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Erasing the name ‘Pioneer Column’

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Anything to do with names gets me into my element.
This week, Rhodies around the world celebrated what they call the Pioneer Column Day.
This is the day barbarians who oppressed, persecuted us, retarded our growth and stripped us off our dignity raised the Union Jack in Salisbury (Harare), effectively occupying our country and making it theirs.
From that day onwards life for the indigenes was transformed for the worst.
Our cultures, our systems, our ways and our values were made redundant.
I am talking about names because an article in this week’s edition asks a very pertinent question.
Why do we call the invaders the ‘Pioneer Column?’
This is what we are teaching our children, from primary to university level, that this band of Western rogues who caused us untold suffering is a ‘pioneer column’.
There is power in names and naming.
Indeed, a ‘pioneer column’ they are but to their Rhodesian kith and kin, their posterity.
But as pointed out in the article elsewhere in the paper, they are nothing of that sort to us, the indigenes.
No self-respecting indigene should call that band of rogues any other name but murderers.
The so-called ‘pioneer column’ plundered, murdered, raped and desecrated our shrines, our holy places that connected us to Musikavanhu.
We must henceforth stop calling them that but refer to them with their true names, rapists and plunderers.
Our children must not be confused.
There was no pioneering they did in a country which had, for hundreds of years, dealt with white skinned people, conducted trade far and wide — indeed was carrying out advanced architectural work and mining activities.
The West, knowing the importance of names, called this shameless band a ‘pioneer column’, giving to the world the impression that they were the first in the country and brought us ‘civilisation’.
We have claimed most of our spaces — physical and spiritual — our land and business space.
But it appears that we still have a lot of work to do to reclaim our intellectual spaces, our identity.
Just look around and see the names we are giving our various entities, institutions and even the suburbs in which we live.
We are so besotted with the names of our former colonisers.
It is sad that 37 years after independence we still debate about the need to do away with colonial names.
And we go on to give our new suburbs, schools and businesses colonial names.
I guess it is easy to do that because we are part of the celebrations of the so-called ‘pioneer column’.
While the Rhodies go to town every September 12, we are everyday in our schools celebrating the ‘pioneer column’ by failing to call that band by its real name.
Names like Mbuya Nehanda, Chaminuka, Sekuru Kaguvi and Lobengula, it appears, are not venerated compared to Cecil John Rhodes and David Livingstone, among others.
It is our fault.
Our young cannot know or love that which we do not preach about.
And they grow into adults who have nothing to teach their children for they do not know the history and exploits of their people.
Indeed, as asked, when we venerate those who murdered us, what are we saying about and calling those who rescued us from bondage.
We will not tire talking about this issue.
We need to change our mindset.

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