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Of ‘makoronyera’ and battered spouses
Two things today, the stories of the battered Malawian woman and our political “makoronyera”. I really didn’t want to revisit the saga of our women, who are being beaten, maimed, or even killed, just like that, all in the name of conjugal obligations? (Holy Dean!)
But I believe things are getting out of proportion and too raw for the womenfolk, and maybe I should add what late Uncle Vakara used to tell us boys, that: “Mkazi sitimenya. Osatichititsa manyazi kwa anthu. Mudzisamalira mkazi bwino.” (“We never beat a woman. Don’t shame our clan by wife-beating. Always look after her well.”)
“Why?” We often asked moustached Vakara. “Why should we treat her like a queen as if she were our cousin?”
“Our family name and good reputation need protection at all times,” he would start. “And if you batter all women, your young brothers will not be accepted in marriage all over. You will close their doors to marriage,” he would argue.
On a lighter note, he would also say there are other ways of beating a woman. “Keep her busy!” He would say, with a wide, mischievous Lomwe grin. We would all understand and break into wild laughter.
“If you have problems in keeping her busy, eat your powder hard,” he would say, referring to the then widely used aphrodisiac, gondolosi.
But on a more serious note, the old mentor would say more details about harmonious family life would be given during our thezo or chinamwali (initiation).
True, let me break the chinamwali silence code here for the general good by saying just a few things on the issue; namely, that we are told, at a very early, formative stage in life, to respect the woman—wife or kinswoman—because “she is life”.
“Ukamusinja nkazakoyo, tizakufotokoza kuno (If you batter your wife, you will hear from us,” repeatedly warned our ngalibas.
Which is why I would suggest to hard-working Joyce Banda (Gender Minister) & Co., to do a pro-active, sustained and nationwide civic education on peace among spouses (not building drop-in centres for battered women in cities as she has suggested), and encourage initiation rites because there is a lot of fruitful stuff that is passed onto younger generations regarding peaceful co-existence among sexes and communities.
In fact, that is why in our days, even urban parents used to send their children home during school holidays for initiation. But today it seems we have thrown away the bath water with the baby, arguing that initiation is barbaric and young people are taught more sex than anything else (Holy prophets! Who said?). Initiation insists on higher values of life—hard work, especially in agriculture; respect for others, especially elders and the marginalised, including women, children and the aged.
I thus suggest more support for the rites to save our endangered, beautiful Malawian woman. Of course, to be a bit raw, some of these women makani too much. Ndiofunika kuwanyambititsako timakofi pang’ono nthawi zina or kuwapatsako kampuno (slap them a bit once in a while), to remind them of the raw, biblical fact that man was made first and put in charge. But, I repeat, don’t injure, maim or kill the woman).
My second issue, that of “makoronyera”, also comes to mind because of the many political U-turns by many of our so-called politicians, who are now busy maiming our hard-won multiparty democracy by either joining the DPP wholesale or singing they want “to work with government.” (Holy Pope!)
By the way, the term “makoronyera” is a corrupted version of the English word “cronies” or “cronyism”. It was popular among kids during our times at Masasa, that beautiful tobacco-processing Imperial Tobacco Company factory village, about a few miles east of the then Salisbury.
After the hard academic work at Sir Wilfred Anson Primary School and some tying of reef knots and making wooden bridges in the company’s forests with our Scout-master Che Ranken, or after some practical agriculture work at the school garden with the ever strict Teacher Chigwida with his “white snake” (a rubber rope with which he whipped errant pupils), Che Ranken would take us to the magnificent company hall and show us some old cowboy films, featuring such stars as Billy the Kid.
Around such leading figures we would see a whole crowd of useless, weak or efulefu cowboys just following the powerful and skillful gun-combat stars. The followers gave all blind loyalty and support to the leader for protection, easy roasts and accommodation.
“Those ones are makoronyera, followers, ongodya nawo,” would echo Che Ranken from his scout-master megaphone at the back of the crowded hall.
“Never be makoronyera in life, be leaders,” Che Ranken would later echo during Moral Instruction, a lesson we took during our Boy Scout camping times.
Which reminds me of my late old man who used to add, especially when coming from Mabvuku, drunk, that apart from shunning ukoronyera, “never be a bus conductor, but boss for the conductor.”
I think I still subscribe to Che Rankeni’s and my late father’s views. And this is what makes me silently wonder (for fear of being privatised by Moya and his PC) what type of politicians are we breeding in this country, just following DPP, basi? Is that all these fellows can offer Malawians, just being “makoronyera”?
When statesman and political icon Dr. Kamuzu Banda was there, some makoronyeras surrounded and ate with him. Came Tcheya, the same fellows surrounded the good man from Kapoloma, ate with him, and probably misled him on many things.
Then comes Moya Bingu, the same faces are there, eating and messing up, makoronyera style, without any conscience?
Come on Raw Stuffers, let us see something better in the political arena, and let us also love our women, so that we, adult males, don’t spoil chances for unmarried “boys” like Ken Wako and Jacob Jimu.––Feedback: echitsulo@yahoo.com
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