Should Zimbabwean provinces be renamed? (Mashonaland, Manicaland and Matabeleland)

 Words have power. And names have immense power and can be  self fulfilling prophecies. Today many Zimbabweans have strange English names that are the butt of jokes in neighbouring countries. Names like Godknows and Knowledge are the source of derision and comedy. If it was up to me it would be illegal to give an African name a non-African name. How many white people give their children African names? How many Arabs give their kids Zulu names? Let us be careful what we name our children. 

When the British settled in the land between Zambezi and Limpopo they met various tribes living there. They exploited the tribal conflicts and divisions that were already present. The Ndebeles regularly raided and enslaved the Shona speaking tribes. The Shonas were divided and disorganised. To ensure that these African tribes would forever remain divided they gave the provinces tribal names that divided the people along tribal lines. Mashonaland in the north, Manicaland in the east and Matabeleland in the south.

 

Before I proceed, I will admit that Rhodesians did a lot of good and they did a lot of bad things. They did put an end to the tribal wars. They stopped cruel customs like the killing of twins and albinos that were performed by  the native tribes. The whites brought science, literacy, medicine, trade and infrastructure. It was not all bad. 

These tribal divisions continued even during the war of liberation struggle. The Shona party ZANU and Ndebele ZAPU were divided along tribal lines. They spent as much time fighting each other as they did fighting the Rhodesians. Gukurahundi was the climax of the tribal tensions between the Shonas and Ndebeles that saw thousands of Ndebeles die at the hands of Shona 5 Brigade.

Forty years later and Zimbabwe is still a divided country. We are divided by political affiliations, language and between rural and urban populations. I for one think names play a very important role in shaping our future. By calling a province by a tribal name, you are essentially ignoring all the other tribes. Zimbabwe belongs to all who live in it. Mashonaland should be for everyone. By calling it Mashonaland you are saying that the land is for the Shonas when it belongs to everyone in the land. Zimbabwe is home to many tribes and languages. There are Tonga, Shangani, Nambya, Venda, Sotho, Xhosa, Kore Kore, whites, Indians, Coloureds etc. Isnt it high time we rename the provinces to something inclusive, unifying, geographical or in remembrance to our shared history?

If it was up to me Zimbabwe would have remained as Rhodesia. Rhodes was the father or modern Zimbabwe. There is no escaping that fact. The boundaries, the infrastucture, judicial system and language are the result of efforts made by Cecil Rhodes. As a Zezuru I am eternally grateful that Rhodes saved my people from Ndebele raids. 

Back to renaming. On the name Zimbabwe, why name a country after abandoned ruins? Is that not a self fulfilling prophecy? Forty years later Zimbabwe is now indeed in ruins and lies desolate as millions flee poverty and political persecution. The country should have remained as Rhodesia or should have been called Mutapa, word that means realm.

So what now?

Matabeleland province should be renamed to Mthwakazi Province which is the original name it was called by the Ndebele.

Mashonaland should be called Mutapa Province after the great kingdom that at one time ruled over the entire region.

Manicaland should be called Mutapa Province after the great chief Mutasa who once ruled that region.

Or maybe we just call the provinces, Eastern province, Northern Province and South West province.

The renaming of the provinces is just a first step to uniting a divided nation. Whites, Zezurus, Ndebeles, Xhosas, Vendas etc must all feel like Zimbabwe is their home. More needs to be done to heal the wounds that have been inflicted by gukurahundi, the Ndebele raids, the Rhodesian bush wars and Zanu pf political violence. But every journey starts with a single step. 

If you want to know more about Shona culture check out my book The Shona Chronicles.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CLKVWY4T

Should there be The Wire movie or sequel?

The Wire was an American crime drama television series created and primarily written by author and former police reporter David Simon. The series was broadcast by the cable network HBO in the United States. The Wire premiered on June 2, 2002, and ended on March 9, 2008, comprising 60 episodes over five seasons. The idea for the show started out as a police drama loosely based on the experiences of his writing partner Ed Burns, a former homicide detective and public school teacher.

Set and produced in Baltimore, Maryland, The Wire introduces a different institution of the city and its relationship to law enforcement in each season, while retaining characters and advancing storylines from previous seasons. The five subjects are, in chronological order: the illegal drug trade, the port system, the city government and bureaucracy, education and schools, and the print news medium. Simon chose to set the show in Baltimore because of his familiarity with the city.

