AMANDLA!

(Dedicated to all the heroes and heroines and martyrs who fought against and slew the dragon Apartheid. Viva Azania!)

[Benikuphi ma madoda (where were the men)
abantwana beshaywa (when the children were throwing stones)
ngezimbokodo Mabedubula abantwana (when the children were being shot)
Benikhupi na (where were you?) Hugh Masekela (Soweto Blues)]

I was there,
on Robben Island,
when the fortress walls surrendered
and the dungeon doors collapsed
and the fetters burst asunder
at the feet of the Madiba
as they walked from Victor Verster.
And the people cried, "Amandla!"

You can take me,
you can take me,
take me out from Africa
but
you can never,
you can never,
take Africa out from me.

I was there,
down in Soweto,
when they exiled Masekela
and they Branded Abdullah
and they banned Miriam Makeba;
when they banned, then detained, Walter
as they hounded Winnie 'Dela.
And the people cried," Amandla!"

You can take me,
you can take me,
take me out from Africa
but
you can never,
you can never,
take Africa out from me.

I was there,
in Soweto, ho!
when the bullets flew and hummed
and they murdered Steve Biko
and they mowed the children down;
when they relocated blacks
with stray bullets in their backs.
And the people cried, 'Amandla!"

I was there,
down there in Sharpeville,
when they massacred the children,
armed with stones against the Sten;
when PAC formed the Poqo
and ANC formed Umkhonto.
And the people cried, "Amandla!"

You can take me,
you can take me,
take me out from Africa
but
you can never,
you can never,
take Africa out from me.

I was there,
down in Angola,
when the fearless Fidelista,
side by side, with the Namibians,
stood their ground against P. Botha,
cracked his crocodilian armour,
as they drove apartheid back.
And the people cried, "Amandla!"

You can take me,
you can take me,
take me out from Africa
but
you can never,
you can never,
take Africa out from me.

I was there,
on Robben Island,
when de Klerk capitulated
and the dungeon doors collapsed
and the fetters burst asunder
at the feet of the Madiba
as they walked from Victor Verster.
And the people cried, "Amandla!"

Amandla! Amandla!
And the people cried, "Amandla!"
Amandla! Amandla!
And the people cried, "Amandla!"...

Copyright ©2010 by G. Newton V. Chance