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    The Forbidden Customs of Africa
    The Forbidden Customs of Africa
    The Forbidden Customs of Africa
    Ebook73 pages1 hour

    The Forbidden Customs of Africa

    By Mubanga Chipalo

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    About this ebook

    IT IS DESCRIBING THE FORBIDDEN CUSTOMS OF AFRICA.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBookBaby
    Release dateJan 2, 2015
    ISBN9789982701495
    The Forbidden Customs of Africa

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      Book preview

      The Forbidden Customs of Africa - Mubanga Chipalo

      9789982701495

      Introduction:

      This is a non fiction story, I only gathered some of the myths and evil traditional practices which have been happening in this part of Africa for centuries before the British colonized the country. In Zambia different tribes used to believe in strange customs concerning disabilities as a result many disable persons used to be stigmatized and could not interact in normal society. Now in this particular story I thought of picturing the life of Mr. Andrew Hamazila a man who never thought that a blind person can go to school learn and find a job just like any other person. But with the coming of colonialism, this man was forced to change his beliefs by sending his blind child to the first school for the blind in eastern Zambia and later to his amazement he saw the new change on his blind child when he saw him operating the switchboard freely without any sighted help which he never expected in his life’s time. The name of the school mentioned in this story is still there built in 1912 the first blind school in Zambia. On the other hand the same man never thought that a girl can go to school get educated because women in those days were classified as second class citizens who were only fit for children production and serving man. According to Mr. Andrew Hamazila’s traditional customs women were not supposed to marry men outside his tribal clan because they were regarded as instruments for investment in riches in form of cattle. In those days women were regarded as wealth for man who married them as well as their fathers who got herds of cattle during marriage time. As a result Mr. Andrew Hamazila wanted his daughters to be married to his tribesmen only so that he could gain a lot of cattle once they got matured. According to this man if his daughters got married to other tribesmen from his clan he would loose his prestige rendering him to be poor, therefore this man lived in a closet in which he wanted all his daughters to married within his tribesmen. But to his surprise his young brother managed to change the beliefs he had relied upon for a long time by sending his two daughters to school where they did very well and later married men from overseas countries. Some of the other myths mentioned in this story is the throwing babies in the river when the first tooth appears on an upper jaw, throwing of children in the river who were born with defects on their bodies such as lameness or blindness because it was considered taboo to look after such children. Another interesting myth is where women were restricted from eating eggs because the old people during that time thought that during child bearing the woman would be giving birth to children with bald heads. There are quiet a lot of myths in our Zambian customs but I decided to write about a few which are prominent, although many of them have been stopped some of them are practiced today in secrecy. With the coming of Christianity a lot of things changed including beliefs and evil customs which used to oppress and suppress venerable members of society but Mr. Andrew Hamazila didn’t like the change which came with Christianity because he saw his traditional beliefs been eroded while giving rights to the women who were regarded as inferior citizens according to his culture. Last but not the least, in my tribe if my name is Andrew when I bear the first child by the name of John, then my name has to change from Andrew to the father of John. Now if my first child bears his first child named William, then my name again changes from the father of John to the grandfather of William. Therefore when you come across these terms in this story don’t be surprised because that is the way of life or culture. In my tribe when you call the person by his first name or surname without adding the father of, the mother of, the uncle of, the grandfather of or grandmother of is regarded as being disrespectful to the elderly person.

      Have a wonderful Time of Reading This Small Book.

      Mubanga Chipalo.

      Chapter 1

      During the time when Zambia by then Northern Rhodesia was under British colonial rule Mr. Andrew Hamazila and his wife lived happily in their marriage in a village near Bancroft town. But things started changing slowly in their marriage when his only son John Hamazila became blind in 1911 at the age of ten years because of smallpox which ravaged the whole Malala village. A lot of children died because of smallpox since there were not enough hospitals where to get medicines or advice how to eradicate the disease. One Monday morning in March 1911 Mr. Andrew Hamazila woke up with a sad face so his wife Mary asked him, Father of John what’s the problem with you today? Your face looks gloomy! What are you thinking about?

      "Actually I have been having thoughts since my son John Hamazila became blind, unfortunately I can’t find the answer how to solve his problems concerning his future life. The two major questions I have felt to solve are as follows, who will look after my blind child once I am dead, and who will inherit my fields and plough with my oxen since my only boy child is blind

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