When it aired it was not that popular with viewers and was always on the verge of being cancelled. However the Wire has become a cult classic and has a dedicated number of fans. Today countless Youtube channels dissect the show looking for life lessons and hidden meanings.

Is it time for the Wire to make a movie or a sequel series?

I see no reason why not. There are many unanswered questions left in the last season of the Wire. And there is no shortage of fans who are suffering from withdrawal effects after getting hooked onto the show. The fiends are in need of another fix. I would want to know 

The Greek's real nationality

Vonda's real name

How Michael does a stick up artist?

What does Mcnulty do with his life after leaving the police?

What happens to Kenard after his arrest?

How does Slim Charles fare as drug kingpin?

Does Marlo leave the streets for good?

I doubt that the Wire will ever come back to our screens. But hopefully a miracle happens and we continue to see what happens to the Baltimore characters that David Simon created. 

Order will be restored when the Munhumutapa king returns

Monarchy is the most natural form of government. The royal institution has the ability to last for centuries and even thousands of years like the Egyptian Pharaohs, Roman Emperors and Ottoman Sultans have shown. Democracies and republics do have their positive sides but they rarely last for centuries. They are unstable institutions that cater to the whims of the mobs or those with deep pockets. All forms of governance all end up as oligarchies or monarchial rule. 

Should Shonas have a ceremonial Munhumutapa king?

Once upon a time the land between the rivers Zambezi and Limpopo was ruled by Munhumutapa kings. It was great dynasty of Mutapa kings that reigned for over 300 years. It was a golden age for the Karanga people where we traded ivory with the Portuguese and our people were clothed in silk and ate from porcelain plates and cups. And yet today it seems we have forgotten about our Mutapan history. It does seem that Shonas have lost their culture except for roora bride price.

Munhumutapa kings were great and world known

We must make Great Zimbabwe our Mecca

Mutapa coat of arms

Our lack of a king or unity is what made the Shonas susceptible to the attacks from the Nguni warrior tribes that came from the south. If we had a Munhumutapa king in the 1800s we would have been able to defend ourselves. Have we found ourselves in the same predicament? Is our lack of a traditional king the reason we are in a continuous downward spiral?

Have Shonas lost their culture?

For now it seems as if Shonas are obsessed with politics and party affiliation. You are either Zanu or MDC. We Zimbabweans are divided by language, geographical location and class. But it is my belief that having a Munhumutapa king is the one thing that can unite us as a people and bring about a better tomorrow. I marvel at the sight of the Zulu king leading the Zulu nation during traditional ceremonies. It is truly a splendid spectacle to see the leopard wearing Zulus waving their shields and spears as they sing traditional songs with pride.

So what now?

Like South Africans have a Heritage Day where they dress up in traditional attire and take pride in their culture we too as Zimbabweans must have a Heritage day where we remember our past and take pride in our customs. We must play the mbira and sing songs of a distant past. We must go to the zimbabwe ruins like the Muslims go to Mecca and pay homage to our ancestral past. And having a Munhumutapa king is the icing on the cake. We should have a Munhumutapa king, especially from the Hungwe clan who must lead the people in traditional ceremonies and unite us as a people. Streets and schools must bear the names of great Munhumutapa kings such as Gatsi Rusere, Nyatsimba Mutota and all the others. It goes without saying that the Munhumutapa king will be a ceremonial role. The Munhumutapa king will be like Queen Elizabeth and have little influence in political affairs. Ndebeles too must be allowed to have their king to unite them. 

I believe that in Zimbabwe order will be restored when the Munhumutapa king from the Hungwe clan returns and we honour the Mutapa kings that came before. Then and only then will Zimbabwe rise. 

I wrote a book series called The Shona Chronicles that delves into Shona culture and history. Check it out.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CLKVWY4T

Chimurenga 4 Now!

Once upon a time, there was a prosperous country known as Rhodesia. It was a bread basket for the region and boasted a strong economy, developed infrastucture and an educated populace. Similar to the movie the Lion King when Scar took over Pride Rock and everything went to shit, the same happened to Rhodesia. A brutal and violent man named Mugabe came to power and chaos ensued.

