With her furious, feisty and fruitful pen, she brought global fame
and vigorous discussions and debates to a number of crucial issues –
as well as the critical questions of land disparities and discrimination
and of independence at a time when such themes were tough to explore.
With such a firm and fabulous oeuvre, Ms. Mahlangu is a lovely living legend—
or rather she should be celebrated as such. Her pen is still emitting and igniting.
A former ZAPU freedom fighter, she is disgruntled over the state of affairs,
over the prized assets of her party that were seized and the Gukurahundi issue.
How she is not a heroine today in the eyes of the felons, cons and lousy lackeys
is not difficult to see. Her plays and poetry tell stories of betrayal and brutality,
of starved and ignored orphans, disheveled buildings, rutted roads and shams.
She broaches key issues and themes of development and justice without favor.
This has not endeared her to those who are anti-progress, peace and equality.
Old and frail, she has been labeled an unpatriotic irritant after penning a play
titled: Unfulfilled Promises And Shattered Dreams. Her play casts new light
on corruption, elitism and clannism. Its special lens and refrains can be utilized
to add nuance to multifaceted political issues and the state of the economy.
Notes: the poem first appeared in Vol. 6, Issue 2: April, 2025 of the Creative Flight, an International Half-yearly Open Access Peer-reviewed and Journal in English
https://www.creativeflight.in/ndaba-sibanda-poet-creative-flight
It is taken from Ndaba’s upcoming poetry collection titled Crocodile Tears.
