Nation in View: Tanzania
THE BOLDNESS OF GOD
Afrika, and the rest of the world, are going through this season of the reset via the Covid-19 pandemic and we all are hoping that it ends soon. However, the hope of it ending is not so that life can to go back to the normal that we had pre Covid-19, but to a new normal of conscious thinking, with actionable plans that should see Afrika take some
major bold steps towards a conscious freedom from the powers that have been in control for decades. I want to believe that this pandemic, if nothing else, has or should have taught us all some lessons about what Afrika should really be aiming at, as regards creating a new pathway for our emancipation.
Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to that nation. And as scripture puts it, “the wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are bold as a lion.” What that tells me is that boldness is not just some fear-facing attitude of the mind, but it is a spirit of might and confidence, found in a heart that is clean and a hand that has been made strong by something bigger and higher than that which causes fear. If there is any time in history that Afrika needs the boldness of mind, boldness for practical decisions, boldness
to relook some foreign friendships, boldness to relook our internal policies, boldness to take a stand for a united Afrika, it is now.
The pandemic has shown us, over the past months, what can happen right under our noses as Afrikans and how that the conspiracy to completely destroy Afrikans is still very much alive.We have seen with our own eyes, and heard with our own ears and should now believe that when it comes to Afrika, the world still sees us as the backward cave dwellers they thought our ancestors were. They still undermine whatever Afrika has to give to the world and that is not a badge of honor, but that of dishonor for our collective Afrikan intelligence. However, how we respond to all these derogatory attitudes the world keeps pushing towards Afrika, will determine how soon we come away from such. For almost all the time, problems are not really the issue, but it is what we respond with and how we respond that matters.
Boldness to face challenges and to move forward
A short while ago, news came out of Tanzania showing some malpractices concerning Covid-19 tests. President Magufuli of Tanzania claimed that he had sent secret samples of pawpaw fruit and sheep, which were given human names and sent to the country’s national referral laboratory to test for corona virus which, according to Magufuli, came back positive for Covid – He didn’t waste time but swiftly called for investigations of the tests. Speaking in a video that went viral, President Magufuli said “My own son, after contracting the virus, closed himself in his room, took a lemon and ginger solution
before getting well and is even able to do push-ups. We have had a number of viral diseases, including AIDS and measles. Our economy must come first. It must not sleep. If we allow our economy to sleep, we will not receive salaries… Life must go on,” he added. Media houses and health professionals did not waste time at all and called him out, some citing his actions as irresponsible.
Well for me, it’s not a big deal, for clearly that is what usually happens when anyone goes against the popular direction, especially when there are lots of agendas playing out on the global front. And to make matters more interesting, on March 25th, it was reported that President Magufuli had banned the use of masks in Tanzania, which was later reported to be incorrect, but he however ordered the resumption of public transport
services and the reopening of schools, with adherence to the health directives of the Tanzanian ministry of health. These events in Tanzania, especially as regards the decisions of the president, were seen by some as reckless, but my thoughts are these: should Afrika by now not be bold enough to stop for a minute, check the data available
concerning the popular narrative of how deadly the corona virus is and draw their own conclusions without having to wait or subject their thinking brains to what someone or any organization says from the US or from wherever else they are talking? Should Afrika not be able to say boldly to anyone who cares to listen that, even though this virus
crawled into Afrika from China, Afrika will not fold her hands helplessly when natural medicine, which we have in abundance, can help? Should Afrika not be bold enough now to tell the world that she is capable of taking care of things and then go ahead to take care of things?
I am tired of the weak Afrikan story that is being pushed here and there, all over the world, by the global media. Much more than that, I am tired of the never-ending slave story and the colonialist nonsense that is not helping Afrikans make bold moves concerning their lives. Slavery happened, colonialism happened, but should other things not happen because those things happened?
We have learned over the years to avoid our pains or to complain about them, but we
won’t make the decision to face them and then conquer them. I was watching a movie recently and a conversation between an Abbot and a fearful boy caught my attention. I wrote down what the Abbot told the boy, slightly paraphrased. He said to the boy,
“Face the heaviness that is stopping you and name it. It is not the pain which ruins us, it’s the things we do to avoid them that does. If you are afraid to break, then break. Let spirit crack you open. Let yourself be forged in the crucible of your own agony,
transformed into the most perfect instrument of destiny. For if you can embrace the fullness of your pain, then you can embrace the fullness of your power.”