Zanu pf has ruled over the country of Zimbabwe for 41 years since 1980. They inherited a robust economy and infrastructure from the Rhodesians in 1980 and over the decades managed to destroy the health and educational system. They committed a genocide in the 1980s that claimed the lives of at least 20 000 Ndebele lives. Zanu pf went on to loot the public funds in numerous corruption cases that left the people poor. Ian Smith has been vindicated and his prophecy of doom has been fulfilled. The 90s saw Zanu pf send its soldiers to the Democratic Republic of Congo to secure Mugabe and his gang's interest in the diamond mines. All of it was done in the name of pan-Africanism and to assist fellow dictator Kabila.

The late 90s arrived and President Mugabe went about completing his mission of establishing a one party state. He had destroyed his enemies in the Nkomo led Zapu and had eliminated any opposition within the ranks of Zanu pf. A referendum to create a one party state was held and was rejected by the vast majority of Zimbabweans. To add to Mugabe's worries, a party called the Movement for Democratic Change was launched under the leadership of Morgan Tsvangirai. MDC was a trade union based organisation allied with the student movement and had a mission to unseat Zanu pf and usher in a democratic new age. But Mugabe, being the violent demagogue that he was summoned his hooligans and played his trump card, the land reform.

The land reform or realistically, the land grabs was Mugabe's strategy to appease the war veterans, his Zanu pf cohort and to destroy the white farmers in one fell swoop. The land reform had little to do with distributing land to the landless and more to do with stealing the houses and farms of white people in a misguided attempt to follow in the footsteps of Mao and Stalin's persecution of kulaks and land owners.

With his machete wielding war vets off the leashes, Mugabe was now set to fulfill his communist dream and establish a one party Marxist state similar to Mao's China and Stalin's USSR. 

Long story short, the 'land reform' was a disaster. As much of a disaster as Mao's Great Leap Forward and Stalin's collectivisation in Ukraine. Rapid inflation was the order of the day. Bread queues and fuel queues were a common sight in Zimbabwe's cities. Millions of Zimbabweans fled the country in search of greener pastures and became a burden to neighbouring South Africa who has had to bear the brunt of Zimbabwe's economic woes. The MDC lost every election that they participated in for the simple reason that Mugabe rigged the elections and beat up his opposition and their supporters. 

Twenty years later Zimbabwe is still the sick man of southern Africa. SADC countries look the other way even if it means their porous borders are invaded daily by hungry Zimbabweans. The MDC plagued by infighting and fractured into half a dozen factions remains the main opposition under the young and charismatic Nelson Chamisa. 

So what now?

Though Zimbabweans aspire to one day hold democratic elections and remove Zanu pf peacefully, that day will never come. The truth is only a war will free Zimbabwe from Zanu. Like the spirit medium Mbuya Nehanda once said, 'Tora gidi, uzvitonge.' Which means take the gun and rule yourself. That is what we as Zimbabweans must do. If South Africa, Botswana and Zambia want Zimbabwean illegal immigrants to stop invading their country, they must assist us in a liberation struggle, our Chimurenga 4.

One possible scenario for Zimbabweans is to hire a mercenary army to fight and remove Zanu pf. A second solution is to make a deal with ex-Rhodesians to retake the country. If there are any Rhodesians who still day dream about the good old days, now is the time. We can parcel off some land to Rhodesians to establish that once great country. Perhaps they can make a small semi-autonomous state in Victoria Falls in exchange for military help in removing Zanu pf. 

It is time we show the bravery of our ancestors who ran at machine guns with spears. It is time we put aside the dreams of a democratic change and prepare to die and kill for our freedom. It is time we stop running like cowards to South Africa and face our oppressor. If we do not go to war with Zanu pf then we can expect to continue to be the wretches and laughing stock of the world. 

I wrote a book series about Shona culture The Shona Chronicles. Check it out.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CLKVWY4T

Iran will never be at peace with Europeans

 The Iranians and white Europeans have been at logger heads for a very long time. Over the years Iranians have been in conflict with white Europeans in one way or another.

The Iranians had several battles and wars with the Greeks for hundreds of years.

Then after the Greeks the Romans fought the Iranians as Parthians and Sassanians.

And today the Iranians and USA and UK do not see eye to eye. 

It is obvious that the conflict between USA and Iran is not about Israel or oil or whatever. This is the continuation of a conflict that has lasted for thousands of years between Iranians and white Europeans. Is it a brotherly feud between the Iranians and the Aryans? Is it fueled by the Iranians desire for world domination and reclaiming their status they had under Cyrus the Great? Whatever the reason, this conflict will not end any time soon. It will continue until the end of time. Or may be the reason for the end of time and man's extinction.