Pupils at last learn about heroes, like Chief Maqoma, who opposed the colonisers

I was overjoyed when my son, while preparing for his grade 7 final examination in social history, explained the contrasting roles played by a vile figure, the British army colonel John Graham, and amaXhosa hero of wars in defence of the land, Chief Jongumsobomvu Maqoma.

I did not know that Maqoma’s history was in the school curriculum and frankly that is in the right direction, for many of us are victims and products of a rotten education system.

That’s perhaps why we have leaders who graduated from the revolutionary ranks but still have colonised minds.

The Greek historian Herodotus defined the purpose of history, thus: “To prevent the traces of human events from being erased by time, and to preserve the fame of important and remarkable achievements.”

So the inclusion of Maqoma and many other heroic figures in our education system seeks to assist in the decolonising of our minds and to use memory to invigorate us, for we have lost our pride and identity.

Maqoma is the founding father of military resistance in SA.

His bravery saw him incarcerated on Robben Island for 12 years and only paroled in 1869 but his quest for freedom saw him rearrested.

He died in 1873 in prison and had a pauper’s funeral in an unmarked grave.

Maqoma was a forthright and eloquent leader who dedicated his life to the cause of the people. It is almost 150 years since the death of this giant.

Maqoma was a product of traditional African culture. He dedicated his life to humanity and one would have thought a democratic government would follow suit.

There was an attempt to identify his remains but sophisticated Western methods could not identify him, for his spirits would not give in to a people who conspired to kill him.

So even in death, Maqoma continued to fight against the oppressive system. It took a seer using indigenous powers vested in her through ancestry for Maqoma’s remains to be found.

So the belief that African culture is time bound is not correct. Despite being conquered, our culture was not obliterated.

It sustained severe blows and may have been battered nearly out of shape by the belligerent cultures it collided with, yet in essence even today one can easily find the fundamental aspects of the pure African culture in our democratic country.

The planned repatriation of the remains of King Hintsa and Chief Stokwe have to be done in line with custom for they are royals and their deaths were at the hands of our colonisers who can’t be entrusted with such an important ritual.

I never thought we would find ourselves battling gender-based violence. I never thought a government founded on people-centred values would be so corrupt to a point where heads of states are implicated.

I never thought a war would be declared against fellow comrades to access power rather than moving citizens from the suffering they are still in.

The great warrior of land dispossession wars must be extremely disappointed with what we have become.

He is angry at how traditional leadership has become a shadow of itself, an institution that is supposed to be at the centre of the emancipation of people’s lives, but has allowed itself to be reduced to a mere advisory role to a government system which he vehemently opposed.

So for traditional leadership to be taken seriously in this country inspired by the martyrdom of Maqoma it must demand to be direct participants in the development agenda of our country and not just ceremonial appendages of its subjects.

Maqoma might have been brave and older than his siblings but he knew his position.

When his father King Ngqika instructed him to look after his brother Sandile, heir to the throne, he did not develop greed for power but supported and guided him.

How I wish today’s leaders could learn from that.

When the missionaries approached him looking for suitable land along the historic Tyhume River, he instructed them to appeal to his brother Chief Mkrazulu Tyhali.

So he respected authority for he knew that the land in question was under him.

The same Tyhali was a visionary leader who established missionary schools and the famous University of Fort Hare.

When the Scottish war hero Colonel Fordyce cried out to the community that Maqoma should be taken alive and put in a cage to be displayed to the queen overseas, the latter cleverly developed a plan of attack and instructed his regiments: ‘I’m not saying go and kill, I’m saying keep us from harm’.

Maqoma was the embodiment of a trustworthy leader with integrity. A trait we are lacking today, for every leader has a skeleton and a dark cloud over him.

There is no-one worthy to be respected. Greed and love of material things has compromised all.

The failure to tolerate and respect authority among our politicians is not in line with the humility that saw Maqoma naturally ascend to the highest throne.

Chief Maqoma still implores us to prioritise the issue of land ownership for it is through land ownership that we will ‘bestow the greatest gift possible, a more human face’.

So even in death, Maqoma continued to fight against the oppressive system