When Chris Hani passed away I was 12 and going for 13. My youngest uncle drove from Mafikeng to his funeral whilst my mother and I watched it on TV. My uncle came back with memories and a placard for me that hung in my room for many years until we moved away from Mafikeng and my placard got lost in the moving.
When Madiba passed on my mother and I, now joined by my brother ,decided this time we will not experience this via TV. We will be one with the people at the stadium.
Like many other South Africans we applied for leave, caught the buses and the train at 6 am to celebrate our father of our nation. None of us, as we woke up at 3am, had plans to boo the president, or be subjected to speeches but had the feeling that we will brave the weather to celebrate and pay respects to our Madiba like what people did for Chris Hani - pity the ANC had very different ideas.
At the metro rail train station (Park Station), the singing was infectious, people were in the mood to celebrate the former president and promote his ideals. I remember on more than one occasion whereby someone tried to sing ‘umshini wam” and the people were like “no no no” and changed the song.
It was also evident that most people did not know the struggle songs, due to the mix that was evident at the trains but the “comrades” amongst us tried to accommodate those who only know ‘‘the popular songs’’. The “rainbow nation” and middle classes started toyi toying in the Parkie train platforms.
Whilst a lot of people looked on in envy as they went to work, standing on the other train platforms, I wondered how come our leaders did not make the day a public holiday to make it possible for everyone to make it to the memorial?
By 7am, as the gates opened at the staduim, the people trickled in - honestly, I was disappointed at the numbers. The rain poured but the singing was not abated aside from constant reminders to “save yourself for the main event” as a gentleman (I never got his name) who was seated in front of me, kept reminding me.
In the spirit of Mandela whenever someone would raise “dubhulu ibhunu” there would be one or two people who would shout down the song and start a another song. Clearly the non-affiliated South Africans were outnumbered by the ANC clad comrades in the XXX strong stands who would lead song. The pick of the songs were “ Oliver tamba thetha no Botha’’ and “uMandela yo” and”Mandela my president”.
As the whiteys present at the stadium were being made to feel welcome. Finally the program started an hour late and the first bombshell was Cyril “Mr.Marikana” Ramaphosa was the MC. One dude was like “Why did they choose Cyril?”.
Cyril is not loved like he was during the CODESA days; his buffalo antics and more importantly his role in Marikana has left a sour taste in a lot of people's mouths. As if a sign of the cold shoulder Cyril was getting, Baleka Mbetha was recruited.
Then the people who had been saving themselves to sing struggle songs with their leaders where not given an opportunity to sing during the official ceremony. The struggle tradition was not honoured.
When the crowd came up with songs, the MC would cut it short. It's like the program managers wanted a rent a crowd, not an active one. When they noticed the crowd was being restless, Baleka started her awful singing and when the crowd tried to pick up the pace they were cut short.
It’s quite telling that the poor band that brought drums who Cyril said would be given a chance to sing and celebrate left without them playing one song.
Although there was a small crowd which had arrived after 9 that started singing through the speeches most of the crowd was well behaved even the EFF group in red. Even though the sound was bad and the powers-that-be stopped the video feed in the stadium, literally leaving us to hear peoples voices and not to see the speakers properly.
In the cold and wet conditions the people in the stand had to take listening to speeches given in foreign languages whilst the translations were inaudible. It almost felt like the translation was an after thought, especially for the Brasilian and Chinese dignitaries.
As if tired of the crowd cheering for Mbeki, Barack and Mugabe, the video feed was cut in the stadium so that those in the stadium to see the podium. The stadium had to shout “screen” for it to be able to make the AV guys to bring it back up at the beginning of Barrack speech. Dignitaries got Cheers except for George Bush and Zuma.
Now the booing for Zuma ... it's two weeks since the etoll was launched, the leaked Nkandla report but above all, this week was a poignant one where we looked back to our father and grandfather of the nation and I think the country is slowly realizing how far Zuma has fallen from that the big tree that has fallen but claims to channel those values. Barrack's speech just rubbed it in even more.
Yesterday was a mini-Polokwane for Zuma - he was weighed and found wanting, it's like the people were like the President is letting down the former Presidents legacy whilst claiming to be the Peoples president. The substituitions that I saw for me was marked end for Zuma's honeymoon. Some of the older ladies were shocked but by the third booing they could not do anything but laugh.
After Barack's speech a 1/3 left of the crowd left and when the president started speaking we left too. For the program was supposed to end at 3pm and at 3pm the President speech was just starting. The mood back was more sombre than the trip too. This time there was no singing but mixed feeling.
The train back was filled with lot of conversation on how Zuma has let down the legacy of Madiba and should do the honourable thing of stepping down and not another term. I wonder what the President made of the boo’s?