Expression
We want We want We Want
by Faith ka-Manzi
We want to see more pollution in America
Otherwise they won't have more industries that
Consume more gases than the rest of the world
We want more leaders like George Bush
So he can continue to kill Iraqi, Afghan and Sudanese civilians
Do the bidding of Nike, McDonalds, Exxon-Mobil
So that multinationals' CEOs can continue to make millions a year
And the exploited proletariat a pittance in poor countries
Pave the way for free trade agreements in poor countries
For the trickle down economy to become a reality
So that sell-out American wannabe's can continue to wear American designer labels
We want more leaders like Mbeki, Zuma and Selebi
So they can sleep with women as young as their daughters
Knowing that they can take a shower afterwards to avoid HIV infection
Supported by their party stooges of all forms and shades
So we can sympathise with a president suffering from self-diagnoised conspirational theories
Firing big guns who scare the shit out of him
And keeping criminal types too close for comfort
We want more women victimized at work,
Beaten to a pulp by their partners
Raped, traumatised in al kinds of unspeakable ways
And only see justice during the 16 days of activism
Because during the year we the police are too busy killing our partners too care
Too busy taking bribes from drug dealers
Too busy loosing prosecution files
We want to see more illiteracy
Because we know for South African teachers
There are only three months of the year
January, February, March, march, march, march
Because we want to booze with our scholars increasing more lawlessness
Impregnate and screw our scantily clad girl scholars spreading moral decay
After all who can blame us for wanting these things?
We are led by Mbeki who speaks left but walks right
Support Zuma who masquerades as an ordained preacher of moral regeneration
But is actually a patriarch of moral indecency
We want more bogus elections in Kenya, Zimbabwe and elsewhere
To remind us that in Africa
Democracy is not the people's voice
But what is dictacted by those with guns and economic power
That, as in the words of Bob Marley
Democracy will always be but a fleeting illusion
To be pursued but never attained
We need more musicians like Flabbia to sing derogatory lyrics
Contributing to more moral decay
Because hey! That's just the way it is
As long as he protects his five year old daughter at home
Who cares if his daughter's peers hears his vulgar words
He has no moral obligations towards them.
We want more liberal, conservative and coward and tabloid media agencies
Because the very fact that they never get censored must mean:
They always tell the truth and nothing but the truth
As so help us God
The Mail&Guardian should continue to be gagged, dragged to court and censored because they lie about politicians.
They cause discontent and create revolutionary sentiments among peace loving South Africans
Who have no reason to find any fault with their wolves in sheeps skins politicians.
We want more biggest loosers show on our tv screens
To remind us how North Americans consume more food than the rest of the world
We definitely want more doccies to commemorate 911
Not to remind us that on the 11th of September 2001 24 000 children died of hunger that day
But that 'special 3000' Americans died that day
Than some infants from some obscure country in the Third World
We want more prepaid basic necessities like electricity, water and phones
So that the poor can always know their place and be plunged into darkness
(Most of them live in Dark Africa anyway)
Or be without water
They always have the alternative of their malaria and dirt infested rivers
Remain without emergency telecommunication
Anyway who cares if they stab each other
Or have sick relatives
They are the poors
We want more privatization of education
And rising fees of tertiary institutions
So that only the children of the elitists can have access to higher education
After all why must we provide subsidized education to the children of the poors
Who will then wash our cars, clean our houses and tend to our every elitist whim?
Of course we want more posh soccer stadiums for 2010
Instead of more well-equiped public schools and hospitals
It's the poors who go there
We have our own private institutions to look after us
We want more televangelists and fancy pseudo-pastors
Who demand more offering so they can drive posh cars,
Own holiday homes
While their flock perish in poverty
Because blessed are the poors
We want - we want - we want
Because we are greedy multinationals
World Bank, IMF, World Trade Organizations, G8, even NEPAD
We are the economic mafia - the untouchables
Because the workers of the world do not take heed and listen to Karl Marx and Engels
For the workers of the world to unite
Because they have nothing else to loose
BUT THEIR CHAINS!
Faith ka-Manzi is an activist currently based at the Centre for Civil Society, UKZN.