Marimuthu Pragalathan Naicker

1920-1977

Farewell to M.P. 
by A.N.C. Kumalo

It was as natural and sweet as mountain water
to call him qabane and mfowetu
as natural as it was for him
to place a friendly arm around our shoulders
and join in our joyous rounds of song.

We the youth:
for us he will always be M.P.-bhai
and for him we will always sing `amajoni'
and `hamba kahle umkhonto' -

M.P.-bhai
one whom the Cubans would call
companero muchacho
amiable comrade-in-arms
staunch companion of Freedom's road...

Indlela yenkululeko:
`no easy walk' that path
more demanding than any mountain ascent
knife-like twists and turns
awesome gradients endless trudge
not for weak of will with enemy ambush
and ambush of inner-senses
frightening beauty and beautiful promise
the summit seemingly a mirage
a dream a distant haze
crystallised by his clear and relentless lesson
lesson of him and his companeros
J.B., Mick, Mini
Chief, Looksmart, Bram:
Not how to avoid becoming captive
Not how to avoid becoming casualty
But how to avoid surrender.

We say to you
their loved ones
with great effort
with boundless respect:
their absence on Freedom day
signals no defeat
for them the journey counted
not the arrival.

Rest well M.P.-bhai
rest well qabane, mfowethu, radiant companero
your sons and daughters
your Umkhonto
your traditions march on
and when Freedom's sun rises out of the Indian Ocean
when Freedom's dawn breaks over the vast Maluti's
showering gold over the forests of sweet green cane
over the land so gold and green and ebony
your heirs will secure that final prize
with firm grip and steady gaze.

London
May 8, 1977

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