Abstract
This article delves into the individualistic culture depicted in Duma’s poem ‘Not Yet Uhuru,’
available on YouTube (2021). The discussion centers on how the poem reveals the individualistic
tendencies within the African National Congress (ANC) political party, focusing on four key areas:
corruption, unemployment, nepotism, and public service delivery. Given that the ANC is the dominant
political party in South Africa, it is incumbent upon it to address the needs of South African citizens. This
study utilized textual and audio analysis, drawing data from an audio poem on YouTube. The study is
grounded in reader-response theory, which highlights the authors' perspectives on their experiences and
observations as a key aspect of expressive writing. The findings indicate that Duma’s poem unveils the
individualistic conduct of the ANC's leadership. Duma acknowledges in the poem that while not all ANC
leaders are driven by greed, the majority are. The study suggests that poems like ‘Not Yet Uhuru’ deserve
more attention as they can effectively bring attention to the government's misconduct and prompt
improved treatment of the people who elected them.