‘Africanacity should be a lifestyle’

ZIMBABWE recently joined the rest of the continent in celebrating Africa Day and one of the major tenets brought to the fore was the importance of embracing “Africanacity”.

On this day, the continent became a cohesive unit to commemorate six decades since the Organisation of African Unity, now African Union (AU) was established.

This year, the celebrations were held under the catchphrase, “Our Africa, Our Future” using the hashtag #OurAfricaOurFuture!

This highlighted the need to embrace Africanacity in all facets of life, irrespective of nationality and ethnicity. This has been necessitated by the need to arrest the nascent trend of non-patriotism which has led to masses shunning their own way of life and giving precedence to foreign culture.

In line with this year’s catchphrase, “Our Africa, Our Future”, captains of the cultural and creative industries (CCIs) noted with concern how Africans have sunk into oblivion lately, embracing Africanacity as an annual fixture only on 25 May instead of living the African way daily.

Renowned playwright and Intwasa Arts Festival KoBulawayo director Raisedon Baya probed why Africans wear “African attire” on Africa Day only.

“It’s strange that as Africans we really think that the best day to look African is on Africa Day. First, it is a result of serious colonisation. We were brainwashed. We were made to feel inferior and therefore, anything that seeks to restore our true identity makes us uneasy as we tend to judge ourselves using Western standards. Ngugi (wa Thiong’o) was right about the need for total decolonisation of Africa.

“The honest truth is most wear African attire, eat African food and celebrate Africa and its richness on Africa Day. Nothing bad in that at all. All I can say is that recognising that we are Africans should be an everyday exercise. Not a one-day activity,” said Baya.

Africanacity goes beyond attire. Food, music, and dance make up the whole African fabric.

African traditional cuisine specialist, Sivalo Mahlangu of the Magriza Made Me Cook YouTube channel said nothing will mould Africans as much as their own food.

“The consumption of food plays a pivotal role in shaping an individual’s cultural identity. By acknowledging and embracing one’s food culture, individuals can gain insight into the beliefs, customs, and behaviours that govern their respective cultures. As African people, it is imperative to appreciate the rich history and knowledge embedded in the preparation and serving of our diverse cuisines. In light of this, I personally would recommend that individuals set aside multiple days during the week to prepare and indulge in African cuisine, as this will undoubtedly prove to be a rewarding experience,” said Mahlangu.

He continued: “To fellow Zimbabweans, I would encourage them to prepare isitshwala senyawuthi (pearl millet) served with inkukhu makhaya (free range chicken) and ibhobola (pumpkin leaves). After this dish, as a dessert, they can have isijeza/inopi (melon mixed with maize meal) served with fresh milk. That would be a sheer African way of doing things.”

Africa is endowed with cascading aquatic spaces and sparse nature verdure. Africans are artistic beings and George Mgona who established the George Mgona Art for Conservation Trust is of the idea that our own flora and fauna suffice when it comes to art.

“Basically, we appreciate Africa through art that celebrates African nature. Apart from Africa Day being an African political commemoration, we also celebrate the nature of the African continent that surpasses other continents and is the reason why people from the world at large will make sure that they visit Africa at least once in their lifetime. The seas, forests, minerals and even ever smiling people compel one to acknowledge Africa as a great and beautiful continent,” said Mgona.

Sunduza Dance Theatre’s Charles Mahlaba said African dance should rule the roost and take precedence over other forms of choreography.

“As Africans, we should always be proud of being who we are and be fond of being Africans no matter what complexion you are. If you’re born in Africa, you’re an African. We should preserve, and safeguard our culture, be it music and dance, we should make sure we always keep our roots because every day is Africa Day. There are dances like ingquzu and umdadada and these made our elders look smart when they presented themselves to our mothers back in the day,” said Mahlaba.

Africans are known for their distinct sound, and Matojeni Melo-Maniacs’ Blessing Nqo believes music is of African origin and as such, local genres should be held in high regard.

“Music began in Africa. Every single country in Africa has its own musical tradition, such as isicathamiyo, khwela, highlife soulos, bikutsi etc. It is important as Africans to celebrate Africa Day through music because music has always been a unifying factor around the world, bringing together people of different backgrounds, races, ethnicities and traditions. Through music, people learn to understand and respect other cultures. I think we should listen and dance to our music all the time not only on Africa Day. For me, every day is Africa day,” said Blessing Nqo.

Afrocentric poet Thaluso Da Poet said more should be done to uplift vernacular African poetry.

“Being African means embracing every facet of our art. As a poet, I feel like it’s rather hypocritical for us to blow horns about foreign pieces of word art, especially places that we have never seen and been to. We should be proud of our own places that define us as African and that’s something that shouldn’t wait for one day. Poets who recite poems in vernacular languages are downtrodden and belittled, something that should change if we are to be true to ourselves,” he said. – @MbuleloMpofu.