“Bomu La Ajira” (Bomb of Employment) by Sabatho Nyamsenda. Recited during the 12th Mwalimu Nyerere Intellectual Festival 2021. Translated by Mwongela Kamencu
“You liars listen,
stop propagating the propaganda,
That (un)employment is not a problem,
And that graduates are the problem,
There’ll be a day things will explode.
You tell children to read urgently,
If you drop out at seventh grade,
You’ll carry the crosses.
There’ll be a day things will explode.
Don’t stop at high school,
You’ll end up as police officers,
Get to the universities so that you get full enjoyment,
There’ll be a day things will explode.
Today they have graduated from universities,
But employment has gone to the afterlife,
You bring us your lies,
To hide the (employment) problem.
There’ll be a day things will explode.
Graduates from universities,
Are now moving around with coconuts shells,
There are others who are forced to engage in sex work,
So that they afford chips and chicken
There’ll be a day things will explode
They are depressed,
While you act oblivious to this fact,
One killed herself in Mwanza city,
And you think that’s not a problem
There’ll be a day things will explode
I tell you, leaders,
There’ll be a day things will explode,
The capitalists and the liars,
There’ll be a day things will explode
I repeat this and I say
There’ll be a day things will explode.
