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THE late Lawrence Chakaredza, popularly known as Warlord, once threatened to exhume Cecil John Rhodes� remains from the Matopos and throw them into the Zambezi River from where they would be washed to the sea. After reading Brian Pindayi�s article titled "Presence of colonial relics in Zimbabwe disturbing", one is consoled that Chakaredza�s voice was not a lone cry in the wilderness. The Matopo Hills, which today are a tourist attraction and are scaled even by "witches", were a very sacred shrine in the pre-colonial halcyon days. The Matopo Hills was believed to be the earthly residence of God and his high priests and priestesses known as Nyusa and Mbonga respectively. As such they were only accessed by sanctified emissaries of the people. This was the centre of all religious rites in the country, where people from all parts of the country trekked whenever they wanted the Lord to intercede in their socio-economic maladies. The voice of God was reportedly heard speaking to all who came to pay obeisance, instructing them how to exist in harmony with nature and the spirits. This was the sacred Njelele, Matonjeni, Mabweadziva, Dombo-dema or Mwarindidzimu, which today has been desecrated as the burial place of a white bandit, who was rabidly racist and who viewed all non-Anglo Saxons as ". . . the most despicable specimens of human beings." Such prejudice led one of Rhodes� cohorts, David Livingstone, to "presume" that he was the first person to see the Mosi-oa-Tunya Falls, in spite of the fact that millions of our forebears saw them before him, and there were also thousands of Tongas in the area at that time. To him, they were not people, which is probably why they were put in reserves together with wild animals, the animals in game reserves and the people in native reserves. When they came across the high seas, they brought their own way of getting to God, and disparaged all local customs. Today, that legacy lives on as everything traditional is considered heretic by the myopic. Our spirits such as Murenga, Nehanda, Nehoreka, Dziva and Tovera were viewed in the same way. These are the same spirits that led the people in the two Chimurenga wars which ushered in self-determination in the country. Everyone knows the burial place of Rhodes, which is no ordinary burial place since it�s at the core of our traditional religion. Can the powers that be please do something about this sacrilege and mollify the spirits of the land. As if that is not enough, today David Livingstone and the whole Pioneer Column have streets and schools dedicated to their memory in an independent African country, in spite of their heinous acts. Moreso, Livingstone�s statue towers over the Nyaminyami at Mosi-oa-Tunya (which is not and was never Victoria�s Falls), and the home of the sacred snake spirit has been dedicated to the British high priestess. In Parliament, all legislators take their oath of allegiance in the Queen�s language. The only MP who dared use the mother tongue was Enoch Chikweche, also known as Munyaradzi Gwisai, who has since been chucked out of the august house by his party. These colonial relics are not only historical. A walk through the streets of all the countries� major urban centres will reveal mannequins with Caucasian features in all the shop windows, and most baby dolls have features of white people. Ironically, black mothers fall over each other to buy these when looking for toys for their daughters. This writer is still to come across a black doll with negroid features. As if that is not enough, in their formative years, the children are indoctrinated to despise everything black as they hear of black books and black lists at school, black days, black sheep, blackmail, black markets . . . in society, ending with the startling realisation that they are also black. More so, all the "pictures" and drawings of Jesus portray a blue eyed, blonde haired adonis, contrasted with a black, wrinkly, bloodshot eyed, fork tongued devil, in spite of the fact that no verse in the bible describes Jesus� facial features! Any wonder then that the "salad" generation is full of self denial? There is need for a semantic revolution if we are to avoid perpetuating the myth of white supremacy. As President Mugabe said at the opening of the Fourth Session of the Fifth Parliament on July 22: ". . . let�s proclaim Africanness as a matter of policy." Only recently, the residents of the newly established suburb at the former dump site Westlea (or is it Wastely?) petitioned the Minister of Local Government and National Housing, Cde Ignatius Chombo, in protest against the proposed Shona street names, which they claimed would lower the value of their properties. They opted for English names which they believe will render their residential area more upmarket! The same is happening at the new suburb, St Mary�s extension on the banks of River Manyame in Chitungwiza, where residents are up in arms against the proposal to name the suburb Chaminuka after the spirit medium who resided in the area. They are opting for the name Manyame Park, the issue being the word "Park", which they believe is "trendy". All this in spite of the fact that there is a standing council resolution passed in 1983 to name the old suburb and any new developments after Chaminuka! Is it any wonder then that we live like strangers in our own land! A visitor from England would never be homesick since relics of home abound in the street and suburb names. This is probably why they think this country is an extension of the foggy islands and Radio Zimbabwe abounds with messages on a daily basis requesting people to come and collect their elderly parents from Mbare Police Station as they are disoriented in the land of their forefathers. None but ourselves can free our minds. The
Mulindwas Communication Group
"With Yoweri Museveni, Uganda is in anarchy" Groupe de communication Mulindwas "avec Yoweri Museveni, l'Ouganda est dans l'anarchie" |
