By Tendai Guvamombe
Harare, Zimbabwe. (News of The South) – The shiny silver metal appears to be heavy as they overlap the greysh bald heads of the rural governors creating a verandah shaped extension in the seemingly of a helmet.
The helmets were given to the societal forefathers at the height of colonial occupation as the the white settler administration strategically awarded some traditional heads to reign over in resemblance of the colonial masters.
During the pre colonial era traditional leaders were easily recognized in their well reserved bewildering gear which resembles high esteemed political and social prestige in the land.
Talking of their esteemed attire animal hides such as those of lions merely reassembled power while a culturally designed crown stood as a sign of prestigious supremacy bewildered by a given traditional leader.
Such has proved to be a history that has completely forgotten despite Afro-Centric and Euro-Centric views contained in the record of the past encompassing other various aspects.
However when society’s ancestors were subdued the winds of change engulfed the all traditional leaders who acted in the best interest of the white regime who kept introducing vast amount of changes.
It became clear that since attainment of independence no progress has been made to attempt to revise as well as reverting to the original traditions which depicts the true identity of the African people.
These include the helmets which were awarded to chiefs who by then offered submission to the colonial masters but today still lack any particular form of relavance to the local culture.
Attaining independence in 1980 should have been a turning point for black people to rearrange and recorrect all the amendments which had been formerly positioned during European encroachment in Africa.
Surprisingly today the government still has the courage to import the expensive metal hats and other artefacts deemed important from the European world all in the need to crown traditional leaders.
Such a mode of operation in the recent world reveals the highest level of neo-colonialism which has gone a long way in afflicting the ideological sentiments of both the government itself and the local people.
It is crystal clear that the metal helmets which are awarded to the traditional chiefs by the government yield little significance to the cultural norms and values of the country.
Comments
About Author
