David Kapp,
Belthorn Estate
What shall we do
was oft my refrain
as a chess maestro
repeatedly pounded me
out Mowbray Library way
me awaiting young scrabblers
on a Saturday morning
What shall we do
a line from a song
by legendary musician
Oliver Mtukudzi
the title of which I
and the chess maestro
kind of muddled up
a renowned jazz musician
Oliver Mtukudzi was he
hailing from Zimbabwe
though evening radio
says he belonged
to the whole of the SADC
was it Yvonne Chaka Chaka
using the word philanthropist
in describing him on evening etv
and CapeTalk reminds us
of a concert out Kirstenbosch way
Oliver Mtukudzi passes
two evening radio fellows
make mention of his politics
(was he not persona non grata
in that ageing emperor’s kingdom
where Bob Marley once performed)
a Zimbabwe of over
1 million
food insecure reported in 2016
people surviving up to 4 days
without a proper meal
and soldiers and police do still
what soldiers and police still do
What shall we do