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.
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