Editor — I am an African. It is our culture to have a kraal head, a headman, a chief, paramount chief and a king. The white man introduced a native commissioner and a chief native commissioner right up to the president. We were forced to accept these.
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We objected to the use of the name “native” and the colonialist changed it to district commissioner. We embraced it. At independence we adopted these offices but changed commissioner to administrator.
The British coloniser banned the use of the word king because it rivalled her majesty’s position. Matabeleland was a colony and so could not have a king. We had our king and his name was Lobengula, son of Mzilikazi ka Matshobana. He was defeated by superior weaponry albeit the invader counted quite a few casualties in his number.
The country was then annexed. The Ndebeles rebelled and the Mashona followed suit. Alas the uprisings were suppressed. King Mzilikazi and his son never had sovereignty over Mashonaland. So the British killed two birds with one stone. They annexed two states.
Today, the people want to revive their culture by strengthening the traditional leader and reintroducing the monarchy and thus complete the cultural structure. There is a deafening silence from the very custodians of our culture. All they have done is to build traditional homes in schools in towns and leave the structures unoccupied.
A home without people lunxiwa. It is obvious that the same fear the British had also haunts the present government.
If not so, why is the government not encouraging the reintroduction of the monarchy. Surely, it can be modernised to assuage the fears of those who believe that having a monarch is primitive, anachronistic and therefore has no place in modern society. The bad things about the monarchy, if any can be discarded.
Our culture and that of the South Africans are not dissimilar and the South Africans have easily accommodated their kings and queens. The monarchy there is helping central government get rid of the unhygienic and dangerous practice of circumcision by encouraging the people to seek medical help.
This is a deeply entrenched tribal practice which only the traditional leaders can end. This is so because the hierarchy is set and is respected. Once the leaders work with the State a lot will be achieved in all spheres of government.
I urge the government to quickly support the return of the king if that is what the people want. The government can start by having a referendum in the areas that the kingship extended to. The king will be a unifier even across the political divide.
The State is not threatened in any way. The president can be the son of a king in as much as they presently are sons of kraalheads and chiefs and that does not make one a threat to the other. We are in all probability going to have a king with a doctorate. Let us not entertain the thought that an African king is going to inherit King Mzilikazi’s attire of leopard skins carrying a spear ready to kill the nearest offender.
Each country is unique by its culture and values most of which were destroyed by colonialism. I think we should take advantage of the elderly who are still around and revive our cultures.
Nyonyana Gwabeni.
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