[Mama Africa uthetha nomoya womyeni wakhe kumangcwaba eNkqubela. Ucula ingoma ethiVuku’ulawule, ebiza kwabaphantsi.]
Mama Africa: (elila) Yiza! Yiza! Bhele! Masambe Khuboni. Ndiyakucela Dlambulo. Yiza kaloku ndizokubeka kwikhaya lakho lokuthula. Ubomi buzakuba nzima kum kodwa ukuba ungalala apha ndingaxola.
(Enyembezana)
Lala ngoxolo ufikile kwilizwe apho abantwana bakho bakulinde khona. Undikhusele nalapho uyakhona ekufeni ngoba ndatshata wena koko ke soze ndiphinde nditshate. Ndibuhlungu ukuba uyokufela emazweni ngoba mna bendikulinde apha emzini wakho uzowumisa.
(Ethandaza ecala nabaphantsi)
Ndicela kuni bokhokho bam nimamkele unyana wenu, ndicela kuni ukuba nimkhusele ngawo onke amaxesha. Ndiyacela boBhele, Langa, Khuboni, Dlambulo, Mbikazi, Mabutho, Mile’nze’nkala. Zange ndacela kuni ndadaniswa nini, mgalomazwi ndithi thobani unxano ngalento. (Egalela i-branti emhlabeni, ecula)
[Emva koko ubuyela endlini]
Mama Africa: (encumile) Hello! Molweni! More! All of you might wonder who am I? Mama Africa is my name and I’m married to Africa. (Laughing) it is strange I know, but we are also blessed with three children named Mkhonto, Wesizwe and Peterson. This year Mkhonto and Wesizwe were supposed to be 21 years old, but they passed away and my husband too. (Tearful) When parents lose their children it is very painful especially if they die in a wrong and cruel way. Each day I cry remembering how I lost my children.
[Mama Africa remembering…]
***
[Mama Africa begging Mkhonto and Wesizwe not to take part in a strike happening at school.
Mkhonto: Wesizwe, lifikile ixesha lokuba sizilwele njengamaAfrica, uthini wena?
Wesizwe: Ndikuva kakuhle Mkhonto kwaye ndihambisana nalento uyithethayo ngoba yinyani.
Mkhonto: Khumbula kaloku ukuba uTata ushiye thina apha ekhaya, asingawo ama-ethe-ethe. Kufuneka kucace ukuba sizalwa yindoda eyaziwa ngobugorha apha ekuhlaleni.
Wesizwe: Uphi kakade unozala, kufuneke ayazi ukuba siyahamba thina ngoku?
(Kungena uMama Africa)
Mama Africa: Niyaphi bantwana bam naphatha izikhali?
Wesizwe: I thought you know about the strike happening at school, we are tired of being treated like animals. The school must be upgraded and those classes are old. We are learners at that school, but we don’t have access to the library and the computer lab, why? I know you are going to say God is going to fix this, but your God is taking too long, we have to take the matter in our own hands as students of Masithandane High. There is nothing you can say or do to change our minds we are leaving now.
Mama Africa: (ebacenga) Ndiyanicela bantwana bam sanukuya pha. Ukuba nilimele pha mna ndizakwenza njani kwaye ukuba anibuyanga niphila pha mna ndizakwenza njani?
Mkhonto: Mama, sibadala sibangaka, wena jongana noPeterson.
Mkhonto & Wesizwe: Mama asilwi nenyama negazi kodwa silwela imfundo yethu qha!
Mkhonto: Kaloku nina nasilwela ukuze sibenemfundo elinganayo njengomntu wonke kwelilizwe. Asoze ke siyeke izinto ziphume endleleni ekubeni nasilwela kanzima ukuze sibelapha. Masambe Wesizwe!
(Mkhonto no Wesizwe bayaphuma)
Mama Africa: I could feel the anger in their eyes, but I was far away to stop them. The same children I carried for nine months are refusing to listen to me. I blame you Africa for giving us hope that we are free, but we are still under the spirit of oppression. That was the day I lost my children and all the dreams of becoming the next leader to lead this country in a right and meaningful way, all those dreams are not going to be fulfilled. I was praying so hard to see them entering that door.
(Kungena uPeterson. Kuculwa ingoma: Thula Mama, thula)
Peterson: Mama nal’ibhayi lakho. Mama thula, mna ndizokuba ngumongameli izinto soze zofane nangoku ndiyathembisa. Liphupha lam elo. (Peterson wonga uMama Africa aphume)
***
[Mama Africa is asking for advice from Africa.]
(A knock from the door)
Mama Africa: Molo myeni wam uncedile ufike , kutheni wathula kwenzeka ntoni? Ndiyacela undixelele ngoba uzothi akhonto ibe ikhona.
Africa: Kwenzeka ntoni ebantwini bakhuthi? Uthando nobubele abukho. Ubuntu abusekho ebantwini.
Mama Africa: Yenye yezinto ibibangela ndikhathazeke leyo. Ndizamile uthetha nabaphathi kodwa khange ndivakale. Isikhalo sam sisuke sangathi sivulela abantu ukuba baphathane kakubi. Uxolo alisekho ebantwini, Myeni wam, khawutsho wena uwathethiswa yintoni lamazwi.
