Khawuleza!

I was suddenly in the mood for Miriam Makeba and went to YouTube to listen to some of her songs. The first one I listened to was the song "Khawuleza" in which the child tells his/her mother to hurry up, because the police are coming.



It's seventeen years after the change of government and I wonder what has changed as far as the police is concerned? Police brutality in South Africa is something that's making the news quite often these days. Again, I think, the children are shouting "khawuleza, mama!" South Africans do not trust their police. I know that I do not. When I see a police officer in South Africa I feel nervous instead of safe. They say you only need to fear the police if you are guilty of some crime, but that is not true. There is good reason to feel afraid. Afraid because police corruption is so rampant. Affraid because tsotsis sometimes dress-up as police officers. Afraid because we saw what happened to Andries Tatane. "Khawuleza, mama, khawuleza!"

So while South Africans wait to hear the result of the elections yesterday, here's another Miriam Makeba song: