Well another election has passed and despite the apprehension which each of us felt, we can again be proud of the peaceful and successful way in which the process was carried out. Now it’s time to get stuck in and give the new leaders our support.  Mark Berger conveys most of our feelings in the light hearted poem below.  

A POEM FOR JZ 

O JZ dear JZ

Our new leader you are

From humble beginnings

You've really come far. 

And now is your time

To shine and be strong

And make a real difference

And prove them all wrong. 

We hope you will show us

The man that you are

With the mind of a politician

And the voice of a rock star.

The ladies will swoon

And many will say

That you use much less botox

Than Zille of the DA. 

You've shrugged off the charges

You've given us hope

You even have managed

To fight off the COPE. 

We hope you are firm

We hope you are fair

We hope you will never

Put colour in your hair. 

We hope you can calm us

When voices are shrill

We hope you get along

with Patricia de Lille. 

As well as the opposition

Who will question you so

And challenge your decisions

To ensure that we grow. 

For we really do need you

And you really need us

But who really needs

The Freedom Front Plus? 

Our politicians are many

Their ideas are too

But it's not what they say

It's about what they DO! 

We want you to solve

The serious dilemma

Of that very strange man

Called Julius Malema. 

And also the Taxis

Who break all the rules

And endanger our lives

And drive like real fools. 

We need lots of jobs

And houses and things

And maybe in our parks

For the kids, some swings? 

We need much less crime

And violence and fear

And much less of those who

Make corruption their career. 

We want service delivery

And efficiency and speed

And competent people

We do urgently need. 

To run the departments

Which impact the lives

Of our sons and our daughters

And our parents and wives. 

And Africa she needs us

To show her the way

Out of gradual decline

And rapid decay. 

But don't try to fix Africa

By neglecting the South

As was tried by Mbeki

With his pipe in his mouth. 

Our economy is strong

And it can still get stronger

If the minister of finance

Could just stay a bit longer? 

Cause we want this to work

And we need you to win

And make better lives for those

Who voted you in. 

Without grabbing the farmland

Without calling for war

Without making the mistakes

Of Mad Bob next door. 

We're a Banana Republic

I'm hearing some say

But I think we are more like

A Choc Nut sundae. 

With some white and some brown

And some nuts in between

And a warm, rich black topping

With a dollop of cream. 

So we hope you're a fighter

Who will fight the good fight

For the blacks and the coloureds

And indians and whites 

We hope you will lead us

With vision and grace

So we can become

A much better place. 

Yes you are our leader

And we wish you the best

As the next few years

Put you to the test.  

So we send you best wishes

And hope you do well

And as they say in the classics

ONLY TIME WILL TELL! 

Good Luck Msholozi! 

Mark Berger

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