It’s most refreshing to dedicate a day in celebration of Africa’s positives

IT MUST be made a public holiday. It must. Africa Day, that is. Why is it not a public holiday? To make it worse, the day was a beautiful and wonderful one. The sun was modest and behaved as if it were a sun in spring, although it was autumncum-winter. Africa Day, I mean!

It was more glorious than my wishes. Two sparrows were parading in front of my kitchen door, pretending as if I was not in existence. And I, being a human being, tried to make them aware that I was also there, and I had more rights to the property than them. They later entered the house with an attitude that seemed to say, “we are also African”.

I decided to shrug and ignore their attitude. Later, when I got off the taxi, other birds, slightly bigger than the two at home, were also engaged in another attempt to convince me that they were bigger African entities than me.

I ignored them too, thinking why is it that this day is not made a public holiday, recognised and enjoyed by all South Africans with pride in the continent? I grew up being taught by our ruling authorities we need to feel ashamed of the African context. Maybe that consciousness is much deeper than I thought.

It is, therefore, reason to be proud that a major radio station had Mzwakhe Mbuli in the studio chatting about the glory of the day. I personally felt like being in the parade or some place where our nation was celebrating this continent’s glory. Further, the rest of the world is also encouraged to celebrate this beautiful continent.

In 1652, when Jan van Riebeeck set sights on this continent, he forgot Europe. Okay, his and his friends’ stay here was not really nice for us. I mean, you cannot say slavery is nice. Nor can you say being denied a right to vote is charming. Wait, I am not saying our white reality should be forgotten or made to feel sad. On the contrary, we should remind them on Africa Day that the best characteristic of this continent is the great majesties and beauties we posses.

It is quite general to narrate the horrors of the continent, but I also regard it as cool to spend one day, maybe naively, narrating its beauty or beauties. Let me emphasise that this narration should not mean the other continents should visit our coasts with the intention of coming to jam for a long time. No. You can come and visit for a while, after which, I am suggesting, waai!

It is a good thing to do. Go back home, asseblief. We like you, but not that much. The last time we welcomed the Dutch here, they did not want to go home. True, the English also did not want to leave. But looking at England, you can understand why. Even the UN tried to tell them to treat us like the people of the land, but no ways! It is only in 1994 that we were “sorta” given a place in government. When that happened, Africa hugged us as a country. Now you see why Africa Day should be a public holiday in this country.

It is easy to see many South Africans shaking their heads at the possibilities of South Africa’s relationship with the continent; I mean issues like Bob Mugabe and such like, but hell, the trick here is endurance. It is also common knowledge that the rest of the continent is very aware of the day, and enjoying it even when they do not have the zak that goes with it. Point is, though, we in South Africa have the zak. Forget the temporary economic slump with bra Zuma. We’re gonna get out of it! The moment we get another president, our economy will improve, just be patient!

The rest of the continent will be arriving to celebrate the moment. And then we will shower them with the honours and graces possessed by this geography and its people. But Africa will also soon be screaming for us to host this day. When that happens, I will be so proud that I might write a poem for the continent.

I went to my collections and checked to find only one poem for South Africa. I became very shy and then reminded myself that we have just recently been liberated. I sometimes forget that we have just been liberated by people like the ANC and Oliver Tambo them. Now that there is that consciousness of being a part of the continent, I feel in a hurry to express an African identity away from PW Botha days.

It is sometimes too easy to get impatient with this country’s apparent resistance to form part of this continent. But it is also sometimes my impatience that shades me from the realities in a relationship with Africa. I then feel embarrassed. I am in too much of a hurry to see this continent’s glory in the world. Why not?