By Myesha Jenkins
Translated to Sepedi in 2011 with permission from author. Myesha Jenkins.
He beat her
He stabbed her
He kicked her
to death
Because she wouldn’t listen
Because she was too pretty
Because she had her own thoughts
Because she didn’t know her place
He beat her
He stabbed her
He kicked her
to death
Because he could not cope
Because he could not feel
Because he was the man
Because he didn’t know his power
He beat her
He stabbed her
He kicked her
to death
Because we said nothing
Because it was too personal
Because we didn’t want trouble
Because we didn’t want to know
He beat her
He stabbed her
He kicked her
to death
He burnt
choked
shot
hacked
threw her
to death.
Go Hwile o Mongwe Mosadi
By Moses Seletiša
o mo iteile
o mo hlabile
o mo ragile
go fihlela a neela moya
ka ge a hloka kwešišo
e le senoinoi sa maikarabelo
a na le tša ‘gwe dikgopolo
le go ikgapa a ikgoroša
o mo iteile
o mo hlabile
o mo ragile
go fihlela a neela moya
gobane yo monna,
ke kgale a di gagola matlalo
a hlagatša metšabelo
a kgantšhetša mosadi bonna
ka go mo tsogela maatla
ka ge yena e le monnatia
o mo iteile
o mo hlabile
o mo ragile
go fihlela a neela moya
ra fetša ka go roka melomo
ke taba tša babedi
re tšhaba nko go šunya
re tšhaba a kgofa madi
o mo iteile
o mo hlabile
o mo ragile
go fihlela a neela moya
a mo gotetša
kgama
thunya
tlaiša
bolaya.