Africa: Ndithe dingena emzini wabantsundu ndakhwulelwa ngabamhlophe, kwenzeka ntoni apha? Ungathi andibafuni abamhlophe kodwa ndithe xa ndilaqaza ndabona abantu balomhlaba belila yindlela abaphethwe ngayo. Ndithe ndisajonge leyo ndalekwa ngalencwadi, khona kutheni ngoku sizophatha iDompasi emhlabeni wethu. Uphi kusenzeka wonke lamanyala?
Mama Africa: Ndizamile ukuhlanganisa izinto kodwa bekunzima ngoba abantu bebevutha ngumsindo bengafuni ntetho, yitsho wena ndithini ukuze kulunge izinto?
Africa: Njengokuba ndibuyile mandiye kulwela lizwe lethu, ndiyathemba ukuba izixhobo zam zikhona kwaye zisaphelele. Ndicela ungabe undicenga undivumele ndihambe, njengendoda negorha, ngumsebenzi wam ukulwela ilizwe lokhokho.
Mama Africa: Tata, ibuhlungu lento uyithethayo. Ezinye izinto zilungiswa ngothetha, ndicela kuhlalwe phantsi kulungiswe le nyewe. Ukuba awubuyanga emfazweni njengabantwana bethu uzothini?
Africa: Ijoni lifela empini, sthandwa sam, mandiyo lungisa.
***
Mama Africa: I knew that I had nothing to say to stop him. This is what happened with my children, do you remember? Yes! I’m asking you. Men always do what they think without looking deep to what they want to do.
Do you know that my husband sees this matter differently? When I told him that our children were dead, the only thing he said was “That’s part of life, my dear.” I didn’t believe that my own husband said that, but he did.
I noticed one thing that my husband was in a different attitude. When a man is angry the only thing running in his head is blood and death. I couldn’t ask him, because the flame of anger in his eyes was truly scary.
(Africa came of the room ready for war, going straight to the door)
Mama Africa: Africa! Africa! Please tell me what do I do to fix this? You are leaving me in this mess again; tell me I’m all ears I’m willing to sacrifice anything even my life to stop this mess in our continent.
Africa: Hlanganisa zonke izizwe uzibizele apha ekhayen iuze uqinisekise ukuba bamamela kuwe kwaye ungabalwisi. Umsebenzi wakho ulula ngoba inkululeko sayilwela ikhona kodwa okufuneka ubanike kona yinkululeko yasentliziyweni neyasemphefumlweni. Yiyo into efunekayo, nokusebenzisana ngobubele ekwakheni eli lizwe ngoxolo nothando. Ungalibali ukuze babenako ukusebenzisana kufuneka…
Africa & Mama Africa: Freedom of heart and soul!!!
***
Africa: Mkhonto!!! Wesizwe!!! How did you lose the battle? How??
Mkhonto: Father, we tried to fight, but it was black on black violence. Why?
Wesizwe: Tell us why, father, because we only fought for our education. Did we deserve to die like dogs?
Africa: I never knew that people act like animals. I don’t understand why we should sleep with one eye when we fight against poor education and bias treatment. I will fight them myself; I want to see their faces when they kill me. They don’t care how I feel, but the only thing they want is I have that’s gold, silver and bronze. My children let God be the judge in this case.
Mkhonto: Father why do we have the freedom of speech we can’t speak what our minds and hearts feel. Demolish all the right or they must be clear that the rights only apply to the rich people.
Africa: Rest in peace my children; I will be with you shortly. Let’s pray that Peterson brings peace on earth.
(Africa left to fight)
***
[At Mama Africa’s house two people knocking with two T- shirts and a stick.]
Mama Africa: (Rushing to the door) Ngenani, ndinganinceda?
Azania: Molweni, Mama, mna ke igama lam nguAzania lo ndihambanaye nguSobukwe Poqo sisuka kwisikolo saseMasithandane High kwaye ndiphangela ebujonini kwalapha. Size malunga noMkhonto noWesizwe. Ndiyathemba asiphambukanga?
Mama Africa: Thetha kaloku, baphi abantwana bam?
Mr. Poqo: I wish I had good news, Mama, but I don’t…
Azania: (Giving two t-shirts) We got these.
Mama Africa: I said speak I’m listing, Sobukwe, don’t make me ask you again, speak!!
Mr. Poqo: 20 students started throwing stones to the police and they had no choice, but to shoot to defend themselves. 13 students were found dead, Mkhonto and Wesizwe were part of that death. I’m sorry about that Mama Africa.
Mama Africa: Please, Sobukwe, tell me you are lying.
Mr. Poqo: I’m truly sorry, Mama, I know this is hard for you, but this is life and we have to accept what life is throwing at us. I will leave now and please if you need anything call me.
Azania: (Giving the stick) This is your husband’s stick and spear we found it outside the union buildings. Be strong Mama I know you can.
(Sobukwe and Azania left the house)
Mama Africa: A song reached my heart, a song that I wanted from God, but the only difference about this song it was speaking to us as Africans. Yes! It was a prayer song and while I felt the song I knew that it was time God favor us in Africa.
(Singing : Yehla Moya ongcwele ubuyise uAfrica)
Come together Africa! Come!
(All nations gathered together and started to argue)
(Peterson came out and stopped them)
Peterson: Africans if you hate each other this much, why are you not fighting? What you are doing is called be selfish, because by fighting you are not leaving a legacy for my generation and other generations to come. Please try to think about the future not the present. So I spoke well you will share that drink and hold each other as nation.
The End