The idea of making Africans being proud of themselves and their names comes a long way. “Roots” (1977) viewers will recall how Kunta Kinte resisted being called by his slave name, despite being severely beaten.
Author: Prof Makala Lilemba (Prof Makala Lilemba )
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Opinion – Authentication of African oral history
There are debates in many academic institutions and other centres of learning on whether African oral history should be regarded as authentic to compete with the Western documented history. Lamb (1990) remarks that the history of Africa was passed from one generation to the other by the spoken, not written word.
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Opinion – Closing the kraal gate after the cattle had fled!
There is a Silozi idiomatic expression of closing the kraal gate after the cattle had either fled at midnight or been stolen.
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Opinion – Campaigning for undelivered services
We have seen and witnessed the campaigning process of many political parties in Namibia since 1989. There have been many promises made in the process, which came to non-fruition.
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Opinion – Undermining academic contributions to national development
In his documentary, ‘The Africans: A Triple Heritage’, Mazrui (1986) laments that despite being rich in all mineral resources, Africa continues to be inhabited by the poorest people on earth.
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Opinion – Turning cultural ceremonies into national cohesion
The Lusata cultural ceremony of the Mafwe ethnic group in the Zambezi region has just ended. The yearly ceremony attracted high level traditional and political delegates from three countries.
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Opinion – Celebrating 41 years of the Lusata cultural ceremony
All the roads will lead to Chinchimane traditional Village on Sunday, 2 October 2022, when the Mafwe ethnic group will be celebrating 41 years of Lusata traditional mace. The mace, referred to as Lusata, has symbols signifying the important cultural unity of the Mafwe.
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Opinion – Multiplication of traditional leaders vis-a-vis nationalism
It is usually said that ‘what goes around comes around’, but perhaps in the current Namibian situation should be the other way round – that ‘what comes around goes around’.
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Opinion – Trying to silence academic freedom!
This article responds to the rebuttal of Mr David Mabuta Kapule on my discourse ‘The Quest for a Paramount Chief in the Zambezi’, in the New Era of 2 September 2022. The half-Namibia-Botswana citizen, currently studying in the United States of America, tries to silence my academic freedom.
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Opinion – The curse and culture of the blaming game
The tendency to blame other people for our mistakes comes a long way. One may even affirm that this tendency is old as the creation itself. Biblical scholars and Christians alike derive this tendency from the moment when Adam shifted the blame for eating the forbidden fruit on the Creator and his wife, Eve.