Following the video clip taken at The Boulders, the Midrand mall where shopper and cultural activist Thando Mahlangu was pilloried by the centre manager for wearing Ndebele traditional attire, self-appointed culture experts went into a frenzy.
It was not the first time Mahlangu was humiliated for wearing what represents him as a Ndebele person. In 2018 he was kicked off the Gautrain for dressing in a manner deemed “inappropriate”, as The Boulders manager also charged.
The furore escalated, with people sympathising with Mahlangu and encouraging him to continue to vouch for Ndebele cultural rights coming up against those who slammed his choice of attire “in a public space”.
Mahlangu deserves our support for embracing his Africanism wholeheartedly, unlike the hypocritical lot of us who still conform to Western imperialism. The saddest part of being an African is that we are still far from accepting our real selves. We have incarcerated our culture with the shackles of conformity. What used to define us as Africans is now overshadowed by Western imperialism – our behaviour, nomenclature and stereotypical view on our heritage and diversity.
Many Africans have been brainwashed to dance to other cultures. Our mindset of being Africans changed the day our school curriculum introduced the likes of Jan van Riebeeck and Cecil John Rhodes as part of our syllabus instead of our African warriors such as Manthatisi, Moshoeshoe, Makhado, Sekhukhune.
At school pupils are still encouraged to converse only in English “because it is a universal language”. What must become of our languages then? To add insult to injury, the mere fact that you cannot express yourself freely in English impacts negatively on qualified Africans during job interviews, reducing chances to get employed. In the same interview, you are also instructed to maintain eye contact with the panel even though African culture dictates that eye contact with an elder is a sign of disrespect.
I back Mahlangu’s cultural activism also because it hits close to home. I too have Ndebele roots via my paternal grandmother, who belonged to the Kekana (Gegana) royal family. However, her Ndebele is different to the one Mahlangu speaks. She spoke what is called “Isindebele sa Moletlane” while Mahlangu’s language is known as “Isindebele sa kwaMahlangu”.
But my grandmother hardly conversed in isiNdebele as her people in Zebediela in Limpopo had settled among the Pedi-speaking groups who enjoyed bigger numbers and cultural domination. Apart from not speaking the language, it is also rare to see the Moletlane Ndebeles wearing their Ndebele regalia.
Mahlangu therefore deserves all the kudos for being a good ambassador for the Ndebeles and their heritage. To all other Africans, let us stop dreaming of being Africans; we are Africans in Africa.
Mahlangu’s Africanism has awakened the Africanism in us.
* Mogotlane is a public servant and social commentator
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