Page 10 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 18

Comm
unity
Community

Chioma Phillips

is the Editor of Msingi Afrika Mag-
azine and the host of Msingi Afrika

Where Is My Inheritance Television. Her hope is to see the Truth
shared, with all who will listen, for the
In My Land? transformation of the people and the

continent of Afrika - and the world.

father said to his daughter, land was, therefore, for his sons. However, this article is about more
who had asked him what Not every Afrikan father thinks this than land inheritance for women or
her inheritance from him way. I know of one who has chosen men in Afrika. It is about the place
A ould be, “Oh! For you? for his sons-in-law to receive gifts and the position of every Afrikan
w
Maybe we can find some chick- of land from his hand, alongside his citizen in their own continent – or
ens,” trying to make light of a very sons, where they can settle with his rather, the spiritual, cultural and
serious position he was declaring daughters, and another who moved physical internal displacement of
to her. For this man, a daughter every obstacle out of the way, in every Afrikan citizen from their
did not belong in her family of order to ensure that his daughter true birthright in the land of Afrika.
birth, she was already gone, given inherited land from him. I have, For, in today’s Afrika, governments
in marriage, even if she was as yet however, seen the attitude of the have taken a position towards their
unmarried. Hers was not to remain first father in the hearts of gov- citizens that seems to state, “If you
to claim any portion of the land she ernment officials, who deal harshly can afford to buy land, you can own
was born into. Her husband, and with women from their lands who it, and hand it down to your gener-
the land she would marry into, were dare dream of settling there with ations; but it largely remains ours,
to take care of her. The father’s their husbands. and, if we choose to, we will reclaim

10 | we tell the true afrikan story