpopo. I wonder, who’s party was better? I have some lyrics for this - borrowed from the French, who did revolution best, here’s Stomae’s, Alors On Danse https://music.apple.com/za/album/alors-on-danse/1444872839?i=1444872841:
Qui dit étude dit travail [Those who say study say work]
Qui dit taf te dit les thunes [Those who say work tell you money]
Qui dit argent dit dépenses [Those who say money agree with expenses]
Qui dit crédit dit créance [Those who say credit also say debt]
Qui dit dette te dit huissier, oui dit assis dans la merde Qui dit amour dit les gosses, dit toujours, et dit divorce [Those who say love also say kids, say forever and then say divorce]
My good Comrade [some of my friends are] questioned the wisdom of throwing rally’s for supporters when there were rouge votes yet to be secured. ?I thought it was a fair point, well-made but the allure of the razzle dazzle should not be underestimated. We do love a good party,?so we dance... [Alors on Danse]
Having rambled on for far too long, I now ask myself… Who must save me and from whom do I need saving? I do love heated political debate, but that’s just ego and hot air – no change happens there. Now more than ever, it is time to become an active citizen, regardless of the polls, so somehow, I’m going to make my way to Jerusalema. I beg you please, Ngilondoloze, zungangishiyi lana [Do not leave me here]…
**Thank you for the music Master KG and Stomae
**X3 = 3 votes
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