After the success of her poem Water, PEN SA Student Prize winner for 2016 Koleka Putuma pens a new poem Africa, My Africa – a poem she calls Water’s Grandmother (who should be taken with a pinch of salt).

Africa, My Africa

Wo-yina-Mah Afrika

Woyina Mah Afrika

We the born frees

We are the future of this country

We must fight to unite

Fight for the freedom uTata Rolihlala fought for

Fight for the Rainbow Nation he prayed for

Went to prison for

We must not destroy the Fruits of the TRC

We must love our fellow refugee native Africans

We must forgive

Even when they teargas you

Especially when they teargas you

I

Am not the colour of my skin

I am human

When I step into a restaurant and the waiter does not serve me

I am not the color of my skin

She is just busy

We must tip the waiter.