Nelson Mandela arrived in Mthatha in April 1991. The imbongi met him at Bumbane Great Place and produced the following praises:
Nelson Mandela arrived in Mthatha in April 1991. The imbongi met him at Bumbane Great Place and produced the following praises:
Hail Dalibhunga!
Words of truth have been exposed,
He's the bull that kicks up dust and stones and breaks antheaps,
He's the wild animal that stares at the sky
Until the stars fall down,
I say to you Dalibhunga,
I say to you Madiba,
I've done nothing, my countrymen.
I remember you as a man when I saw you at Mfulo location in 1957,
You and Slovo played hide and seek,
Disguising yourselves from people so that you shouldn't be identified,
You're the Paramount Chief of the Thembus with the light complexion,
The son of the princess of the Khonjwayo's,
A King born of the princess of the nation.
A bright man of the woman of the nation.
Someone who stamped his feet on the mountain of Mthatha,
And whites became frightened.
Someone who once drank from the waters of the sea,
Until the water dried up and only the stones were left,
A King who did wonderful things amongst different tribes,
So that the Thembu house was shocked,
It was said: "What kind of a King is this?"
I've said nothing.
On a day, the Boers placed down two bags,
A bag of soil and a bag of money,
It was said that the King should choose which one he preferred,
The son of King Sampu did a wonderful thing,
Good Lord! He chose the bag of soil –
The bag of money was taken by the other chiefs,
I've done nothing, people of my home.
One day I spoke,
So that the Boers were confused and shocked,
They said: "Who is this man who is pursuing us?"
To which battle is he pursuing us?"
One day I spoke,
So then the whites harassed me,
They made me a harassed man, like them,
In my own land.
Alas, Dalibhunga, you're a chief to be looked after,
Alas, Dalibhunga, you're a chief to be protected.
You've surprised me tall man of Mandela,
You've surprised me, long stick which has beaten certain tribes,
When you discussed with the whites overseas,
The whites were frightened because they had never seen a black man
discussing with whites,
Black people coming together.
I say to you, old man,
I say to you Madiba of Zondwa,
Fellows, consent to enter the forest
To find sticks, for hard times are at hand.
Inkatha was helped by doing certain things,
It is good that our folks have come together,
For too long have people committed shocking deaths,
But from now on the Boers shall learn a lesson,
Because now we've united.
I haven't started to do anything .
I've spoken, I will not speak anymore,
I say to you Dalibhunga, be strong,
Be strong Madiba, your ancestors are watching you,
Our grandmothers promised that you wouldn't die in jail,
Make things right, Madiba, things are not well,
You Dalibhunga, you were brought up on the milk of Dalindyebo's cows,
So that you could grow tall like the river reeds of this of this country,
The men of our home began to move around,
You cowards, your cowardice will be bared,
So says the imbongi that's the voice of the ancestors,
So says the poet of tradition,
Long live Dalibhunga,
Ling live this old man of ours,
Long live Madiba of Sophitsho,
I disappear!
