Guy Williams Investigates

The disturbing parallels between the mana wave and Nazi salute

In the blistering heat of a New Zealand summer, or the equally punishing chill of winter, you might find yourself idling at a roadwork stop sign. If you are lucky (or unlucky), you will see a solitary figure in hi-vis, vape in one hand, 500ml V energy drink nearby, standing guard with the solemn air of someone who would rather be anywhere else. And if you are really lucky, you might catch a glimpse of what some have started calling the "mana wave" - a strangely enthusiastic one-arm gesture that looks suspiciously familiar.

The mana wave, often seen from Māori road workers, is said to be a gesture of pride - an acknowledgement, a kind of cultural shout-out. But if you have seen Elon Musk’s infamous stage gesture, which the media labelled a Nazi salute, you might start drawing some uncomfortable parallels. Could it be, as one theory suggests, that the mana wave is simply the Nazi salute rebranded?

To get to the bottom of it, I enlisted the help of Guy Williams - part-time comedian, full-time wanker, and former partner of prolific politician-turned-shoplifter, Golriz Ghahraman. After some light persuasion involving some Green Party “medicine” and half-a-dozen Garage Project beers, Guy suited up and grabbed his mic.

His mission: find the truth behind the mana wave.

The hunt begins

Guy’s journey began in Auckland, crossing the Harbour Bridge into the safer, whiter pastures of Takapuna. He got off at Akoranga Drive and made his way toward Takapuna. Driving up Esmonde Road, he got excited. A crew of road workers was stationed at the corner of Esmonde and Lake Roads. He rolled past the stop-go sign, hoping for a mana wave. Nothing. Disappointed, he pulled an illegal U-turn just before Hauraki Corner and tried again. Still no wave.

When he finally confronted a road worker about the missing mana wave, the reply was simple:

"I’m fucking white, mate"

That led Guy north, deep into Te Tai Tokerau, where the smell of meth and boil-up lingers in the air and roadworks are as common as barefoot kids, with snotty noses and roaming pitbulls. Kaikohe came and went. Finally, in the shadow of the Mangamuka Gorge, he found what he was looking for: a circle of Fulton Hogan road workers, vape clouds swirling, Blue Vs in hand, laughing about their Friday night exploits and doing very little actual work.

And then it happened.

As cars crept past, one of the workers raised his arm - a mana wave. Angled, extended, deliberate. Then again, for the next car. It was unmistakable.

An interview with the Lollipop Man

Guy approached the man with his usual tact. The worker recognised him immediately:
"Eh, ain’t you that fuckwit from TV and your misses is a mean shoplifter?"

Guy laughed it off and explained he was investigating the mana wave on behalf of Matua Kahurangi. After hearing Matua’s name, the road worker was happy to oblige.

How is the mana wave done?
"Oh bro, you just extend your arm at an angle, like you’re doing a salute, my g."

Why do you do it?
"For Māori pride, my bro."

Where did it come from?
"I saw it on TikTok and was like chur bro, that’s Māori culture right there."

With that, Guy thanked him, shook his hand, and started walking back to his Prius. His mind now occupied not with punchlines, but with history. Nazi Germany. National pride. Propaganda. Salutes. TikTok.

It was all starting to blur…

As Guy stood beside his Toyota, vape smoke hanging in the air like cheap incense, his eyes drifted to a nearby Ford Ranger flying the Tino Rangatiratanga flag. Bold red, black, and white - a striking design, undeniably powerful. But something about it made him pause. The colours, the stark contrast, the symbolic force of it all - it felt familiar. Uncomfortably familiar. He pulled out his phone and Googled the Nazi war flag. Same palette. Red. White. Black. Different shapes, different histories, sure - but the visual aggression, the pride, the tribalism? He brushed off the thought.

Back to the city, but not back to normal

On his drive back to Auckland, Guy could not shake the image. A salute meant to symbolise racial unity, pride, and identity, learned from a trending video? He pondered whether the media had misread Elon Musk, whether perhaps Musk was not invoking fascism at all - maybe he was just giving a mana wave.

Three hours later, back in the liberal embrace of central Auckland, Guy gave me a call.
"Bro, it’s the same thing. The mana wave... it’s a Nazi salute in cultural drag. But then again," he paused, "is that necessarily a bad thing?"

Guy hung up, sounding more sober than when he left. His investigation had taken him from the polished streets of Takapuna to the potholes of the Mangamukas, and somewhere along the way, something clicked. The mana wave and the Nazi salute - two gestures worlds apart in history and culture - were, at their core, the same thing. A show of pride. A symbol. A raised arm saying, “I belong to something.”

Different stories. Same energy. Same message.

You’re welcome.

This piece was proudly brought to you by NZ On Air.

---

To all my readers - until tomorrow, Sunday, 8th June, I’m offering 50% off all new subscriptions. If you’ve been enjoying the free content and have been on the fence about becoming a paid subscriber, now’s the time. This is a limited-time chance to access everything for half the usual price - it works out to be less than $1 per week!

It’s the support of paid subscribers that makes this platform possible. Your backing gives me the freedom to keep writing the controversial, provocative pieces the mainstream media won’t touch. No editorial gatekeepers, no corporate interests - just honest, unfiltered writing that speaks the truth, no matter how uncomfortable. If you value that, your support means everything.