THE CALL TO MY ANCESTORS
Honorable chairperson, Ladies and Gentlemen, Academicians who are here present, African brothers and sisters and all other members of this assembly! Protocols observed. Honorable Chairperson, on behalf of my people, I really thank you for inviting me to be a part and parcel of this assembly, and recognizing the potentials I possess in addressing the ongoing nature of this continent. Aluta Continua…Aluta Continua…The struggle must continue.
Precisely, this is not a meeting but a wakeup call to all my fellow African brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, youths and elders. Courageously, it is also a dedication to every individual who strives to witness the transformation of our beloved continent, and all these efforts must last longer to the unborn babies, the offsprings, and the embryos to receive the heartened reception that could initiate the next part of struggle with an adequate definition.
Today, we here gathered not because we are Tanzanians nor Ugandans, Kenyans nor South Sudanese, Rwandese nor Burundians, East Africans nor Sub Saharans, West Africans nor South Africans, but as a mass of African brothers and sisters who shared the confronting history of this continent, where sons and daughters of Africa were tormented in terms of race and color of their skin, depending on the interests of the forces behind them. And if that is not enough, Africa was then mounted to a civic crucifixion that planted divisive seeds all over the continent.
Assembling here today just to dedicate this message to our enemies and hypocrite friends who thought the seed of hatred would divide us. The truth is, the divisive sentiments in our history will no longer be used as a weapon or tactic to divide our African communities for it won’t integrate our dignity into key language of our ancestors that brought us where we are, that is unity and brotherhood.
Honorable Chairperson, this continent embraces and protects us as children who come from the same womb, nurtured under the shadow of the same remarkable history, and now we are becoming the same terrible tears and decayed destiny by which everyone may interrogate this destination of ours. We’ve turned to be a decayed destiny because the third quarter of African population today fails to link the core foundations and principles that guide the potentiality of the language spoken by our ancestors.
If not for our sluggishness, then the absurd we built within is what propagates the individualism. If not for the hatred of our enemies, then it’s a hypocritical love and efforts between us that promote slavery again to unforgettable history we passed through. Again, if not for the collective imbecilization of our leaders and politicians, then patriotism has declined and lost the values, dignity, respect and unity among us. Probably, these things divide us to speak in different tongues, which go contrary to the history of this terrific continent.
Ladies and gentlemen, the moment I listen to different African countries national anthems I feel like all the songs were composed by the same person who stood on top of the mountain looking far miles away at the battle fields where African sons and daughters were fighting to regain their independence. In an imaginary world. I see how that man documented the struggles and wishes that were made by every Tom, Dick, and Harry there after winning a war. My Imagination did not stand still there; after that successful composition, the manuscript was given to all African countries to be sung using emotional musical sounds that beat to remind us of how Africa was tormented and tortured without guilt, of how Africans then struggled, then ended by giving a right beginning and direction on how an African could move forward with a strong determination after a full independence declaration.
Exactly after independence every country in its own language had chosen the right flag-hoisting prayers that summarize our condolences and express our wishes as well. The message carried within remained as a fresh way of baptism that gave rebirth to the sons and daughters of Africa, but also the flags gave rise to the right and successful direction of the new fight. Yet the tragedy is where we are taking this endless fight now…!
When the musical sound takes me to Kenneth David Kaunda’s One Zambia One Nation, that beautiful prayer demonstrates how people of Zambia and Africa are supposed to be. Frankly, it says, “Let us all her people join together, brothers under the sun…All one, strong and free…” and their cry is to have only one land and one nation that can dignify the peace on the sky like a noble eagle on its flight. I then call you to be part of this congregation and sing these beautiful prayers that could wipe away our sorrowful tears.
Eloquently is with Nelson Rohlihlala Madiba Mandela’s Nkosi Sikelel, the beautiful message “Morena boloka setjhaba sa heso….O fedise dintwa le matshwenyeho…” must remain the same and be understood as a call for protection to intervene and terminate all conflicts. With these prayers I call you, my fellow Africans to end the conflicts alive in Central, West, North, East and
Southern parts of Africa. Let peace and love be shining on us and console the wounded bodies of our well trained patriotic soldiers.
Looking neither West nor East, the musical sound takes me to Mozambique Patria Amada…Patria Amada…Patria Amada…Beloved Fatherland! The father of the struggle invites you to hear the last longer memory of Africa and the world, as it mourns and pleads, we rename this continent by the name of FREEDOM to allow the sun of June to shine forever. Let’s all raise our strong voices and call it THE CONTINENT OF FREEDOM! THE CONTINENT OF FREEDOM! Yes, THE CONTINENT OF FREEDOM! And these most eloquent verses “nόs juramos por ti, oh Mocambique…Nenhum tirano nos ira escravizar…” we swear for you, O Mozambique…No tyrant will enslave us! Must remind us to raise our voices and tell all tyrant Governments in Africa to stop enslaving our people.
