Carina on the T-word.I must congratulate Carina Carina (kərē`nə) [Lat.,=the keel], southern constellation, representing the keel of the ancient constellation Argo Navis, or Ship of the Argonauts. Carina contains Canopus, the second brightest star in the sky. Ray on opening the debate regarding "tribes" as it is long overdue ("How the word 'tribe' stereotypes Africa" New African New African is an English-language monthly news magazine based in London. Published since 1966, it is read by many people across the African continent and the African diaspora. , March 2008) and I would like to extend the debate further: What are sometimes called tribes are really occupational groups. For example in Rwanda, the Tutsis were traditionally pastoralists while the Hutus were agriculturalists. It was the Belgian colonialists that sought to deepen and accentuate the differences in order to separate ethnic groups in a divide-and-rule policy with the aim of creating animosity between Tutsis and Hutus. However, given that tribes are now a reality, it would be a good idea if those African democracies beset by sectarian, tribal politics move towards a system whereby political parties attract support on ideological grounds and not on the basis of tribal affiliation. For example, the Social Democratic Party in Burundi should move away from being a Tutsi party and attract support from both Tutsis and Hutus on the basis of its socially democratic political philosophy. Kenyan politics since independence has been beset by political leaders (Jomo Kenyatta Jomo Kenyatta (October 20, 1889 – August 22, 1978) served as the first Prime Minister (1963–1964) and President (1964–1978) of Kenya. He is considered the founding father of the Kenyan nation. , Daniel arap Moi Daniel Toroitich arap Moi (born September 2, 1924) was the President of Kenya from 1978 until 2002. Daniel Arap Moi is popularly known to Kenyans as 'Nyayo', a Swahili word for 'footsteps'. , Mwai Kibaki Mwai Kibaki (born November 15, 1931) is the President of Kenya. Kibaki was previously Vice President (1978 - 1988), and has held several other cabinet positions, including Minister for Finance (1978 - 1981), Minister for Home Affairs (1982 - 1988) and Minister for Health (1988 - , Raila Odinga Raila Amollo Odinga (born 1945) is a Kenyan Member of Parliament, and was, until November 23 2005 a Cabinet Minister in the Ministry of Roads, Public Works and Housing. He is the son of the first Vice President of Kenya Jaramogi Oginga Odinga. ), whose appeal to the populace has been predominantly based on tribal affiliation. The only notable exception to this was Raila Odinga's father, Odinga Odinga, whose Kenya Africa Democratic Union (KADU) appealed to the public on socialist ideological grounds. This is in contrast to Ghana, where political parties have been based on political ideologies and not tribal affiliation. This started with the first leader of independent Ghana, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah Kwame Nkrumah (September 21, 1909 - April 27, 1972)[1], one of the most influential Pan-Africanists of the 20th century, served as the founder, and first President of Ghana. , whose appeal to the public was based on the ideologies of socialism and Pan-Africanism. This has continued in the current Ghanaian polity. Tribe must not be used as an excuse for sectarian political violence. I would respectfully disagree with Comrade Samora Machel, the former Marxist president of Mozambique, when he said that: "If the nation is to prosper the tribe must die." I feel that the tribe can, however, be seen positively as a repository of language, culture and traditions. Trevor Johns Bromley, UK |
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