Nelson Mandela

Unkosi Rholihlahla Mandela,
born into the Madiba clan in the village of Qunu
grow up in Mvezo in Umtata,Transkei
Dalibhunga, the prince of the Tembu tribe
son of umama Nonqaphi Nosekeni
son of Nkosi Hendry Mphakanyiswa Gadla Mandela

father of South African freedom
ward of Chief Jongintaba Dalindyebo
at the Great Place in Mqhekezweni
acting regent of the Thembu nation
boy from the Thembu royal homestead
icon of peace and justice.

sun that rises in the grim atmosphere
commander-in-chief of Umkhonto we Sizwe
dedicated himself to the struggle of the African people
South Africa’s greatest son
the greatest leader of our time
the giant of the South African history
the Son of Africa’s children

uBawomkhulu,
the man who pioneered the new patriotism in this unique country
the principal of his destiny
the commander of his soul
he represented hope and freedom
through his dignity, through his triumph, he inspired millions
the father of our nation

He who will live on in the hearts & minds of people throughout the world
the one who cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society
he who taught us reconciliation
he who embraced his enemies
one of the brightest lights of our world has gone out
a great tree has fallen
the son of a Tembu tribal chieftain is gone

Siyakuhlonipha
Tata Sizokukhumbula
Hamba kahle Tata!




Seth Yuhi Musinga's picture

ABOUT THE POET ~
Biography, I was as Seth Yuhi Musinga on the farm Karetes in the Fransfontein district of Namibia. World War 1 drove my parents from their farm in Kalkveld ( Otjoruu) and I was born in the farmyard, under the shadow of a pear tree. I attended school in St Michael's RC Primary School and St Joseph High School., I received teacher's training at Academy College in Windhoek then studied education management in North-West University, South Africa from 1995 to 2000 ( Correspondence). I worked as a teacher in St Michael (1983–1985), Rössing Uranium Mine (1987–2003) and Skorpion Zinc Mine (2003–2006)., Literary career, By the late nineteenth Century, I begun to write poems. My novels are a reflection of my outlook on life. I spent most of my life insulated from certain sections of society. Most novels are also based on the idyll of rural country that I am so fond of., The strength of my novels is the ability to gain penetrating insights into the character and nature of human relationships, from even a fairly limited range of environments and characters., Although I wrote successfully in all literary genres, I am first of all a poet. Among my 250 and odd volumes of poetry are My Life Story (1990), My Visit to Hell (1993) and War Veterans (1987), Lover (1980), My Love for you (1997) and Oh, So Sweet (1988), a letter to her (1983), Nelson Mandela (1939) and Kuku Vivi Kandongo (1996)., My verse is notably simple and musical, making use of traditional verse forms such as the rondeel, intertextual references and techniques such as the switching of idioms, epigrams and spellings.


Last updated September 22, 2015