THE DETRIBALIZED by Oswald Mbuyiseni Mtshali

He was born in Sophiatown,

Or Alexandra, I am not sure,

but certainly not in Soweto.

He skipped school

during playtime

to huck sweets

peanuts, shoelaces,

pilfered in town,

cadceed at the golfcourse.

He can write-

only his name;

He can read -

The World:

'Our one and only paper', 

The Golden City Post -

murder, rape and robbery.

He has served time

at the 'Fort'.

Prison is no shame,

just as unavoidable

and unpleasant

as going to a dentist.

He's a clever'

not a 'moegie'

he never says baas

to nobloody white man.

He wears

the latest Levison's suits 

'Made in America';

from Cuthbert's

a part of Florscheim shoes

'America's finest shoes'.

He pays cash 

that's why

he's called Mister.

He goes for quality, 

man, not quantity, never 

the price is no obstacle.

His furniture is

from Ellis, Bradlow's, exclusive.

Nothing from the O.KBazaars

except groceries

 and Christmas toys 

for their kids. 

'Very cheap!' says his wife.

Yes, his wife →

also born in the city, Orlando! 

she's pretty, 

dresses very well: 

costumes from Vanité or Millews.

She's very sophisticated, 

uses Artra, Hi-Lite

skin lightening cream,

hair straightened, 

wears lipstick 

a wig, nail polish:

she can dance the latest 'Monkey'.

He married her 

after he had fathered 

two kids 

to prove her fertility. 

There's the occasional 

domestic quarrel: 

he punches her 

a 'blue eye' 

to show her 

he's the boss.

He takes another cherie

to the movies

at Lyric or Majestic, 

They dine at the Kapitan 

and sleep at the Planet.

Maybe they go

to a night session

in a posh shebeen:

jazz, booze 

knives and guns.

The wife sees

a nyanga

to bring her man back home.

He runs a car -

'60 Impala Chev.

Automatic, sleek.

He knows

he must carry a pass. 

He don't care for politics

He don't go to church

He knows Sobukwe 

He knows Mandela

They're in Robben Island.

'So what? That's not my business!

the Fort: the main prison in Johannesburg 

moegie: bumpkin (slang; pronounced moochy, ch as in loch)

 nyanga:  witch doctor

Sobukwe: Robert Sobukwe, leader of the Pan-African Congress, jailed after the banning of his movement

 Mandela - Nelson Mandela, a leading figure in the African National Congress, jailed after the banning of his movement

Robben Island: the prison island where most long-term African political prisoners are held, off the coast near Cape Town