Independence Celebrations: The Missing Mat’land Narrative

BY THABANI H. MOYO | @The_CBNews | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. | MAY 1, 2021

Our local creatives should draw strength from the old adage that says “until the lion learns how to read and write, every story will glorify the hunter”, writes Thabani H. Moyo.

MATABELELAND (The Citizen Bulletin) — Independence Day has come and gone with all its fanfare largely characterised by storytelling, song, music and dance. It was a spectacle to watch on national television!

However, something was rather amiss as one followed proceedings on national radio and television. The celebrations seemed to ignore immense contributions made by gallant sons and daughters from the Southern Region.

Exhortations were hyped on sacrifices made by our northern counterparts and this has been a running narrative for years. This is observable in many aspects. It’s either the Matabeleland narrative is totally ignored or comes in as an appendage of the northern region narrative.

What is worrying is that every time the issue is raised some quarters of the population are quick to scream tribalism or label those who raise the issue as ‘cry-babies.’

The language, stories, images and songs that were broadcast during the celebrations made other sections of the population scream ‘it is not ours but theirs.’ One thought it was contrary to this year's theme of “Together Growing our Economy for a Prosperous and Inclusive Society.” The inclusiveness was glaringly missing.

As Africans our celebrations are in the form of storytelling, song, music and dance. These help in identifying, imprinting and cementing identities of a people. The arts and culture are at the core of who we are as a people.

When people celebrate their history by telling their narrative in their languages, songs and dances they feel proud of who they are. This is what Zimbabwean Independence celebrations are meant to be.

Sadly not everyone feels the same, especially cultures coming from the Matabeleland region.

Zimbabwe has sixteen officially recognised indigenous languages. This means that we have at least sixteen cultures that are supposed to be reflected during the celebrations in equal measure. That is not the case at the moment.

The celebrations are dominated by a single culture, the Shona culture. A visitor to Zimbabwe during the celebrations will think that Zimbabwe is a homogenous country. Little attention is given to other cultures especially those coming from the Southern region.

The liberation songs that are mostly played on national radio stations and on national television stations are those that reflect more about the activities of ZANLA forces.

Very little is highlighted that reflects the activities of ZIPRA forces. The images will make one believe that there was only one force that fought in the liberation struggle. This imbalance needs serious correction.

Resistance to colonisation is also told from a single perspective during these celebrations.

It must be stated on record that resistance to white domination has its roots in the activities of King Lobengula. Many have distorted history and portrayed him as a ‘stupid king’ who was easily duped into signing treaties without putting a lot of thought into it.  Such views are unfortunate and not historically true.

Even after the defeat and subsequent disappearance of Lobengula resistance to colonisation continued. Queen Lozikeyi had to lead the Ndebele state into regrouping under her leadership.

She managed to make sure that whites did not take the land that was under her jurisdiction. Queen Lozikeyi had to lead the Ndebele warriors as they regrouped and rose against white settlers in 1895/6 wars.

This makes Queen Lozikeyi a heroine that can be equated with Mbuya Nehanda but the national narrative as told today deliberately omits her.

Enough of being ‘cry-babies’!

The one sided narrative presents a perfect opportunity for Southern cultural activists to rise and take a deliberate step to correct the defective narrative.

Our local creatives should draw strength from the old adage that says “until the lion learns how to read and write, every story will glorify the hunter.”

The Matabeleland region needs songs, poems, plays, images, novels and movies coined to celebrate our iconic figures. The region must start to curate arts and culture activities that celebrate these heroes.

We are not short of brilliant creatives.  Are we not the cultural melting pot of the country?.

ALSO READ: Why Local Artists Must Embrace Arts as a Tool for Social Change

In previous instalments, we highlighted the importance of collaborations, and we feel this is a noble opportunity to galvanise our artists for a major cause.

For instance, the life story of the late Father Zimbabwe has not been celebrated enough. Cultural activists and artists from the Matabeleland region must come up with exhibitions that celebrate him fully.

A single statue, a road and an airport named after him is not enough to celebrate a man of his magnitude. Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo’s story that highlights his role during the war of liberation as a nationalist leader and his tribulations between 1980 and 1987 must be told in full.

Zimbabwe is enjoying the peace that is there today because of his wisdom, foresight and a forgiving heart.

The Matabeleland region needs to celebrate its heroes through its arts and culture so that the present and the coming generations don’t forget these great men and women. No one will come and do it for the region but sons and daughters of the region themselves. Let artists and cultural activists start telling the missing narrative of the Matabeleland region when it comes to resistance to colonialism, the war of liberation and post-Independence incidents and accidents.