Where Were You? Poem by Niki Nicholas Nkuna

Where were you when blacks in SA were forced to carry an identity document called Dompass?
Wherever they go, in their wake and sleep, always ready for the knock of the Apartheid hand!
Where were you when the laws of this country were stacked so high against the invisible black race?
Where were you when there were two doors leading into a shop, one for whites and the other for blacks?
Where were you when all white people were made to believe they were naturally superior to blacks?
When blacks were compelled to revere white people above anyone else of any other race?
When they were forced to respect white boy kids and girls like they would their parents?
Where were you when blacks were forbidden to compete with whites on any kind of sport?
When all amenities were segregated?
When any contact between blacks and whites was utterly prohibited?
Let alone miscegenation!
Where were you when hospitals were segregated?
The beautiful and well-resourced ones, for white people
The ugly and poorly resourced ones, for blacks
Where were you when schools in SA were segregated?
The beautiful and well-resourced ones, for white people
The ugly and poorly resourced ones, for blacks
When the matric pass rate for black pupils was clandestinely regulated to limit University entrance
Where were you when there was no hope for the end of the dark days?
When the count of the dull days seemed endless?
Where were you when the mentioned of Nelson Mandela’s name meant more degradation for the black race?
When the name ‘Nelson Mandela’ could only be pronounced in whispers, even in the Townships?
When any form of resistance was met with more oppression and death?
Where were you when blacks were bitten by whites without any form of resistance allowed?
When any form of resistance was met with more oppression and death
When the so-called white lunatic running berserk shot at blacks
Deranged enough but sober to see the colour black
Where were you when the so-called ‘Die Wit Wolwe’ ran politically berserk, and shot 8 blacks in Church square, Pretoria, in the late 80’s?
When Mkondeleli stopped the killing spree of Die Wit Wolwe on the rampage on the 8th count?
Where were you when blacks had to give way to whites all the time?
When blacks were destined for the side walk only when no white is walking there?
Where were you when blacks in any occasion, big and small, had to contend with left overs.
Let alone hand me downs given to them by white people
Where were you when only white people had cars?
When blacks who had cars could only have bought them 2nd hand from white owners?
Where were you? Just tell me, where were you?


N Nkuna, July 2013