CSOs 4 Tailings Justice

Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources Gwede Mantashe is the Minister responsible for mines  and with some changes here and there,  in the portfolio Mantashe has been at the helm since 2018. But this has been his regular argument from way back (2021) and here.  A week ago he said:mining can’t be killed for the sake of “fresh air”,  this he did when he once again gave his support for the revival of shale gas exploration in the Karoo.

By Hassen Lorgat

Poems for Gwede 1

When GWEDE walked the trenches with us 

Shoulder to shoulders with the below

We sang to the international anthem

“We want Bread

And Roses too”

Now, duly em-POWERED

He left his boots and forgot his roots

Yet we still sing with bellowed voices

“We want Lights

And the right to breathe clean air too”

Poems for Gwede 2

King Coal is back 

And he in on a  roll

he resists the call

to keep it in the hole

It is True the Global North has double standards

But what about us?

Just look at our ports…why don’t we stop those bandits?, 

Our coal still fuels their engines

And the Palestinian genocide too

We cannot be bitter

We must do better

We are ABANTU

 the children of UBUNTU

Poems for Gwede 3

First they came for our land, and no one spoke up

But the Natives resisted and left a legacy 

They dug deep into mother earth

Unearthing her  shiny intestines

This was sent overseas

mother earth cried

She could not see her insides

As her tears watered the dry lakes

Where the plans in protest

refused to grow 

Poems for Gwede 4

First they came for our land

Then came for our water

Which they needed to rape to land

for gold, diamonds, God and empire 

With their good book in one hand and the gun in the other

The deed was done…and continues

Poems for Gwede 5

Or…Air is yours to bargain?

When Samson Gwede Mantashe  was at school

He learnt the legend of Samson –

And how when he reclaimed his angered power

Destroyed all and sunder

Life and all he cherished was gone

Samson Gwede Mantashe, you must go back to school!

You have forgotten you basics

Do people, plants and animals not need air to breathe?

It is called respiration

It is the deal that gives life-

Inhale – exhale

Inhale oxygen – exhale carbon

That is the story of life

Life is too precious to leave in your hands

We  must decide

Respiration or extermination?

Poems for Gwede 6

First they came for the land

The West and all the rest were bland

Might was right

Twas their mission

They needn’t permission

To take up the White Man’s burden–

Ready or not, they grew bloody bold

They took all and the shiny gold

… not long before people were sold

Tis a battle of hearts and mines

In  our  war of liberation/ they sued for peace/

They kept the mines 

Whilst we did the mimes