Our Own Anarchy (Rev.) Poem by Margaret Alice Second

Finally, and in retrospect - the Anglo-Boer war takes on
deeper meaning, it seemed an economic war between
two white cultures fought over nationality and greed: a
stronger nation, Britain, set out to extinguish the Dutch
culture here through a scorched earth policy as Boers
rebelled against the idea of British colonisation

But Madiba studied Afrikaner history - realised any war
would result in needless death of women and children,
saw our nation was determined to sacrifice all for right
to govern itself, that both sides would suffer too much;
it would destroy our lovely country - and Madiba only
ever dreamed of a glorious, peaceful reconciliation

On Robben Island he applied his insight, won respect
of wardens, taught fellow prisoners; saw his vision of
reconciliation in light so clear he influenced each and
all by his presence while negotiating a new constitution
for our country after his release - conferring freedom
to all people, irrespective of race, colour or creed

Mandela spoke perfect Afrikaans, hailed the excellence
it brought to the fold by keeping the Springbok emblem,
engaging Zelda LaGrange as his personal assistant &
saying all Afrikaners had to be freed racial segregation
to free the nation, and he freed us - thus charming the
then President, all of the people and the whole World

But for lessons of the Anglo-Boer strife we might have
faced full-scale war, our mettle didn't need testing and
by viewing us the oppressors nothing would stop ANC
progressing their aims; Mandela knew that fighting for
our freedom came from our forbears who had been
oppressed in Europe, the Cape then the new Province

Transvaal; our history was fighting all odds to be free -
Madiba could see our subjugation fears by recognising
we're survivors, the Netherlands - Spain 80 year war,
religious persecution of believers - the Edict of Nantes
in France - we'd nowhere to go unlike other Europeans-
in-Africa with safe homelands; we've a new language,

Afrikaans, a far cry from Dutch origins, literature of 100
years - if there's war amongst African tribes we won't
leave, we'll stay, fight for our country's progress, lives
of our people and indigenies - with whom I found such
joie de vivre I willingly trade stiff upper-lip western
incredulity for our own form of African anarchy…