Munzhedzi Frederick "Zorro" Ramovha, an activist-poet and lawyer, warned the African National Congress (ANC) about the dangers of unchecked power and corruption before it came to power in South Africa. Ramovha, who went into exile in Zambia and Zimbabwe in the 1980s, saw first-hand how liberation and independence movements turned corrupt and repressive in government. He joined the ANC's armed wing, Umkhonto weSizwe, and was involved in anti-apartheid writers' circles.
Ramovha's poem, Soul Raid, describes how newfound power corrupts former liberation movement leaders. An extract of the poem reads: "All hypocrites are right … /The spirit of Judas seems to reign supreme, pushing honourable man's dishonesty to the extreme … /Silence plod my conscience like a soldier's boot and alone I sit and vainly brood." He warns that citizens giving liberation movement governments unchecked power without holding them accountable will lead to corruption and moral decline.
Ramovha, a supporter of the ANC, feared the moment of truth when the masses who supported the ANC finally realised the ANC leaders' corruption, moral decline, and blame-shifting. In his poem Moment of Truth, he writes about distancing himself from the cruel reality and losing purpose. His poem Oh African Child, recited at many political rallies, summed up the hope of a future better life for many black South Africans with the collapse of apartheid.
Born in 1955 in Tsianda village, rural Vhembe, Ramovha matriculated from Dimani High School in Thohoyandou. He initially registered for a law degree at the University of Venda but left to go into political exile. When he returned to South Africa, he studied law at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) with an ANC bursary. Ramovha was a member of the editorial collective of the Student Voice, a student community newspaper.
At UWC, Ramovha was known for his poem Oh African Child, which is recorded at the Mayibuye Centre, University of the Western Cape Archives. He was humble but had a serious demeanour and was a keen observer of people. Ramovha had a great sense of humour and would often recite poetry, particularly Oh African Child, with deep emotion. He was active in student activism and a leading member of the UWC Creative Arts Society.
Ramovha's other poems include What A Confused World and Song of Hope. His poem Song of Hope is a call for never giving up hope, no matter how dire the circumstances. Ramovha was a tall, wiry individual, and his old motorcycle was his prized possession. He died in November 2011 after a long illness, leaving behind a legacy as a poet-activist who foresaw the dangers of corruption and neglect by liberation movement leaders.
Former ANC leader and South African president Jacob Zuma encapsulated the party leaders' arrogance when he said: "The ANC will rule until the second coming of Jesus." Ramovha describes unchecked power as a "poisonous pill" given to liberation leaders by their supporters, which destroys the moral soul of the party. His warnings, though forgotten, remain relevant today.
Key points
- - Munzhedzi Frederick "Zorro" Ramovha was an ANC poet-activist who warned about corruption and neglect by liberation movement leaders. - Ramovha's poems, including Soul Raid and Oh African Child, reflect his concerns about power and morality. - His legacy serves as a reminder of the dangers of unchecked power and corruption.
