A bit more about M. G. Vassanji

I mentioned that award-winning author M. G. Vassanji was around last month, and he took the time to encourage our fledgeling writing scene by meeting with would-be writers. The Serengeti Advisers Ltd. blog has put up a recent interview that they conducted with him. Of particular interest to me was his take on race and identity:

"I am an African Asian, [but] Canada is where I live [and] where my children [were] born and brought up, so it’s very much a part of me. But I cannot dissociate that from, you know, my heritage or […] the place where I was born, where I grew up where I was formed, you know, sounds and sights [that] I carry with me. Part of […] growing up in Africa, was growing up as an Asian African or as an Indian African, because everyone has a tribe and my tribe was Indian tribe. [There were] certain cultural practices, certain spiritual attitudes, certain foods we ate, and languages. Besides, the sort of language of the land, Kiswahili, everyone had their tribal languages, our tribal language was Kachhi, Gujarati or both. That’s how I saw it. Having grown up here and having gone away, I sort of ask myself, what it is, I cannot say that I am this and no longer that. For me that’s baloney."

Check out the rest of the interview on The Exchange.

Break Time!

So I didn't get my act together in time for Sauti Za Busara 2010 and I don't have an excuse. Pernilla did, and you can get great pictures of Zenj and Busara on her site without having to buy the coffee table book ;) As for me, I offer you some paltry snippets of live music gleaned from last weekend's concert. Clip one is Maia trying to get upper-middle class Tanzanians and expats to show some enthusiasm. Poor woman:

I was going to put up a clip of Thandiswa as well but do you have any idea what it takes to upload video with this internet connection of mine?! Suffice to say, Thandiswa was very very awesome and accompanied by fantastic musicians. Thank goodness for the Busara spillover (and at the door price of a ticket its a damn good thing they offered three performers). The quality of original video clips will hopefully become better over time...

The Elephant in the Room...an update.

I wrote about homosexuality in the V-day post because we don't talk about it publicly here in Bongo, let alone voice our support of the gay and lesbian community, and it seemed an opportune time to do so. The intention was to bust the myth that it is all homophobia and 'backwardness' in our African communities, and to convey the sense that there is a core of tolerance that should be fought for and expanded.

It was during this self-same weekend that the minions of evil in Mombasa got the upper hand over reason and human rights. Starting on Thursday and going on through the weekend, several people have been assaulted and arrested for 'being gay' while local religious leaders fan the flames of bigotry. I have read competing eye-witness reports on the events in Mombasa, and what exactly triggered the attacks- some say a wedding, others say the wedding was just a rumor. Beneath the pretexts, it looks as though this a concerted effort involving the religious zealots, the police and some members of the local community. The core issue remains though, that of intolerance, and at this particular moment Mombasa is the warfront. Big up to GALCK and allies- may you win this fight.

And on that Africanist tip: I can't watch Invictus. Can you?

One of my favorite actor/directors on the face of the planet was on TV today promoting his latest movie. I can't get enough of Clint Eastwood's male-o-dramas full of taciturn guys and and conclusions painted in the color of devastation. Great stuff. Unfortunately for me, though, I can't bring myself to watch Invictus.

It is really challenging for me to willingly go for a Big Hollywood depiction of Africans. I could tell you all about it... but to cut a long story short, it involves a gazillion movies during undergrad for a senior project on depictions of Africans in hollywood from the 1930s to the Ohs. I learned a lot. I am still in recovery.

Not all the depictions are cretinous, but the majority are, all the way through to the present. Hotel Rwanda was execrable in terms of casting (yes, we can tell when the accent is utterly wrong), The Constant Gardner was a wee bit better, Last King of Scotland was palatable in spite of some interesting choices (yes, we can tell when the accent is utterly wrong). Invictus? I hope never to find out for sure. It contains the incredible, once-in-a-lifetime trifecta of the real Madiba in the background, the real Morgan Freeman in the foreground, and the real Clint Eastwood in the director's chair.

I cannot bear for it to be imperfect. And it is! I caught a clip of Morgan's Madiba sitting opposite a Hollywood-sized Matt Damon playing Francois Pienaar (...seriously?). They were having a conversation. Matt had the gaze and the accent right- he had an easier job than Morgan because frankly the Afrikaner cant is way too broad not to be adopted with a little effort. Morgan, however...ah. Madiba is so distinctive in his enunciation, in his cadence and timber. Its nearly impossible to get right, like Louis Armstrong's scatting. Just wasn't hitting it.

Nelson Mandela was an indescribable part of my teenage life, distantly and just the once in person. We're not all lucky enough to meet men who are making incredible, positive history. I cannot pretend to be in the least bit rational about what I think of Nelson Mandela. He's so terribly real, and fragile now, and precious. He is a unique man who, years ago, twinkled with adolescent glee when he saw a group of kids he could hang out with for five minutes before he gave a speech. Yup, he did, blond bodyguards in tow.

