By Kumkani Matosa

The mighty Afrikan Goddess. ‘’ Dipped in chocolate, bronzed in elegance, enameled with grace, toasted with beauty…’’ Thixo wam she’s an Afrikan woman. A famous African proverb says, when you educate a man, you educate an individual when you educate a woman you educate a generation.

“Whatever you give a woman, she’s going to multiply. If you give her sperm, she’ll give you a baby. If you give her a house, she’ll give you a home. If you give her groceries, she’ll give you a meal. If you give her a smile, she’ll give you her heart. She multiplies and enlarges what is given to her…”

“The womb of a woman is the most sacred place on earth. When you believe this, when you know this, you cannot allow unqualified men inside’’

Undeniably, a woman is immeasurably valuable and should be protected everlastingly. There is no justification non-what so ever for her suffering. Under no circumstances should she be mistreated. Unfortunately, the Afrikan woman has not enjoyed protection from the Afrikan man for over 400 years. Afrikan men were her last line of defence when colonialist come to our shores centuries ago and we failed to defend her then, we continue to fail in protecting Afrikan woman to this very day.

I am so ashamed and extremely hurt by this reality. How can an entire race of males fail to protect its females while other races have been able to do so?

The Arab man has been able to protect his Queen, the European man has been able to protect his Queen and so too has the Asian man. The Afrikan man has not been able to protect his Queen even to this day when the system has given us a bit of allowance to do so. We continue to show malice towards this wonderful creation God made for us Afrikan men. Most shockingly, and I don’t think every Afrikan man realises the fact that the worst victim of colonialism and of the injustice our race suffers currently- is the Afrikan woman.

I do not think we’ve truly loved our women whilst being unable to protect them. Yes, Afrikan women are magical under any circumstances!!! But those latent hidden powers she possesses are best exhibited when she is at peace and assured of protection. That which is amazing we’ve seen her do over the past centuries despite her being oppressed is nothing… the world has not seen an Afrikan woman at her very best…

The Afrikan man’s failure to protect the Afrikan Queen has subjected her to many bad things because of her vulnerability- including shocking medical experiments in the past, her beautiful body was used as a tool in the advancement of the medical profession, from physicians learning anatomy using your amazingly contoured body without consent, to gruesome surgical amputations. It pains me once more, to live with the reality that before many things became standard medicine, it first had to be experimented on African women. Many Afrikan woman today are being trafficked for sex slavery and we, as a race of Afrikan men, cannot prevent that from happening.

Females are the greatest creation on earth, why is the African woman the worst sufferer in the history of mankind when she is part of the greatest creation on earth? Our creator ordained Afrikan man to protect the Afrikan woman, Afrikan men are part of the arsenal she has been equipped with to face the journey of life. Our creator put confidence in us as men to protect our woman, let us not urinate on that. NO INSTITUTION CAN PROTECT THE AFRIKAN WOMAN AS BEST AS THE AFRIKAN MAN CAN, when he chooses to do so.  We do not need a policy written for us Afrikan men to recognise the significance and imperative of protecting our Afrikan woman. It is a natural law that can never be legislated.

“Land or death” has been proclaimed publicly by some. Before we die for the land we have got to be prepared to die protecting our Afrikan woman. Death for African woman before land!!!

We must be actively involved in the cause of protecting Afrikan woman and not merely be sympathetic to the cause on woman’s month and Mother’s Day. Protecting Afrikan woman requires, in my opinion- radicals, there’s no room for semi-radicals if we are to adequately protect our Queen.

Our strong arms are meant to hold and make her feel secured- not hit her, our muscular chests and shoulders are meant for her to find comfort in laying her head on.

We Afrikan men should stop defying logic with our inability to protect Afrikan woman. We can all begin by respecting and honouring the Afrikan woman’s significance in our homes and societies. How can a human being express anger or irritation using a reproductive organ that delivered him to earth? We need to stop the vulgarity and disdain towards the precious female organ which we were all conceived and brought to earth through. Above all she certainly is not a female dog. Has never been and will never be!!!

Most importantly, we Afrikan men need to assume responsibility, unconditionally, of the role God has put us on earth to fulfil.

Kumkanikazi yethu, you gave birth to Afrika, you nurtured and protected us, you are half the world, we are nothing without you. You have endured so many awful sacrifices for Afrika and still cohered alongside us. Many of us often use Kwame Nkrumah’s words ‘’ I was not born in Africa, Africa was born in me” Afrika was first born in you, Afrikan Goddess, before your offspring. Your suffering on earth is not eternal. It will come to an end one day, and only us Afrikan men can end your suffering. In the words of Jesse Williams ‘’for you, we can and will be strong’’.  It is not all doom and gloom, there are many soldiers out there who have honoured the duty to love and protect you.

Build a home and institutions with Afrikan women!!!

Photo credit: Home of African Literature