To add to this, I will say that, we as Afrikans have done enough of embracing our pains from the negative space of hatred for the white man and malice between ourselves, running away from Afrika to the supposed greener pastures, complaining about how Afrika was exploited by colonialists, talking about the old days of Kemet and the never
ending story of how great the days of ancient Egypt were. We should be tired by now, if you ask me. In fact, the modern day Egyptians are claiming they are not Afrikans. That we have sub-Saharan Afrika should give you a hint. So I think it’s time we stop this nonsense about going back to the ancient Egyptian civilization and create a new reality for ourselves. It is time to embrace the positive side of our pain. It’s time to sit down and relearn the lessons of the past sixty years of independence, take a look at what we have been missing, stop blaming the so-called ‘white man’s religion’ for our woes and start to put stone upon stone to build a new Afrika. For if Afrikan nations have been under selfrule for sixty years and we still have the same issues we have to date, does it not show you that the problem is not from outside of Afrika, but the problem is from here? You may say the foreign powers still have influence in Afrika and over her progress.
Well said, but through whom are they influencing Afrika? The same Afrikans who are blinded by foreign money and who we continue to vote into leadership positions. We can bring out positive things out of our woes, if only we try. For instance, the black Afrikan Diaspora we have right now, members of which are doing amazing things wherever
they may be outside of Afrika, are part of the gains of slavery,if only they can see themselves in the light of such gains. Meaning that instead of sitting where they are, enjoying whatever they think they are enjoying and complaining about how degraded Afrika is, they should give a lending hand to those who are here trying to fix things.
The Boldness of Tanzania
Truth be told, this magazine would have folded up some time ago, but God kept it alive, either by a word He gives or by the provisions He makes available. A few times we had thought to shut it down because of the pressure of funding, but whenever we get to such crossroads, He gives a word for the next issue, and when that happens, we know the next issue must come out, so we work towards it, as though we have the funds in hand. For instance, concerning this particular issue, some weeks ago, the words “Tanzania,
the boldness of God” woke me from my sleep. The moment I got that, and having realized that the word was about the magazine, I knew that this issue would be published. It was strange for me at first, because the emphasis on boldness as
regards Tanzania was quite precise and real, but I had never made any prior connections of any nature about Tanzania. The truth is if the things coming out of Tanzania concerning the issue of Covid-19 are true, then that’s a lot of boldness that Tanzania is manifesting, which other Afrikan nations should emulate. I am not advocating for recklessness of any kind, but rather that Afrika must begin to face things head on and make decisions that will give us the needed changes that we want. Meaning that even after this pandemic and after the lockdown, Tanzania as a nation, and Afrika as a whole, must anchor their hearts to boldness of action, irrespective of what the world organizations say, especially if what is at stake is what is good for our Afrikan people. But what does it mean to be bold like Tanzania?
I will answer this question using the meaning of the two key words: Tanzania and Boldness.The name “Tanzania” was created as a clipped compound of the names of the two states that unified to create the country: Tanganyika and Zanzibar. The name “Tanganyika” is derived from the Swahili words tanga (“sail”) and nyika (“uninhabited
plain”, “wilderness”), creating the phrase “sail in the wilderness”. The name “Zanzibar”
comes from the Arabic Zanjibār, which comes from the Persian Zang-bār, which is a compound of Zang (“Black“) and bār (“coast, land, country“) meaning the “land of the Blacks” or “the land of the Black people,” or “the coast where Black people live.”
(sources: Wikipedia and Afrolegends.com). Putting it all together, we could say that Tanzania is “the land of the Black people who sail in the wilderness.” This is the basic literal meaning of Tanzania, but because the title of this issue has linked the boldness
of Tanzania to the boldness of God, the meaning of Tanzania in this context must take a new twist to suit that approach. Boldness, according to online dictionary, is the willingness to take risks and act innovatively; confidence or courage.
Now, from the Bible story of the children of Israel coming out of Egypt, we see that the very first place Moses led them to by the directive of God, was the wilderness. But what is a wilderness outside of the usual heat, dryness and waterless state? A wilderness, in spiritual terms, is where God takes a man or a people to separate them from the usual way of life that they are used to, in order to teach them a new pattern of life and living. And it takes boldness to follow the voice of God into such a wilderness.
