Fela Nabantu: Die for the people
I learnt last weekend that Thabani Zikhali, better known to most of us as Fela, died. I remember Fela fondly from meetings and discussions at the ISO offices – sitting on those wooden benches in the office, or outside in the car park. And I’m sad, and angry to lose such a good, strong, capable, confident, powerful, energetic, useful, motivated, activist. Fela fought for social justice and better basic services like access to water, health care and sanitation. Little did any of us suspect that it would be exactly this collapsed health care system that would fail him. Political violence has taken its toll on Zimbabwe – but perhaps an even greater threat is the health crisis. This is Comrade Fatso’s tribute to Fela. May he go well.
Die For The People
Today we paused for a moment of silence. Silence amidst the echoes of cholera cries, mutinous outbursts and beaten trade unionists. We paused for a moment, calm in the chaos of our struggle. We stood by a red dust Warren Hill grave side to remember our Comrade Fela. A comrade who tirelessly fought in the trade unions, the Zimbabwe Social Forum and the residents associations. A founding member of the Uhuru Network and The Amandla Centre. A comrade who died from the injustice he fought so hard against. A collapsed health care system that failed to give him basic treatment.We stood. We cried. We paused for a moment of reflection in the whirlwind that this struggle for justice can be. Because this is what it can be sometimes. Life or death painted in stark red soil. Each shovel-load of soil by each comrade onto his coffin was a reminder of the urgency of the struggle we are in. Each speech about Fela’s life was a call to uprising.
Fela died as he lived. Determined. Dignified. His death was poetic. Because he fulfilled the destiny of his name: Fela Nabantu. Die For The People.
May our comrade rest in peace.