The Sunday News
Phathisa Nyathi
BEFORE we venture into Great Zimbabwe Monument, there is absolute need to dwell more on one pervasive African theme.
Where a theme has been identified, it is never restricted to one medium or sphere. Expressions of a theme may sometimes be concealed for reasons of morality, decency, probity and ethics. The use of metaphors may be resorted to in order to avoid embarrassing vulgarity.
This bridging article seeks to identify one theme and its perversity and ubiquity. In many of my writings I have used words such as continuity, endlessness, eternity, immortality and fertility. All these words lend themselves to the end state. Some people choose to give more emphasis to the process that results in the identified end states.
The term that some use is sexuality. Indeed, continuity and related concepts are end products of sexual reproduction, or simply sexuality. Before we identify the pervasive nature of sexuality, it is important to point out why this theme has assumed such a high degree of ubiquity or pervasiveness in African communities regardless of seeming differences among them. In fact, this preoccupation with expressions sexuality is one common identity of African communities.
In one of my earlier articles I drew attention to a phrase that I coined several years ago: “Individuals perish; humanity is forever.” I had, by then, realised the centrality of sexuality as a guarantor of the continued existence of humanity.
What also became clear, not only in nature, but also on the cultural plane, was the existence of two elements: male and female. For indeed, it takes two to tango.
In the world of fauna and indeed flora, procreation of young ones is preceded by sexual reproduction. Of course we did point out exceptions as in the case of vegetative reproduction and binary fission as among Protozoans, the one-celled organisms. Sexuality, as a refrain in the African song of life, is a celebration of continuity.
When amalobolo are paid, it’s surprising only to those who do not understand let alone appreciate the great importance attached by Africans to extension of a lineage’s blood line. Sexuality is the medium through which a lineage’s blood line is extended.
We begin with totemism among Africans. Here we encounter overt, covert and thinly veiled sexual implications. Metaphors are resorted to in order to cope with sexual obscenity and vulgarity. One has to be thoroughly au fait with totemic language, otherwise the whole basis and meaning is totally misunderstood. Such literary devices are not restricted to one particular
African community. We shall begin with the Shona. Among the Shona there is a group of the Dziva totem. The question is what is meant by dziva the pool, isiziba in IsiNdebele. For that we turn to some excerpt from their totemic rendition:
Katsime katenderere ( A small round pool),
Kanetsanga nyoro (With a moist reed),
Kanonwiwa mvura munhu akapfugama (One drinks water from it while kneeling),
Kadziva kasingapwe (The small pool that never dries out),
Nyamutswa (2018)
On the surface, the totemic rendition does not imply sexuality, and yet at metaphoric level it does, the same way as other totems do.
Such praises differentiate between men and women and are rendered in the privacy of couples’ bedroom as madanha (uttered by women) or zvirevereve (uttered by men). The Dziva totemic praise given above is uttered by a man. Let us give another example, this time from the Gumbos:
Maita Madlirapazhe (Thank you, Chitova)
Maita Gumbo, VaChitova (Thank you Gumbo, Chitova)
Vanoramba kubuda vagere kurutsa (Who will not withdraw before vomiting)
Vanokutura sevanodira muguru (You pour as if into a hole)
(Nyamutswa 2018)
These are more explicit and without doubt sexually inclined. They are uttered by a woman in praise of a man for his sexual exploits. We need not belabour the point. A scrutiny of other totemic praises will reveal sexuality in its two elemental expressions, male and female. As Nyamutswa rightly points out, totemic poetry, of the bedroom type, is rendered in two forms, that which is rendered by men and another which is rendered by women. Seeing as totems have found their way into the new school curriculum, one only hopes teachers will professionally deal with such sensitive issues. One just cannot deal with totems without dealing with matters of sexuality. It is no wonder that Cosmas Nyamutswa book is titled, “Our Totems: Out Sexuality.”
In totemic praises there are words that relate to male genitalia and words that relate to female genitalia. Ngonya, svova, gumbi and mheta are some of several words that refer to female genitalia.
Equally, tsvivo is one of several words that signify male genitalia. Dual complementary opposites are a sine qua non for a complete picture of sexuality. It is these dual elements that are identifiable in several African media or contexts. Among the Sotho there is an origin myth which locates the place of origin of the Basotho as Ntsoanatsatsi.
The place is said to be located in the Orange Free State in South Africa. The place is a pool which is fringed with reeds. A look at the Dziva totemic rendition reveals a pool with a reed, tsanga nyoro.
On the surface, this may appear to be referring to some physical landscape, a place on the surface of the earth. But lo and behold, this is a metaphor that relates to sexuality. Quite clearly, what is referred to are female genitalia, the route that humanity follows to get to the world. It is not the Sotho and Shona that have these references to sexuality. Ndebele totemic praises are equally fraught with metaphors that insinuate sexuality.
The totemic praise for the Ndiwenis makes reference to amalebe omfula, the river labia. Once again, this is similar to the Dziva metaphor and Sotho Ntsoanatsatsi. Whereas the first two referred to a pool, the Ndiwenis’ totemic praise refers to a river. In both instances, a body of water is cited. A water lily is the plant being referred to in the case of the Ndiwenis. As we know, water lilies grow where there is stagnant water. In essence, they grow in a pool within a river.
Those who are not familiar with the pervasiveness of sexual insinuations may tend to think African totems are too vulgar.
Totemic praises are rendered by people with or in a special relationship, at specified locations. Let us, finally, refer to the totemic praises for the Masukus (Nqamakazi): UMbomboshe omnyama njengomsunu osempankeni: Mbomboshe who is as black as the clitoris in a crevice.
The two examples from the Ndebele community are explicit. There is no recourse to use of metaphor. A component part of female genitalia is mentioned by name, labia and clitoris. Once again, this is an expression of sexuality, a biological process that is central to the continuity, eternity, endlessness and immortality of humanity.
In this article we have dealt with just one aspect or medium where sexuality is referred to. We shall, in the coming article cite more media where sexuality is captured in African life: within the household (fireplace, pestle and mortar, grinding stones and gendered spaces within the homestead), song and dance, visual art (including architecture and sculpture, painted hut walls), rain making, decorative motifs on clay pots, baskets, leather, eggshells, ivory, stone, bone, wood and human skin. An interdisciplinary approach is best suited to unravel the pervasiveness of sexuality in the African world. More important though, is an informed appreciation why this is so. It’s got nothing to do with Africans’ sexual perversion.
