The Rastafarian community in Mthatha, Eastern Cape, has urged Africans to go back to their roots in a quest to achieve moral regeneration. The movement observed Kwanzaa at the city’s Community Art Centre.
Kwanzaa, an annual celebration of African-American culture, was founded by American separatist Maulana Karenga. It promotes seven principles which include unity, self-determination, faith, and creativity amongst others.
Chairperson of the Mthatha Rastafari community, Ras Aviwe Tyumrhe, believes the land should be returned to African people so they can grow their own food.
“By any means necessary, we must return back to African roots. But as Rastafarian people, we don’t subscribe to Dutch-Roman law. We subscribe to the laws of our ancestors, the laws of the land, the African land which is the natural law of Africa.
“Ours is the stance that talks about the ownership of the land by African people. We own the land so we cannot expropriate what belongs to us. So we are not subscribing to the school of thought of using the very same law of the invader,” insists Tyumrhe.