Again we must join the Southern Rhodesia Ludwig Van Beethoven in “Rise O’ Voices of Rhodesia”. And the task ahead would be the same, raising our voices all over Africa in quest of meeting all the challenges, and dare to weigh it off with a guide to wise decision where our hearts will always beat bravely. Brothers and sisters, I call sit, nomine, and digna to act upon this continent and nourish better arenas of our struggle.
Sons and daughters of Africa, it is the right time to wave the flags of independence on top of Peace Mountain to call for unity. If not Uhuru na Umoja of Tanzania, then Harambee suits the most. If not justice, work and progress of the western countries, then liberty and unity of Sub Sahara deserves better. Progressively, the song for hoisting the flags must demonstrate our unquenched thirst for freedom, liberty, justice, work and unity. Again it must assure to quench our thirst after singing it, though we need not to be satisfied by it. If there is no enough rainy water to quench Sahara desert and that we call Kalahari – we must first quench our thirst for freedom, liberty and justice! We must, we must, and we must.
Hello y’all, this century must not unreasonably vanish. Let us raise our voices to call our beloved friend who enjoyed all his life in gunfire – our brother Solomon Kalushi Mahlangu and beg him to join again Umkhonto we Sizwe, if not Mau Mau in Kenya, or any other African militant wing and fight against Nwera and the Dinka or Luos and Kikuyu who propagates tribal wars in Africa. Before he retires, let us all call him to hear the drums of religious conflict heard in Somalia, Nigeria, Sudan, and Central Africa. The fight must not stop there, it must continue against
enemies of liberty, justice and unity, because among us the seed that encourages the divisive sentiments grows very fast, and it breaks the wing to embrace the freedom we have won.
With all due respect, from the land of the upright man, I call you Noel Isidore Thomas Sankara to visit all the leaders of post-colonial African countries and tell them all about the tale of counterproductive assistance that kept us thinking we can only be beggars who need the continued aid. I call you to hear their cries asking where imperialism is while importing corn, rice or millet in their countries.
I faithfully call you Dr. Osagefyo Nkwame Nkrumah to come again and accomplish that decade of African independence and irrigate the roots of United States of Africa before it shines tomorrow. And before they send you to James Fort make sure your book is placed on an education curriculum, and Africa shall speak of Freedom. I call you, my father.
While I’m screaming, I dare to call you my father Mwalimu Julius Kambarage Nyerere from where you are. My message is short and simple, I beg you to open your eyes and ears to see and hear the tears and voices of sorrow from your Sub Saharan countries where you marked the good beginning of all liberations. I call you to bring back Samora Moises Machel in Mozambique and his friend Eduardo Mondlane not to sing again Patria Amada … Patria Amada…but to join Miriam Makeba and sing the activist song ALUTA CONTINUA, and their message will be short… “My brothers and sisters stand up and sing, Eduardo Mondlane is not gone, Frelimo, Frelimo, your eternal flame has shown us the light down. Mozambique ALUTA CONTINUA, CONTINUA, CONTINUA”.
I beg you, Mwalimu, send our greetings to Herman Andimba Toivo ya Toivo in Namibia that we want him to repeat for us one of his favorite stanza in “Namibia – Land of the brave” which says “Beloved land of Savannahs hold high the banner of liberty” and we will respond too so as our enemies could see our independence score cards. I call you Mwalimu to wake up my beloved Sir Quett Ketumile Joni Masire in Botswana and Antonio Agostinho Neto in Angola so as they can sing “Fatse leno la rona” and “Angola, Avante, Angola, Avante … Onwards Angola” correspondingly.
Before you go back to prepare yourself, you should know that the Sub Saharan liberation was not completed. Imperialism’s roots are shining again! As a father of Sub Saharan revolution, your task is to bring back Steve Bantu Biko, Oliver Reginald Tambo, Chris Hani, Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe, Albert Lutuli, Victoria Nonyamelezo Mxenge, and Abram Ramothibi Onkgopotse
Tiro in South Africa. Herbert Wiltshire Pfumaindini Chitepo and his fellow Josiah Magama Tongogara in Zimbabwe and many of your colleagues to accomplish the new era of liberation all over Sub Saharan Africa.
Coming to the final analysis, the beautiful words of our brother Malcom X speak louder and possess the reality to address to us, as they say… “Freedom is essential to life itself. Freedom is essential to the development of the human being. If we don’t have freedom we can never expect justice and equality. Only after we have freedom do justice and equality become a reality”, without grieving any further we have a great burden to terminate the existing challenges, but with your help I call you to turn it unto great opportunities which will make the next five and more decades, centuries and centuries become the best days of our remarkable history.
Honorable Chairperson, I take this opportunity on your behalf to extend my profound gratitude to members of this assembly, to our beloved youths and elders who are out there and to all African well wishers all over the World. I want to conclude my message using the words from our very own African proverb which says, “Every morning in Africa, a Gazelle wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning a Lion wakes up. It knows it must outrun the slowest Gazelle or it will starve to death. It doesn’t matter whether you are a Lion or a Gazelle, when the sun comes up you would better be running”
Ladies and Gentlemen may Almighty God bless you all.
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