We've all got to accept our limitations, and this is one of mine. Some people are sacred. So sorry Morgan, Clint. I'll catch you guys next time, yah?

Is That My Elephant in The Room? The big fat Valentine's weekend rant

Yeah, yeah, Valentine's Day: big and fat and pink and lurking in a tutu in the corner of the room offering Ferrer Rocher truffles alongside a single red rose. A couple of years ago, some ladies of my acquaintance (Sisterhood of Men, woohoo!) used to celebrate the other kind of V-Day: the local production of Eve Ensler's Vagina Monologues. The last one I attended was very, very good- it was presented as a Kitchen Party celebration complete with TMI advice given to the young bride. Let me tell you- there are talented actors in Bongo and no, they don't seem to be appearing on Africa Magic. If anyone is hosting or knows about a V-day event this year, speak up! Because folks, this is a project that is worth its weight in Hallmark cards.

So, back to celebrating love, and the freedom to love. I was wandering through The Black Snob and having a good time right up until I came across her post about violence against homosexuals in two African countries. This, good people, is what I call a double-edged sword. Its complicated. On the one hand, I understand and appreciate her desire to lend her voice and support to Ugandans and South Africans who are experiencing horrible social violence due to homophobia. On the other hand, there is something so Heart of Darkness about the tone and the approach- there go those Africans again, human rights recidivists that they are:

"The fact is, in the face of death and rape, gays and lesbians in Africa are still loving each other. DEATH and RAPE. They are still coming out to their families and friends. In the face of discrimination, harassment, murder and violence, they are still declaring "I'm here! I exist! I am human! I have a right to be loved and love whom I please!"

Indeed. It has been a while since I got on my Things Africans Don't Do soapbox, so let me wield it here: Ms. Belton, please consider the weight of your choice of words. They might encourage your readers to believe that there are more Museveni-following, lesbian-raping kak-witted bigots in (the vast, incredibly diverse, multi-country CONTINENT that is) Africa than there really are. If your beef is Uganda's anti-gay bill, by all means talk about it. If your issue is sexual violence and homophobia in South Africa (which by the way extends far further than corrective rape for lesbians), by all means talk about it. But I suggest you avoid the Afrochauvinism and get down and dirty with the specifics of your causes.

Case in point: Tanzania has a vast range of culturally-grounded responses to same-sex love ranging from embeddedness (i.e. an accepted cultural role) to total intolerance. And that's just one African country, which has two major religions and over 100 ethnicities. Imagine, now, that there are over 50 countries in Africa- and no, we are not nearly as homogeneous as is purported. Ms. Belton's argument is framed by the legal battle for civic rights- the fight of the minority against the tyranny of the majority. She says this:

"Right now the mob is trying to rule in Uganda and South Africa against gays and lesbians and that's wrong. Right now the mob is trying to act like the government creating state sanctioned marriages between homosexuals would affect your religious marriages. I say, the mob needs to calm the hell down. You're big enough and you're bad enough to be gracious and tolerant. It won't kill you. It never has. Not even once."

She is right. The anti-lesbian 'mob' in South Africa is completely unsupported by their awesomely progressive constitution, and you might want to take a look at the Treatment Action Campaign that was headed for the longest by this gentleman. As for Uganda, again, context: Museveni is a despot and he was using his despotic powers for evil to oppress homosexuality. He succeeded, to the chagrin of those Ugandans who totally disagree with him. Do the majority of Ugandans actually want to kill homosexuals? Tafakari.

I do not mean to belittle the battles that are faced by people who are homosexual living in African countries (see how I did that? African countries...). And advocacy is invaluable. It is true, Ms. Belton, that being gay and out is not a picnic in many African societies (did it again) just as it is not in the majority of the world- your country included, as you well know. But we're just not the crazed and monolithic mob your post implies. There is tolerance, and compassion, even humor. And support. And protection. We do exist that have people in our lives whom we value, admire, dine with, celebrate and cry with, etc who also happen to be homosexual. We do this against the current of patriarchy, in spite of the fights it engenders with our families, or the strain it places on other relationships. Hell, in some places we are not even a hidden minority- we are the newly emerging normative middle class.

So Ms. Belton my dear: Happy Valentine's (or V-) Day. Have a homophilic, Afropositive weekend. And that David Wise guy in your comments section who said: "BTW, I forgot to denounce the persecution of gay people in Uganda and South Africa. These places are still relatively backward, so it doesn't surprise me that this would go on. I'm sending them positive energy and may they see divinity in all people and respect the rights of others"...totally owes some people an apology.

Independent candidates and other excitingly murky political developments

Some days, it all comes together beautifully. I have been procrastinating about doing some research on MP performance in Bunge when I stumbled across this article. Apparently Twaweza has been there and done that. When I get my hands on the actual report, I plan to mine for information about the female MPs and the young MPs because I am sure there is something exciting going on there.

