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Ebook img

Khanyisile
Litchfield-Tshabalala

the author

I am Khanyisile, Litchfield-Tshabalala (Dr – PhD and Rear Admiral Junior Grade, Retired); a Facilitator, Trainer, Public Speaker, Writer, and a Consultant on Illicit Financial Flows and Tax, International Finance Institutions’ transparency, accountability, and community engagement. This includes social accountability. What sets me apart from my peers, is that I love Afrika above my own family. And this is a known fact to all who have interacted or worked with me. A veteran of uMkhonto WeSizwe, and an exiled freedom fighter, I came back and joined the SA Navy, where I rose to being the first Female Admiral in the history of the SA Navy. I am now a Retired Admiral.



Publisher
Africa World Press
Publisher
Mbongi Ya Ubuntu
Distributor
Mbongi Ya Ubuntu
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About The Book

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Ubungulisa: Deconstructing Gender in Afrikan Spirituality

Tell us about the book you have written?

Writing this book has been such an eye opener! I have studied isiZulu as a mother-tongue throughout my schooling years, and in primary school. I am actually in the group that studied in the mother-tongue at primary school. Yet I was never taught about the Mystery and Mastery of Zulu Cosmology and its balanced approach to life. On the contrary, the power of a single narrative got me singing praises to the Mastery of Mary, mother of Jesus by age 7, to the complete denigration of Afrikan Spirituality. So powerful is the single narrative that even amongst amaZulu, there are many men and women today who would describe the culture as intrinsically stratified patriarchal.

The book is about Precolonial Afrikan Gender Relations, focusing on the various roles and positions of leadership occupied by women at the time. Roles and Positions, you ask? Definitely! Ubulungisa - the Nguni word for the constant spiritual act of balancing any imbalance in nature, including gender relations, ensured this. I was spoiled for choice in terms of examples of women in leadership in precolonial and colonial Afrika. Contrary to popular opinion, patriarchy IS NOT AFRIKAN. Patrilineality, matrilineality, and a mix of the two, now we are talking. Matriarchy? Find out.

Be part of this transformative movement and ensure these vital stories are told. Asante for your support!

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What Our Readers Say

  • "Meeting Dr. Litchfield-Tshabalala through her daughter, Temashengu, sparked a profound journey. Despite not discussing her mother initially, I was intrigued when asked to contribute to her book on Afrikan Spirituality. This opportunity felt divinely guided, offering answers to my spiritual quest. Dr. Litchfield-Tshabalala's work is a testament to her intelligence and personal experience, providing education and guidance on Afrikan Spirituality. Her book offers a well-researched historical analysis, using the Afrikan Timeline to explore pre-colonial development's impact on spirituality, shedding light on colonial and postcolonial Afrika's challenges."

    - a friend of Mama Khanyisile
  • "Ubungulisa: Deconstructing Gender in Afrikan Spirituality" by Mama Khanyisile is a revelatory masterpiece that sheds light on the untold story of Afrikan Warrior Women, highlighting their pivotal roles in history. It addresses the question of women's perceived inferiority, celebrating their strength and wisdom throughout history. The book challenges societal constructs, unveiling the inherent power and equality of women in Afrikan spirituality. It's a guiding light for women seeking to reclaim their worth and rediscover Ubuntu, fostering unity and respect for all beings.

    - Nduku Mulumba
  • "Wow my baby sis.... this belongs to the public for reawakening."

    - Thokoza Gogo
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Quotes from the Book

One thing stood out, in the Afrikan context, there is no God, but an Originator. The main difference between a God and an Originator, lies in the relationship with humans. An Originator, while deemed supreme, does not condemn humans, because there is no concept of sin as it is understood in religion. The Morality and Ethics Code is rather found within the various cultural practices, which as has been explained, find their source in the spirituality. Thus, an Afrikan does not sin against the Originator; rather, they break the Cultural Code, or violate their ancestral way of life.
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’How dare you forget an Afrikan Warrior Queen who humbled British soldier-men at war’? The Great Spirit of Svikiro and Mhondoro who when captured by the enemy in 1897, tried and found guilty by the authority of the British High Commissioner for South Afrika, Alfred Milner, Warrior Queen Mbuya Nehanda Nyakasinana did not shrivel she did not decrease or diminish in stature or bravery. She chose death by hanging rather than convert to Christianity and revoke her great heritage, curse her culture, declare her ancestors demonic. Yes, death by hanging. And before the noose tightened around her neck, she defiantly told the British red devils ‘Mapfupa angu achamuka!’ – My bones will surely rise.
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The women from whom Afrikan women are birthed, emechawekati e-Afrika (heroines of Afrika), left behind legacies that have survived fifteen centuries of systemic and statutory lies about the lowly societal position of the precolonial Afrikan woman. The legacies are resurfacing to shine a spotlight on the dethronement of a woman once divine, now reduced to an originator of sin. Like it is said that truth liberates, likewise a liberating reawakening is sweeping through the Continent, replacing the lie with the true history of the Afrikan woman.
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The Afrikan’s disposition towards nature, was that nature can do without humans, but not vice versa. For instance, in Kiswahili, the saying goes: Itunze ardhi vyema; hukupewa na wazazi; bali umekopeshwa na dhuria zako = take good care of the earth; it is not given to you by parents; but you have been lent it by your descendants. Herein lies the warning that our negative actions against the environment today, become our children’s heritage, they will bear the brunt of nature’s wrath. Yoruba people have the same warning: Lọ jẹjẹ ni agbaye;ti o ba ni ipalara, ko le pada: Tread softly in the world; if it is harmed, it cannot return. IsiZulu has an equivalent, albeit with a double meaning: Isihlahla Asinyelwa = Do not defecate under a tree just because you are done using its shade, you might need it again. Another meaning refers to human relations. Do not make enemies of a person because you think you are done needing them, for you might just need them again.
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The Afrikan’s disposition towards nature, was that nature can do without humans, but not vice versa. For instance, in Kiswahili, the saying goes: Itunze ardhi vyema; hukupewa na wazazi; bali umekopeshwa na dhuria zako = take good care of the earth; it is not given to you by parents; but you have been lent it by your descendants. Herein lies the warning that our negative actions against the environment today, become our children’s heritage, they will bear the brunt of nature’s wrath. Yoruba people have the same warning: Lọ jẹjẹ ni agbaye;ti o ba ni ipalara, ko le pada: Tread softly in the world; if it is harmed, it cannot return. IsiZulu has an equivalent, albeit with a double meaning: Isihlahla Asinyelwa = Do not defecate under a tree just because you are done using its shade, you might need it again. Another meaning refers to human relations. Do not make enemies of a person because you think you are done needing them, for you might just need them again.
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