Africanisms

Phil Louw

Africanism, is a feature of language or culture regarded as characteristically African, something that the majority believe should predominate the African continent. Whilst some proclaim a policy of non-racialism, others herald a more racial-exclusive approach citing the injustices of colonialism as their justification for radical change, affirmative action, preferred supply agreements, and a host of other activities to redress the purported historical imbalances and unfair labour practices that were perpetuated. But the Africanism advance from the north towards the south, which has reached our shores, has evolved in similar fashion, with similar outcomes and consequences. Thriving economies, adequately useable infrastructure - fit for purpose, appropriate training and development programmes, security of tenure, to name a few, slowly gave way and collapsed to the pressures of greed, mismanagement, inappropriate transition of power and the lack of the skills transfer required, to the new office bearers. Ultimately all the affected countries tethered on the brink of “collapsed states”, were it not for interventions from key world economies. Culturally the King rules! His Indunas and sidekicks flourish and prosper, and in practice the King and all the Chiefs are entitled to the spoils of a good life even at the expense of their subjects. It remains an accepted practice even in this modern day and age. Something that the modern world apparently still hasn’t fathomed out. Similarly, neither have the colonial rulers of the past for decades been allowed to forget their indebtedness to these governments, the rulers of the people. Unashamedly these Indunas, who have donned modern-day western style titles, practice Africanism masterfully well. But for all the sins of the past, forgetting all the good and progress made, this monster that infiltrated Africa, top-down, has evolved and developed over time under the guise of Africanism and forcibly brought about change at any cost. A destructive force of power that has destroyed the good life, albeit for some more than others, and plunged a country, our country, into darkness, poverty and deprivation. Except for the Indunas and the Chiefs of course. The modern-day masters of Africanism have perfected the looting of coffers and the granaries that sustain the nation, that feed the poor and take care of the mandalas. The labour movements have learnt from the best on how to hold a country, a nation, to ransom. Do you think they care for anyone but themselves? No chance! Their demands are selfish by nature and a far cry from the: “Injury to one is an injury to all.” For decades to come the refrain will be the same as before, apportioning blame on historical times rather than accepting their own failures as responsible people or leaders. Where are the great warriors, the Zulu kings like Shaka, Dingane, Mpande, Cetswayo and other monarchs of the past in this modern day and age? What we need are leaders with a spear in the one hand and a shield in the other. Maybe the lack of leadership stems from the Africanism that has been allowed to evolve due to modernisation. The youth are no longer subservient to their elders. Power is no longer vested in knowledge, experience and discipline but rather in wealth, no matter how it was begotten. Money, the root of all evil, that has corrupted the core of our leadership and allowed the Mafia type practices to flourish at the expense of the ill-informed and the poorest of the poor. Sadly, if leaders are found wanting because of having fallen victim to corrupt practices, then the country and nation is doomed until the point of no return is reached. Only then will real change occur as noted in other African countries that have preceded us on this destructive journey. Rock bottom is the equaliser that gets everyone working together, going in the right direction (at least for a period of time) no matter your colour or creed.

Laat ons leef soos mense van die lig

Advent is die tyd in die kerklike jaar wanneer ons gereed maak vir die viering van die koms van die Here en die aanbreek van sy koninkryk. Dit is ’n tyd van afwagting waarin ons bewus raak van God se dade, in die verlede, die hede en die toekoms. Ons ken die profesieë oor die komende Messias wat waar geword het, daarom kan ons nou met ‘n verlange, en ‘n verwagting, uitsien na Sy tweede koms, die volledig vervulling van Sy beloftes, die tyd wanneer die leeu en die lam in vrede sal saamleef, die dood vernietig sal wees, en daar geen trane meer sal wees nie. Advent is ‘n tyd van voorbereiding, ‘n tyd om gereed te maak om die Here te ontmoet met sy tweede koms. God se koninkryk is hier én God se koninkryk is aan die kom; die sonde en dood is oorwin en tog is dit nog deel van ons daaglikse bestaan. Daarom roep Advent ons op om te volhard in die lewe saam met die Here wat oorwin het, en eendag as die ware Oorwinnaar weer sal kom. Ons moet ten spyte van ons omstandighede. versoekings en krisisse, en alles wat ons daagliks deurmaak volhard, sodat ons met die Here se tweede koms, wanneer Hy as Oorwinnaar-Koning sy plek op die troon inneem, gereed sal wees om Hom te ontmoet. As ons, ons nie voorberei op die Here se koms nie, sal ons geestelik geleidelik armer raak, en sal ons nie gereed wees vir die koms van ons Koning nie. Dan sal Kersfees verlore raak tussen al die einde-van-die-jaar-partytjies en die dolle gejaag van voorbereidings vir die somervakansie. Wees waaksaam. Die mense weet nie wanneer die dag van die Here aanbreek nie. Sorg dat julle gereed is. Want mense wat leef in die lig wat van die Here kom, het hoop dat daar vrede op aarde sal kom. Daarom is my gebed dat Kersfees 2022, die geboorte van Jesus as mens, waarlik weer in julle harte gebore sal word sodat julle gereed sal wees vir Sy tweede koms, wanneer dit ook al mag wees. Mag God ons in hierdie “genadetyd” waarin ons nog leef ryklik seën sodat ons ook tot seën van ander kan wees.