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ZAMA MADINANA

Zama Madinana is a South African poet, based in Johannesburg. His work has appeared in The Shallow Tales Review, Kalahari Review, , Hotazel Review, Olney, and other literary publications. Zama’s work focuses mainly on love, politics and social issues. In 2021, he won the third prize of the Sol Plaatje EU Poetry Award. He was nominated for a Pushcart Prize in 2022. His full-length poetry collection, ‘94 was published in June 2023. In addition to regular performances and readings in Johannesburg and across South Africa, he has performed his poetry in various countries including Botswana, Mozambique, and Lesotho.



KARIBU

we sunbathe our hopes

at traffic lights


we are all zama-zama here

we dig & drill

our chances


we are all here

with our genocidal scars

tutsi & hutu


we seek for warmth

between the great rocks

of the drakensberg mountain


we all here to wash

our wounds

from the healing waters

of uthukela


we are all here

bathed in grey dust

of johannesburg’s deserted

mines


we are all here

with our tattered

dignity


scrubbing

the dance floors

of hillbrow brothels

with our big bums


we are all here

with no passport

no id

& no asylum



we are all makwerekwere here


selling fruits & vegetables

on kerk street


just to survive

just to survive

just to survive



FUNERALS


here in ladysmith

rifles cough out

angry

waves of fire

coffins befriend

the weekends

o, taxi wars that never end

& taverns

are homes of violence

here in ladysmith

whoonga addicts

ravage & mutilate

grannies’ private parts



MABONENG


soak me in the searing

sounds of bob marley

& baba mali


teach me portuguese

from the wet classrooms

of a brazilian lady’s lips


allow me

to swim in the blue lagoons

of her eyes

before we eat njera

or ujeqe

down fox street


maboneng

city of a million lights

at night allow me

to drown

my sorrows

in your hideout bars


& in the morning

bury my bhabhalazi

in a strong smell

of your rusty coffee shops







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