The resemblance in style with Che Guevara's famous portrait struck me from afar. In front of the faculty of sociology of the Universidade Eduardo Mondlane stands this sign with the portrait of Mondlane, the first leader of the Mozambican liberation movement Frelimo. Mystification of political figures one finds all over Africa. The heroes often have in common that their lives were cut short. Cynically one could argue that they died before they had the chance to renounce their revolutionary principles. But there's more to it. I am reading
The Soccer War again, and as always with
Kapuściński his insights bring me many an illuminating moment. He explains the hero-worship by pointing at Africa's robbed history: 'The awakened Africa needs great names. (...) For centuries the history of the continent has been anonymous. (...) Asia had Confucius and Buddha, Europe Shakespeare and Napoleon. No name that the world would know emerges from the African past. (...) And now almost every year the great march of Africa, as if making up for the irreversible delay, new names are inscribed in history'
The full quotation:
'Meteoric careers, great names. The awakened Africa needs great names. As symbols, as cement, as compensation. For centuries the history of the continent has been anonymous. In the course of 300 years traders shipped millions of slaves out of here. Who can even name one of the victims? For centuries they fought the white invasions. Who can name one of the warriors? Whose names recall the suffering of the black generations, whose names speak of the bravery of exterminated tribes? Asia had Confucius and Buddha, Europe Shakespeare and Napoleon. No name that the world would know emerges from the African past. More: no name that Africa itself would know.
And now almost every year the great march of Africa, as if making up for the irreversible delay, new names are inscribed in history'
Ryszard Kapuściński, The Soccer War (1990).
The resemblance in style with Che Guevara's famous portrait struck me from afar. In front of the faculty of sociology of the Universidade Eduardo Mondlane stands this sign with the portrait of Mondlane, the first leader of the Mozambican liberation movement Frelimo. Mystification of political figures one finds all over Africa. The heroes often have in common that their lives were cut short. Cynically one could argue that they died before they had the chance to renounce their revolutionary principles. But there's more to it. I am reading The Soccer War again, and as always with Kapuściński his insights bring me many an illuminating moment. He explains the hero-worship by pointing at Africa's robbed history: 'The awakened Africa needs great names. (...) For centuries the history of the continent has been anonymous. (...) Asia had Confucius and Buddha, Europe Shakespeare and Napoleon. No name that the world would know emerges from the African past. (...) And now almost every year the great march of Africa, as if making up for the irreversible delay, new names are inscribed in history'
