God's Word for today

Monday 2 June 2008

Plea from "Teary Black African"

While doing my rounds between the various drop-off and pick-up points for clothing, food, etc. for refugee relief as a result of the recent attacks on foreigners (and, in many cases, locals as well), I came across this letter written by someone who signs themself "Teary Black African". Not what many people want to hear, but something we all need to hear...

I might not be a South African

But I'm black; my skin is the same as yours
My colour is the same as yours
My genes are African, nothing but African
When your leaders were beaten by whites
I was there to shelter them
I was patient with them
I offered them food, shelter
Most of all, I offered them protection

I might be a South African

I can't speak Zulu, 'cause I'm Venda
I can't speak Zulu, 'cause I'm Shangaan
I don't know what an elbow is in Zulu
As much as you don't know it in my language
Since when was Zulu the only South African language?
Yes...I'm not from Gauteng
I was not born here, but I'm South African
Where should I go if you beat me?
I'm not beating your father, mother, brother or sister who works at my area in the mines
I'm not calling them makwerekwere though they can't speak my language

I might be dark in complexion

I might have the foreigners' looks
I might have the foreigners' body structure
Now I am scared to go to the only place that I call home
I'm scared of walking down the street without my ID
Whites wanted me to do that centuries ago
Now you, my black brother, is acting white

Why should you black South Africans do this?

What makes you think that you are better than me?
Who told you that I'm responsible for your unemployment?
Who told you that I'm less human?

If I need to go back to Venda...let all the Zulus go back to KZN
Let all the Tswanas go back to Botswana
Let all the Sothos go back to Lesotho
Let all the Ndebeles go back to kwaNdebele
Let all the Xhosas go back to the Eastern Cape
Yes...let all the Swazis go back to Swaziland

Is this not ignorance?

Your unemployment is your responsibility
Use your intellect
Get up and work
Let education empower you
Seek humanity

Before 1994 you blamed whites
Now you are blaming me
Who are you going to blame after chasing me away?
Who are you going to blame after killing me?

For what it's worth...

I'm sorry I was not born here
I'm sorry I can't speak Zulu
I'm sorry for being too dark for your Jo'burg
I'm sorry for cleaning the toilets you don't want to clean
I'm sorry for doing your garden
I'm sorry for repairing your shoes
I'm sorry for protecting your leaders while they were in exile
Yes...what you call "exile"...is my country
And most of all...I'm sorry for building South African infrastructure

Please, my brothers, let there be peace and prosperity among black African people

1 comment:

Deejay Busang said...

Get more on the Teary Balck African (Deejay) blog
http://splakaveli.blogspot.com/