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Showing posts from October, 2012

On the Origins of Bukalanga and the Question of ‘Semitic Blood’

Please Note: This particular material is Chapter eleven of my book, The Rebirth of Bukalanga. Many of the references made herein are from that book. As we saw in Chapter Two, a number of writers since the 1500s state that Bukalanga peoples have Semitic, Asiatic and/or Jewish blood in their veins. This is one of the most contentious questions whenever Bukalanga identity is under discussion, and many will dismiss whoever makes that claim today as a crazy lunatic. But, were the previously cited writers wrong in declaring that the Kalanga have Semitic and/or Asiatic blood in their veins? Before answering that question, let us just take a look at the statements that have been made about Bukalanga on this very question by some of the travellers who encountered them since the early 1500s. Some of the statements are as follows: 1. Of all the Bantu they had the largest proportion of Asiatic blood in their veins…Their skulls more nearly approached those of Europeans in shape, many o

Complete Bibliography of The Rebirth of Bukalanga

The following information is intended for those who may be interested in undertaking further research of Bukalanga (Bakalanga, Banambya, Vhavenda, Babirwa, Balobedu, etc). Please note that Bakalanga includes the majority of Ndebele-speakers. Almost all of these books are available at the National Free Library and the National Archives of Zimbabwe in Bulawayo, and they were my sources in compiling Bukalanga history in The Rebirth of Bukalanga. Enjoy.  1. Beach, D. N. 1994. A Zimbabwean Past: Shona Dynastic Histories and Oral Traditions. Gweru: Mambo Press. 2. ----------- 1988. A. S. S. Chigwedere’s Pre-Colonial Histories of Zimbabwe and Africa: Essay Review. http://www.archive.lib.msu.edu/DMC/African. Accessed 17 May 2009. 3. --------- 1984. Zimbabwe before 1900. Gweru: Mambo Press. 4. Becker, P 1966. Path of blood: The rise and conquests of Mzilikazi founder of the Matabele. London: Granada Publishing Limited. 5. Beckingham, CF and Huntingford (trans. and ed.), GWB 1954

The Case for Ethnolinguistic or Ethnic Federalism in Zimbabwe

The case for the Federal Republic of Zimbabwe, what? Federalism divides nations! Zimbabwe is too small to be a Federation! No, it will lead to secession and disintegration of the country! We have too small a population for Federalism! It will never see the light of day in this country! We are a unitary state, and that unites us, we cannot afford the problems brought about by Federalism! Such are the comments one often meets in the Zimbabwean political discourse whenever the subject of federalism is raised. From online chat-rooms to Facebook groups to some political commentators and political elites, one hears the rallying cry that federalism, or even devolution of power, is a bad idea for Zimbabwe. But well, the good thing is that such voices are a very small minority in the country. We know from the Copac outreach program for the country's latest constitution-making process that the majority of Zimbabweans, an average of 62.5% in such provinces as Matebeleland , Midlands, M

Inside the Gukurahundi Genocide and its Destructive Impact on Bukalanga - A Summary of What Actually Happened.

Bukalanga or the Kalanga Nation is used in this article with reference to Bakalanga, Vhavenda, Banambya, the Ndebele (for many Ndebele-speakers are indeed Bakalanga). The Gukurahundi Genocide remains one of the most emotive issue to the people of Matebeleland, and its legacy is still being felt today. The tragedy of it al is that no healing process was ever done, and there is surely no guarantee that it will not happen again. If anything, some ill-informed Shona people actually take pride in the Genocide and boldly declare that Part II is on its way. Whether they know what actually happened or not cannot be ascertained. In this article I give a summary of what happened during the Genocide so as to bring many to the light, with a focus on the impact of the Genocide on Bukalanga. This is an extract from my book, The Rebirth of Bukalanga: A Manifesto for the Liberation of a Great People with a Proud History. The excerpt follows: One of the worst things to happen to the Kalanga nati