Another process I have been keeping half an eye on is the Independent Candidate issue and today's main story in the Daily News was wonderful in that regard. As the story goes, our constitution makes allowances for independent candidates to stand for election...which was conveniently irrelevant until we actually went multi-party in 1992. I remember my mother describing her voting experience during those days- apparently there would only be the CCM candidate on the ballot. What an embarrassment of choices. Do you vote yea? Do you vote nea? I can't believe anyone bothered getting out of bed to do this.

Anyways, recently the Reverend Christopher Mtikila- a politician after my own heart who specializes in activism using the court room as his battleground- petitioned the government to allow private candidates in 2005. The High Court saw nothing unconstitutional in his petition, and in May of 2006 'gave the AG between the date of delivery of the judgement and the next general elections to put in place a legislative mechanism that would allow private candidates to participate in elections alongside those representing political parties.' The government, naturally, appealed.

February 2010: the government has just remembered it hasn't taken care of the independent candidate problem and there are only ten months and maybe four Bunge sessions left to push through antagonistic legislation. So the Deputy Attorney General shows up in front of seven justices of the High Court to fix the matter by claiming that the government's appeal against the High Court's decision is 'a stay of execution upon the decision sought to be appealed against'. Mr. Masaju was met with this gem:

"We wish to refresh the memories of the learned Deputy Attorney General and his team that an appeal does not operate as an automatic stay [...] as it is at the moment and onward to the General Elections in October is what the High Court has decided, that is, independent candidates are allowed."

Apparently not all our public servants are comatose at the wheel, and I intend to savor this moment in our political development because some other issues are defying my comprehension: the legalities of the proposed coalition government in Zanzibar. Does anyone out there have a clue to spare? I can't tell what my fellow citizens are thinking or intending, exactly, over there on the island and I have a horrible suspicion that they don't know either. Also, Freeman Mbowe's newspaper has been saying some strange things about it and it is giving me a headache.

eGovernment, Uswahili and Manly Bosoms.

So Aida says to me: "... In a way the level of accountability in this country will only improve when we as citizen wake up to our responsibilities in this matter." I can't come up with a better way of summarizing the crucial point, whether talking about Presidential powers or donor 'responsibility' or even the selection of a candidate to back during elections. A citizenry that is awake is more likely to give rise to a robust indigenous civil society, and all the good that comes with that.

The TEDxDAR link is up, also found and put up some other interesting links. Want to know what CUF's official position is? Want to know whose hands Jay Kay has been shaking this week? Click on over. Corporate political blogs are an exciting thing, I think, and although there are only two so far you can bet I will be on the lookout for some more. And, for the terminally obsessive who might just read a Hansard if it came their way, I have included the Bunge site. In the interest of balance, if there is anyone who should be represented be sure to let me know the URL in the comments section.

On a different tack- the term 'Uswahili.' Pejorative? Reclaimed? Racial slur? Class issue? No big deal? Its a loaded word, to be sure. Recently in a meeting that brought together Tanzanians of different walks of life, I noticed that users of the term were corrected more than once and encouraged to say either 'Uswazi' in reference to informal urban housing areas, and 'wananchi' instead of 'Waswahili.' Jenny B Colls has a whole blog dedicated to the issue...

And for those who enjoy the occasional bodice ripper- Dear Author and SBTB, where books with heaving manly bosoms on the cover are critically examined by readers who love them.

Is a leader still a good leader if his team is sucktastic?

So long as we are chewing some political fat... Deep in discussion at the dinner table last night about leadership, ideology and politicians, we got to the usual generational impasse. I believe that every individual only gets the one President to love beyond rational thought. My opponent got Nyerere (lucky girl). While I am very fond of the incumbent, it is actually someone else in his government who is the object of my political affections. As we battled back and forth (I called Nyerere a dictator, she scoffed at the impotence of the so-called 'young turks') we hit on that most baffling of arguments: "It is not the President who is ineffectual, he is surrounded by people who let him down." If I had a thousand shillings for every time I heard or read this statement I would be...well, not rich exactly but my entertainment budget would be well padded.

Look. I know that there is a taboo against holding the President accountable for any mistakes, but must we pretend that Tanzanian leaders are exceedingly inept at picking their executive team? The President's executive powers are vast- and apparently in no danger of diminishing anytime soon. He personally appoints ten MPs at his leisure, as well as innumerable Heads of Stuff. Parastatals, government organs, central bank, military generals, regulatory bodies, utility companies, you name it- his almighty finger is in that pie. His word is law, even in times of peace. The Parliament is tame in his mighty grip, he pretty much yeas or neas the head of the judiciary. Checks? Balances? Are you kidding? This is no-nonsense executive superpower at its finest- not quite despotic but certainly close.

And this is the guy who is apparently above reproach because anything can be explained away with the convenient notion that he is 'let down by his team.' I don't think so. Of course the political reality is finely nuanced and full of bizarre compromises, and any president has his work cut out for him if he wants to squeeze good performance out of an institution as big as government. Still, there is something sinister about this habit that prevents us from holding the President responsible for failures of his establishment while celebrating his apparent successes. A bad workman blames his tools.