Like it or not, Bob Marley’s prophesy that there will be war in the East, war in the West, war down South and war up North has come true.
Whatever your belief, I am sure you will agree with me that the world is in a mess today.
Look at the war in Sudan, war in the DRC; war in Gaza, war in Iran, war in Ukraine, war in Yemen, war in Cuba, earthquakes in Venezuela, and xenophobic war in South Africa. Everywhere is war!
Bob Marley predicted this turmoil long ago as he philosophised today’s world order. What are the main reasons why people go to war? These reasons are predicted in his song War.
The lyrics go something like this:
Until the philosophy which hold one race superior
And another
Inferior
Is finally
And permanently
Discredited
And abandoned
Everywhere is war
Me say war.
That until there no longer
First class and second class citizens of any nation
Until the color of a man's skin
Is of no more significance than the color of his eyes
Me say war.
That until the basic human rights
Are equally guaranteed to all,
Without regard to race
Dis a war.
That until that day
The dream of lasting peace,
World citizenship
Rule of international morality
Will remain in but a fleeting illusion to be pursued,
But never attained
Now everywhere is war, war.
And until the ignoble and unhappy regimes
That hold our brothers in Angola,
Go in Mozambique,
South Africa
Sub-human bondage
Have been toppled,
Utterly destroyed
Well, everywhere is war
Me say war.
od over evil
Good over evil, yeah!
Good over evil
Good over evil, yeah!
What role can each of us play in shaping a better future? Forget about human race. In Africa, we are also gripped with tribalism and regionalism. Look at what is happening in South Africa right now.
Every day we see evidence of the fracturing world order. At home, politics is undergoing its own period of upheaval.
Abroad, governments everywhere grapple with economic pressures, public service reform and growing political polarisation. Traditional parties are facing increasing scrutiny and challenges from populist movements offering simple answers to complex problems.
At the same time, many people feel a different kind of uncertainty. The erosion of civic life has contributed to an epidemic of loneliness, a decline in trust in institutions, a loss of community spirit and a growing sense that there is no common cause worth fighting for.
There are often many complex and intertwined reasons for wars beginning, rather than single clear causes. The main reasons proposed for wars are economic gain, territorial gain, religion, nationalism, revenge, civil war, revolutionary war, and defensive or preemptive war.
How interconnected are these crises? Why are millions turning to right-wing populism in search of solutions? As the population navigates the realities of government, what lessons can be learned about rebuilding trust and delivering the change people want to see?
Bob Marley’s "War" is a powerful anti-racism and human rights anthem. Its meaning asserts that lasting peace is impossible while systemic oppression, racism, and inequality exist.
The lyrics are adapted from Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie I’s 1963 United Nations speech, advocating that until basic human rights are guaranteed to everyone universally, conflict and struggle will inevitably persist
As Bob Marley put it: “Music is a spiritual tool to awaken humanity and unite people across the globe.” This philosophy is evidenced by his revolutionary music.
In 1979, he recorded Survival, a defiant and politically charged album, tracks such as ", "Zimbabwe, Africa Unite, "Wake Up and Live" and "Survival" reflected Marley's support for the struggles of Africans.
His appearance at the Amandla Festival in Boston in July 1979 showed his strong opposition to South African apartheid, which he already had shown in his song "War" in 1976. In early 1980, Marley was invited to perform at a April 17, celebration of Zimbabwe's Independence Day.
Uprising (1980) was Marley's final studio album and the last album that was released during his lifetime. It is one of his most religious productions, as it includes "Redemption Song" and "Forever Loving Jah".
Confrontation, released posthumously in 1983, contained unreleased material recorded during Marley's lifetime, including the hit "Buffalo Soldier" and new mixes of singles previously available only in Jamaica.
Indeed Bob Marley was a prophet.He famously predicted at age 24 that he would die at the age of 36, a prophecy that came true.
Bob Marley’s early prediction shocked his close friends and bandmates, but ultimately matched his exact age when he passed away on May 11, 1981, at the Cedars of Lebanon Hospital in Miami.
The cancer had initially presented itself as a dark spot that he mistook for a soccer injury, but doctors advised full amputation of the toe to prevent the melanoma from spreading.
As a devout Rastafarian, Marley refused the surgery because his faith dictated that the body was a temple that should not be altered.
Without aggressive surgical treatment, the cancer metastasized to his lungs and brain. In his final days. His official cause of death was recorded as acral lentiginous melanoma.
From his death bed he told his son, Ziggy, who was only aged twelve that: "On your way up, take me up. On your way down, don't let me down."
He also added a powerful, poignant reminder before passing away: "Money can't buy life."
These parting messages to his son have been heavily recounted by Ziggy over the years as guiding principles.
Rather than focusing on fame or material success, Bob Marley used his final days to pass on spiritual wisdom about family loyalty and the true value of human life.
*Feedback:: frezindi@gmail.com.