Mzansi And The Ballot Box Poem by Chinedu Dike
Mzansi And The Ballot Box
Millions queued before the arbiter of disputes.
Hopes ran high; duty and resolve held firm.
Hearts danced with the spirit of Emancipation,
Each shielded ammo more lethal than lead,
Ready to dislodge a fiendish cabal from power.
The teary night remained carved into memory's stone.
One by one, the weapons were discharged,
Dropped into the receptacle of Liberty.
There, they received baptisms of Freedom.
Inside the altar, tugs of war ensued,
As invisible fibres aligned their aspirations.
The Popular Will prevailed.
Bearing the deep scars of Apartheid,
The ancient tribes sang praise to dawn's new reign.
The Ballot Box came at a great expense;
At all costs, its sacredness shall be preserved.
These are the surviving heroes of Mzansi.
Author's Note:
Mzansi is the affectionate name for SOUTH AFRICA.
The story is about her first democratic elections of 1994.
The Arbiter Of Disputes, The Receptacle Of Liberty,
the altar, all refer to THE BALLOT BOX.
ammo, weapons, refers to ballot paper and ballot papers respectively.
fiendish cabal refers to The White Minority Rule:
The Apartheid Regime.
Very strong and right to the point I like your style and what you stand for
Upon which they received baptisms of freedom. Thats awesome, u are truly talented.
Thank you for sharing this great poem, Chinedu. This historical event will be imbibed in every reader's mind the people's sacrifices to attain freedom.
A very inspiring, informative and wonderful poem. We can feel the happiness of the people in the attainment of democracy, the freedom they have been longing for a long period of time.
A historical and memorable moment. Indeed, the birth of democracy is sacred and must be cherished by the people.It is the foundation of life. A great and powerful poem is always a treasure.
There will always be a time for the people to seek freedom and ride in the wings of democracy, come or high water. The sanctity of the ballot if guarded thoroughly and patiently is the best democratic way to attain freedom.
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
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8/18/2026 11:11:07 AM # rel_20260813T193622Z_3aad590
a well penned eulogy to south africa and Mandela and very well explained in your notes - thanks for sharing
Beautiful comment, Louis. Thanks and do remain enriched.