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Shame on you. You’ve been demeaned and you take that as the truth. You happily accept being called black – the colour of death. Or, even worse, you accept being called “people of colour”, as if you were coloured in with dark paint.
Unsurprisingly, you fight with the ferocity of a lion if you are called Bantu. The very word that we use to define ourselves. We say we are abantu, batho, vanhu, vhathu, bantfu … Even the name of our own hero, Steve Biko, was Bantu.
Oh what a pity that you get so angry when you are referred to as our wonderful totems such as the baboon and monkey.
If you had eyes that could see on their own independent accord, that were not a mere extension of your mobile device, you would recognise the incomparable beauty of Makgabo, the queen of monkeys and the mother of all wit and agility.
You would not use all that money on hair extensions. You would save yourself the codger-like pomade or the silly supercurl.
In a world teeming with talent, you would hire a Chuene first, because he or she is always learning, exploring and trying new things.
You would want the majestic MaMfene as your strategist for she has unparalleled foresight. In the wild, the buck hang around with the monkeys and the baboons because the primates always see the predators first.
Who could beat the loyalty of the Mtswenis – the majestic baboons that groom each other all day and, when darkness comes, they turn their backs on each other to form an impregnable circle of defence?
In his praises, a Mtsweni prides himself or herself on fighting battles without outside help.
He said, in Ndebele, what Steve Biko said centuries later: “Black man, you are on your own.”
If we listened to the wisdom of the great baboon, we would understand the importance of doing business among ourselves.
We would respect each other more, and the rand would circulate in our communities for a lot longer and more often.
How can you reach greater heights if your springboard is feeble? Before you see yourself through the eyes of another, understand yourself through your own eyes – without the flattery of the mirror or the insult of the onlooker.
You cannot love what you do not know, and so you cannot love yourself if you do not know yourself. And you cannot claim to love life if you do not love yourself, the unit of life. Like a shadow, respect follows those who love themselves with humility, and they know that self-respect is the best policeman or woman.
It guides them through the deep ravines of corporate life, protecting them from greed and ubiquitous temptation.
No. There will be no spaceship of self-love that will come from outer space to help make us see a better us. Start with small things. Be kinder to yourselves. If you have your meal on the go, stop it. Treat yourself like the good and the great.
You’ve never seen Nelson Mandela taking a bite of a dripping burger while driving. Why should you do it?
When you have a meal, sit down and make it a special occasion; maybe it’s for only five minutes or an hour, but make it special nevertheless.
Take those special cups and cutlery out of the cupboard and use them.
How can you treat yourself like trash every day but expect to be treated like royalty when you visit someone else’s house?
The lie ends here and the truth starts now, for self-love is the best gift one can ever receive.
Kuzwayo is the founder of Ignitive, an advertising agency
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