I stood in that cage, starring at my friends being taken away. They poked them, scratched them, starred into their mouths like we would with goats. There was white men and women standing around starring at my fellow tribesman standing on a platform. There was a man wearing strange clothing, he was pointing and yelling strange words then they sent them to one of the white men. When it was my turn, I was scared and furious at the same time. I struggled all I could to free myself but to no prevail. They sent me to live with a white man. I refused to look at them in the eye. They spoke some strange language that I soon learnt. They would insist on calling me ‘Big Joe’, I told them my name was Bafana, but they screamed ‘Big Joe’ at me. I was confused and decided to ignore the issue. A few days later a group of white men tied me by the hands and hung me to a large piece of wood. I struggled, trying to break free. They whipped me over and over again yelling to me that my name was ‘Big Joe’ I refused to let them change my name, “Bafana” I yelled, and they whipped me some more. I was in so much pain, My arms were sore from hanging, my back was bleeding because of the whips, I couldn’t take it anymore. “Big Joe!” I yelled then I say he was happy with himself and walked away. My other tribes man who were also force to serve the white man came to my aid. They said I should not let them control me, I am Bafana of the Zulu tribe.

Part II

Soon they forced me to work on some sort of cotton field. Is this why I was taken here? Is this why I was taken away from my family? Is this why I was tortured on that boat, to do work that the white man is too lazy to do? My hatred for them grew and grew. My thirst for vengeance multiplied.

I could not stop, even if I sat I would be whipped and punished. We worked to death. Literally. Men died from either punishment or famine. I do not know what they make the women do. Do they put them through as much suffering as us, or are they here just for breeding?

The thoughts continued to flow through my mind as I worked. I do not even know if this is work. It might be just for their merriment.

They force us to sleep in holes. They sleep in luxury, in comfort, and we sleep in the dirt, and in too much pain to move. When the white man wake up, they do nothing but watch us do their work. What do they do all day? For all I know we do the work. We suffer. We are the ones who allow them to live in the house they own. And what do we get? More pain and suffering. I do not know if this hatred will ever go away.