IS
THERE SOMETHING UNAFRICAN?
-
Ndaba Sibanda (Zimbabwe)
It is a country on the southernmost tip
of Africa, and it`s a proper
name
that has the word Africa
in it.
Some of that Southern African nation`s
official languages entail: Zulu, Sotho,
Ndebele, Xhosa, Venda, Tswana and English.
This African nation is separated by the Limpopo River
from a landlocked country in Southern Africa whose
political,
historical, cultural factors influence its linguistic
landscape.
That both countries share historical, cultural and
linguistic
similarities is no debate, for instance, both citizens
speak:
Sotho, Ndebele, Xhosa ,Venda, Tswana and English.
It is a country on the southernmost tip
of Africa, and it`s a proper
name
that has the word Africa
in it.
What is improper
is the lack of respect
for the sanctity of life, brutality and criminality,
whether perpetrated by a citizen or an immigrant.
African leaders have a duty to serve the interests
of their nations and citizens in a total and true fashion,
anything else is inexcusable, unfit and unacceptable.
What is also inexcusable, unfit and unacceptable
is to slay another African citizen by virtue
of that he was an undocumented
immigrant.
How sad that the words Africa,
African
have lost their essence in a heartless pool
of Afrophobia, Xenophobia or Anti-Africanism.
In both countries, one can find a Dube, a Khumalo,
A Mudau, a Ndlovu, a Nyathi and even a Dlamini –
does their brotherhood diminish by virtue of borders?
How sad that artificial, colonial boundaries have
overridden historical, cultural and linguistic
affinities
and humanity and haunted, blinded brothers like ghosts.
Indeed there is a race for wealth, jobs, power and
survival,
but what boggles me is that an undocumented non-black
African can live in there without hassles or eyebrows
raised.
It is a country on the southernmost tip
of Africa, and it`s a proper
name
that has the word Africa in it.
Is there something UnAfrican?
****