A Sample Guide for the African Activist

By Takudzwa Mazwienduna

The African Renaissance is a phenomenon that has risen from a growing liberal demographic on the continent. The advent of the internet and social media has facilitated for likeminded minorities to voice their opinions as a powerful collective force. Feminists, Pan Africanists, LGBTQ activists and Secularists have started powerful movements from their computer keyboards. While the ideals have been popularised, there are a lot of challenges that threaten these movements and the various activists overlook these.

Cultural dogma has been around for thousands of years before the internet. The set of redundant beliefs and perceptions that activists fight against are way deeper than a digital bumper sticker, in other words; common sense is not common at all. A number of activists overlook this reality and they get into the battle head on. Societal values have come a long way, resonated with families, clans, tribes, kingdoms and nations. The average African is raised with these perceptions and encouraged to value the good aspects of their culture while regarding the bad as necessary. Culture comes with a lot of entitlement and like a thought virus, it consumes every human aspect out of anyone to mould Zulu man, Xhosa woman, coloured tannie or Afrikaner Oom. Negative criticism of cultural aspects will probably be taken as personal attacks since the human got buried down the mountain of societal dogma since birth. It is unlikely that anyone will take advice from someone who thy perceive as mocking them or denying them respect. Constructive criticism however allows for a resolution and lays ground for understanding. A voice to be reckoned with is not disruptive or condescending but welcoming.

The library is a very lonely place, especially in Africa. It is usually a few people with very curious minds and a low regard for society that find themselves in book reliving the thoughts and ideas of Karl Marx, Mark Twain, Christopher Hitchens or Carl Sagan. They learn a great deal and familiarise with the importance of cultural reform. The African activist however forgets that he or she was alone in the library. He forgets that his community was not part of the Soweto students’ march. She forgets that her clansmen do not even know who Chinua Achebe is. They are overwhelmed by the anger that comes with the realisation that society is a sham. They insult or mock before they educate the masses; even Richard Dawkins doesn’t debate anyone who didn’t read his subject matter. This has led the progressive movements to be characterised by antagonism, insults and hate. A lot of Africans are convinced that feminism is an unreasonable stance by angry women while LGBTQ issues are pressed for by gay people who want “recruits.” These misconceptions about crucial human rights movements are born out of the ad hominem debates all over social media. The “keyboard warriors” who are the bulk of the online activists’ mock before they educate.

This brings us to the most important part of the issue; how to establish a successful movement. Humans have nothing in common, except for aspects they make up themselves; race, culture, religion, nationality or gender. Two racists might disagree over which rugby team to support between the Springboks and the All Blacks, but they will hug and kiss when they talk about their dislike of black people. Racism is a very negative aspect of society but yet groups like the Kul Kats Klan and Afriforum are proof that this unjustified belief bonds and unites people for a common cause. Racists do not have to disagree on anything, their prejudice is as untouchable as a Christian’s faith. It is not so easy however to have this same kind of unquestioned agreement for a progressive movement because there should be free inquiry and not everyone is expected to come to the same conclusion. The most effective way the movements of the African Renaissance can take hold is to focus on the positive objectives. Progressive movements could overturn millennia of societal dogma and reform African cultures. The internet has given the struggle a chance and set the conversation alive in Africa, yet it is a free space for the efforts to be tarnished or slackened because of antagonism.

It is therefore important to preserve the activists’ relevance, facilitating for a constructive discourse on all public platforms. African activists should consider the issues at hand as crucial turning points in history that should be steered carefully. Consistency, courtesy and patience should be the rules of a constructive campaign to achieve the movements’ objectives.