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WHILE the revolutionary policies of the Zimbabwean Government are commendable in as far as transforming the lives of its citizenry, the country also needs to initiate a process of reclaiming its rich historical African heritage to derive inspirational reference and forge ahead as a resolute people.
There are certain historical myths and lies that have over the years held us back as a people and must as a matter of survival be debunked and uprooted.
We also need to document for posterity the heroic deeds of forefathers like Chaminuka, Nehanda, Kaguvi, Mkwati, Mapondera, Lobengula, Chitepo and others in order to establish an inspirational foundation for future generations.
It is against this background that in a paper titled: “Reclaiming and Re-affirming African Cultural Heritage”, Paulo Wangoola, a Ugandan writer, says:
“Since Africa was the cradle of mankind and the home of the earliest civilisations and since Africa (once) led the world in philosophy, science and technology, she was destined to lead the world once more, though in vastly different circumstances.”
Wangoola’s assertions are not mere hallucinations or rhetoric. His assertions are rooted in the firm understanding that without inspirational reference any attempt by Africa to reclaim its place in the global scheme of things will remain insignificant and stunted.
Africans need inspirational reference to derive confidence in re-asserting, re-affirming, resurrecting and reconstructing their African cultural heritage which was stolen during the nightmare years of slavery, colonialism and has continued during this neo-imperial period.
We need to re-affirm our African heritage because in doing so “we re-affirm truth and diminish falsehoods.” This will ultimately give us a new perspective of ourselves as we start to relate to ourselves and to others differently.
There are basically two crucial reasons why at this juncture we need what Thabo Mbeki calls African Renaissance or re-awakening.
First, I think we need to subvert the mental genocide inflicted on the African psyche during the colonial era.
The systematic ruthless and barbaric mental murder inflicted on the African psyche resulted in the formulation of historical lies that conditioned and brainwashed us into thinking that we can’t progress without the generosity and benevolence of the Euro-American arm.
Secondly, it is my belief that the uncritical absorption of Western influences accentuated by the galls of information technology will eventually strip us of our distinct (if we still have any) African personality and identity.
Given this gloomy scenario, an assertive historical correction is inevitable if we are to ultimately overcome the social, political and cultural challenges besetting us and ensure that the future does not die in the present.
Years of slavery and colonialism have depersonalised and de-familiarised the African with the essence of ubuntu and all things that define us a proud and distinct race.
Depersonalisation of the African began with the massive looting and kidnappings of millions of the most knowledgeable and skilled people —priests, historians, philosophers, teachers, prophets, engineers and doctors.
Depersonalisation of the African began in the Middle-Passage where he was butchered and thrown into the seas as fodder for the sharks.
Depersonalisation began when the African was taken as nothing but an animal only capable of producing labour. It also began when the umbilical cord of origin was cut after landing on the Americas.
A sense of loss, hopelessness and dejection engulfed the African. Depersonalisation of the African was enhanced by the imperialist propaganda which depicted Africans as savages or sub-humans.
Colonialism took over from where slavery had left off and, in the words of Dr T.P Rwambiwa, “colonising Europeans upheld beliefs of superiority which overwhelmed the intellect and potential abilities of the (African)”.
It is not surprising to hear Africans boasting that if it were not for Europeans we would be hopping from one tree to another, a mentality that seems to have also entrenched itself in our so-called intellectuals who should be leading our ultimate salvation from mental servitude. Sadly, the same intellectuals live arduous lives of denying the African in them.
This clearly shows that there is something seriously maladjusted about our own education system that has continued to churn out products whose thinking processes remain stuck in colonial stereotypical images of Africans as inferior beings.
The extent to which colonial education helped in enhancing historical falsifications and demeaning the stature of Africans is aptly explained by renowned Zimbabwean academic and historian Pathisa Nyathi who writes:
“The education system denigrated everything African. The black colour itself became cursed colour. African knowledge gained over centuries of existence suddenly became obsolete.
In a nutshell, the African and his ways became NO WAYS.”
It is a fact that the horrendous years of colonial existence greatly maimed the African mind. It rendered the African hopeless and pruned any sense of pride. In short, the African was dehumanised. Dehumanisation of the African occurred everywhere: in mines, on farms and at workplaces.
The attainment of independence unfortunately failed to awaken most Africans to consciousness as the new nation-states grappled with survival economic issues.
This prioritisation left a vacuum in the spiritual, social and cultural front.
With the benefit of hindsight, the new nation-states must have made serious undertaking in subverting all negative colonial teachings with a view to ushering in new realities and new visions of existence needed to recreate an African equipped with the innovation and creativity necessary to have a cause and effect upon his/her well-being.
In trying to harness our rich cultural heritage, our entry point must be a reconstruction of Egyptian civilisation as a black/African civilisation, not European or Arabic.
This historical correction is not based on hearsay but is aptly substantiated by the fact that the Greeks called this land Egyptos— meaning land of black people, which clearly proves beyond doubt that the original inhabitants of the land we call Egypt who were the architects of the pyramids and the irrigation schemes were in fact blacks.
One does not need further examples of Egyptian civilisation as being black than the Sphinx Tower curved prominently with its broad African nose and thick lips. The present day inhabitants have tried to disfigure the broad nose in a vain attempt to erase any traces of black ingenuity.
But one may wonder why ancient Egypt’s racial identity is critical to Africa’s appraisal and resurrection? The answer is simple. It is from such knowledge that as Africans we practically start involving ourselves in a process of reasserting our extolled African heritage and that from that foundational basis that we derive our inspirational reference in realising that if we once did it, we can always do it again.
Reclaiming our historical heritage is never an easy process as resistance is assured from those who have benefited from such historical distortions of painting Africa as a worthless continent that never contributed anything meaningful to the sustenance of humanity.
The process needs the consensus of all Africans and it is fundamental that we re-orient or revolutionise our education system from being Eurocentric to Afrocentric through the upholding of our cultural values and indigenous languages.
The late Alexander Neville, an advocate of multilingualism in post-apartheid South Africa and a former prisoner on Robben Island, is quoted by Pathisa Nyathi as having said: “The biggest colonising elements in our society has been languages especially English. Afrikaans was cruder in that it led to revolts. English never led revolts, but has a tenacious hold.”
The issue of how foreign languages have divided and enslaved us is so apparent and embarrassing. Language is thus “a living reality which enables people to enter its life, thought and literature.”
In the final analysis, Africa cannot progress materially without properly developed and conscious minds. We must all be part of this constant process of decolonising our minds which should ultimately enable us to move towards a genuine common humanity based on dignity and self-respect. Such an endeavour could result in an expression of self-confidence and self-consciousness.
Online Reporter