The Sunday Mail
Responding to a knock at his door last month, Kenneth Mhakure heard the visitor greet him by the title “Sinyoro” – his clan name.
What surprised him was the person making the salutation was a boy of no more than 13 who had come to play with his son of roughly the same age in their neighbourhood of Ardbenie in Harare.
Mhakure’s day of reckoning was only just beginning.
A few minutes later the 50-year-old workshop foreman could hardly believe his ears again as the two children, throughout their kids play, respectfully addressed each other by their respective totems, his own son referring to his visiting pal by as “Mhofu”.
“I had last been called by my totem perhaps 20 years ago when I last paid my rural folk a visit,’’ a still-perplexed Mhakure confessed in a chat with The Sunday Mail Extra.
“Even the boy’s father who is my friend and neighbour calls me ‘Kenny’. Ordinarily at work and in the neighbourhood we just refer to each other as Baba So-and-So.’’
A cultural revolution appears to be taking hold on the streets of Harare and in other urban areas of the country as citizens, mostly youths, begin to find pleasure in associating more with traditional symbols, tastes, artefacts and ways of life.
Although Zimbabwe has by and large managed to preserve its culture thanks to the continuity of rural existence and the many varieties of traditional songs and dances that are still performed widely, Western liberal customs had in the first three decades of independence threatened to wipe out the country’s rich cultural heritage.
But while more than 70 percent of the population still profess Western religious denominations, social commentators predict a gradual reversal of the trend in the future as younger generations grope for traditional and cultural solutions to the various problems wreaking havoc to their society.
As Mhakure discovered, totems have sprung back to fashion and are now the favoured identity of most Zimbabwean youths some of whom have even adopted their clan names to title their entrepreneurial ventures.
It is now commonplace for city spots such as bars, cafes, garages, workshops and merchandise shops to display signposts priding Shona and Ndebele mitupo/amadawo.
The resurrection of totem use is just but one indication that signals the speedy return of African norms and rites to her people, particularly in Zimbabwe.
Others include the growing popularity of natural hairstyles and African attire.
Yet another glowing sign is the slow but sure disappearance of Christian or English names among newly-born babies.
It is now generally considered most unfashionable to christen a child with a foreign name.
In fact, a survey around several primary schools in the capital revealed that eight of 10 pupils in a particular class were likely to answer to a vernacular first name.
Names like Takudzwa, Tafadzwa, Kupakwashe, Ruponeso and Anesu now decorate the school register where before had been colonially given names such as Tom, Dick and Harry.
Jowere Makusha, an academic in Masvingo, believes that youths are seeking to reconnect with something that has been lost to modernisaiton.
“I think it is all about the people now starting to relate to their identity, freedom and emancipation. They are aware of globalisation and would like to contribute through their own identities but know they cannot do so without going back to their roots, their culture and their religion,” said Makusha.
The cultural about-turn has found expression mainly in the urban areas where even the entertainment scene is now dominated by locally-produced content.
Recent years experienced a spike in urbanite love for youthful musical genres such as Zim dancehall and Urban Grooves, both of which instantly displaced the competing international brands of Ragga and R&B, not only in audience but also in sales.
Most analysts attributed that shift in taste to the mandatory 75 percent local content policy introduced for the broadcasting industry in the early 2000s.
The bold move resulted in more indigenous music being aired on television and radio stations and an increase in the number of local artists battling for the limelight.
It reached a crescendo last month when the absence of Jamaican artists hired for an international music festival at Old Hararians Sports Club was hardly felt and it was instead local dancehall artists the likes of Winky D, Soul Jah Love, Lady Squanda, Shinsoman and Seh Calaz who stole the show.
The local-is-lekker bug has also bitten older citizens whose craving for traditional food triggered a sudden spread of culinary outlets offering sumptuous dishes of nearly-forgotten meals such as sadza rezviyo or remhunga, huku yekumusha (road-runner) and mahewu echimera.
One such eatery, Gogo’s in Eastlea, became the celebrity restaurant in the capital city overnight with its unique traditional menu that encompasses the old granny favourites such as mutakura, manhanga, mukaka wakakora among other protein-rich and health-enhancing diets.
According to a study by a group of social science lecturers at Great Zimbabwe University, the Zimbabwean cultural fabric was reeling from the imposition of western-inspired education.
“The main impact of western education was on the indigenous languages. Most youths started making manifest their newfound knowledge by speaking in English, no matter how ungrammatical their variety was.
“The speaking of English was further extended to matters of the heart. Letters to loved ones were now being written in English. If one was to profess his love to a potential lover in Shona/Ndebele, especially using proverbs, he became a subject of public ridicule. He was seen as someone who was unschooled.
“The western educated youths also dissociated themselves from their roots. They severed links with their culture, families, and religion. This impacted negatively on the African culture that emphasises on the importance of oneness. The only thing that the African Youth could aim to become was Western.
“They did this by wearing three piece suits in 35 degree Celsius weather and topped it up by toning up their skins so as to attain what was regarded as high color.’’
The study further highlights that other youths showed their coming of age by rejecting or off-loading their indigenous names.
“They adopted western and Christian ones. Some Shona names were Anglicised, for example, Hazvinei was changed to Nomatter. Others gave themselves names of their music idols, for example, Elvis from Elvis Presley. Yet others gave themselves names of cities, such as Wellington, the capital of New Zealand.”
As a way forward the educationists proffered several recommendations that can be implemented if the cultural revolution is to be completed.
“Firstly,” they wrote, “there is need to uphold some traditional values in order to preserve useful cultural practices. Moreover, musicians should produce culturally relevant music that appeal to all strata of the society, including the youth.
“Clothing manufacturing companies should be encouraged to supply wear that preserve useful cultural values. They should strike a balance between marketability and appropriateness of the wear.
“Community leaders should spearhead the promotion of culturally acceptable conduct among the youth. The media should take the lead in disseminating culturally relevant information to the youth. All stakeholders’ programs should be introduced in both electronic and print media.”
The government was also beckoned to design a clear policy on the youth by redirecting the educational curriculum to address cultural issues for the youth starting from as early as pre-school level.
It concluded: “Significant people in the society, such as political, religious, ministers, local leaders and others should act as role models in the promotion of appropriate culture for the youth.
Parents should rightfully groom culturally conscious youths. Pressure groups should be encouraged to play a significant role in enforcing Zimbabwean culture into youths.”