Now, to tie all these strands together, we have something like this: Afrika has come of age and is able to stand on her own, make her own decisions about how to live and thrive, even in a world that is spinning almost out of course. And God, knowing
that the time has come for the Black Afrikan to make such a move for her complete emancipation, is telling Afrikans that there is a “sailing into the wilderness” or a “wilderness of separation” for the Black People (away from/separate from the globalist
system that has oppressed her for so long) that she must now make and it will take the boldness like that which Tanzania has displayed in order to make it happen. If you read my article, The Age of the Black Afrikan, in this issue, it will help set deeper context for you to reflect upon.
Meaning that the call for Afrika to come into the wilderness to relearn and recalibrate, is not a call to another kind of slavery, but a call to shed off the clothes and lifestyles that were handed down through colonialism and the current neo-colonialism.
The announcement
The killing of George Floyd on May 25th of 2020, created global agitation for the end of racism against the blacks. But beyond that, it appears that his death was much more an announcement for Afrika to go “sail in the wilderness” of separation from the global agenda, in order to be able to create a new narrative for herself, and by that thrive in
a changing world.
So now that the world is paying attention again because of the death of George Floyd, I think this is the best time to bring to the table the various issues that have been left under the carpet for too long concerning the injustice and racism towards the Afrikan man and the continent of Afrika. And here for me is where the boldness of Tanzania, which is a godly boldness, is needed. Not needed for any form of violence, but needed to call things as they are and not the way the skewed history has presented them.
The global trend for Afrika’s liberty
I am Afrikan and I speak concerning Afrika and everything that concerns her. I believe that as an Afrikan, it is my duty and the duty of every Afrikan, both at home and abroad, to take seriously the conscious narrative for a better and a fully liberated Afrika.
So as I do my duty for Afrika, I am not writing these words to undermine any nation, ethnicity, people or race that is different from Afrika. I am not writing to point out what is wrong or right in any of the things going on right now in America or any parts of the world. Certainly some things are wrong and some are right.
I am simply writing to point my Afrikan people towards a possible new direction.
As an Afrikan, can you see the things going on around you? Can you see that globally the narrative of a truly free Afrika has become the topic? Can you see that even in the UK, protesters are going after the statues and relics that remind Afrikans of the racial discrimination they have faced from the time of slavery even until now? This may not mean that much to many, but to me it is weighty. Can you see that for the first time in modern history, the white man kneels before the black man, either as an act of solidarity with Afrikans, concerning racism issues, out of respect for the late George Floyd or even as a symbol of having their knees still on the neck of the Black Man?
Whatever way it may appear to you, this kneeling – for me – is the symbol of the restoration of the Afrikan Man back to his true position, not as lord over anyone as many have done against him – but as ruler over his own sphere of influence, which includes
being the cradle of humanity and the authority that comes with it.
Meaning that if there is any time in history in which Afrikans have been given the opportunity to redefine things for themselves, it is now. To see it from just the perspective
of demonstrations and protests will just make us like a people who love the thrills and
chills of noise making, but who really don’t want change. For I ask myself, what really is the reason for the violent protests if no one is saying what they really want the authorities to do for the Afrikan narrative? We must be clear in our minds about what we want as Afrikans and also be bold enough to spell it out without fear.
Like Gideon of the Bible was told, it’s time for Afrika to go in the strength of this opportunity that has presented itself, stop the chaos and violence, which certainly has not amounted to much, and then begin to reconnect the various communities of Afrikan thinkers, creators, innovators and everyone with the right heart for Afrika’s progress for a new and truly liberated Afrika.
I personally believe in a progressive Afrika, but I also believe that what we have been taught by foreign ideologies should not necessarily be what defines us, but who we really are as those from whose womb life began on earth. There is beauty in knowing who
we are as Afrikans, both from an ancient perspective and also from our modern reality. We can no longer continue to live like those without hope. We as Afrikans must be bold to first, look inwards and see where we too have been missing the point all these years in our dealing with each other as Afrikans both home and abroad. We must be bold enough to remove the reminders of colonialism and oppression called borders, visas and passports and create an Afrikan citizenship that allows all Afrikans to be one citizen of
a great continent called Afrika. We must be bold enough to tell ourselves the truth, that we have not been responsible with the good things that God gave us. We must be bold enough to say enough is enough to those who keep sabotaging our Afrikan knowledge systems, simply because they make money from everything foreign. We must be
bold enough to protect our home in Afrika and our Afrikan heritage.
This season has offered us this one good opportunity to boldly face the things that have undermined us as a people. We must be b.old to be Afrikans
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