Heedless Nation?

Indlu Yegagu…: What is the collective vision of SA?

“The most delightful thing concerning the Law is that it cannot be manipulated or bent to favour the rich and torment the poor. It is a priceless seed implanted within the hearts of all creatures. It is well preserved like an expertly cut diamond alive with the infinite sparkle of Divine Lustre.” – Abiding By The Law (The Sacred Gospel of Hunhu/Ubuntu) by Simbarashe Simbarashe

Ever so often, there comes a time in a people’s life that they have to stop and question the direction of their collective efforts. All the various endeavours that are undertaken within that nation, from the ordinary folk’s daily tasks at home, places of worship, educational and other institutions all the way up to the governmental levels.

It is quite clear even to the simple minded that the socio-economic condition of South Africa /Azania is not an admirable or acceptable one. While We are certainly not the only country undergoing macro-economic strains due to perhaps the global failure of the capitalist democracy model that threatens to re-colonise the whole universe, it is also abundantly clear that our leaders in industry, political organisations and all the institutions that should be guiding us through a possible progress do not have any idea what to do, despite to merely defend their policies and continue speculating. In other words, most leaders are perplexed and it has become a matter of ‘the blind leading the blinded’.

We shall return shortly to what I think should be the primary foci of our dedicated efforts. Our future can still be decided by us right now, but only if we do willingly act decisively.

For now I’d like to direct our attention towards the ancient past. I know that there are aspects of our cultural and traditional past that can no longer work efficiently in today’s reality, yet there are those that can be studied in order to help us rise above our embarrassing situation.

Looking at the various institutions whereby leadership and moral guidance are expected, I have found them seriously wanting. The poverty of scholarship and values in our education and government systems is a serious indication of what kind of future lies ahead of us and it is certainly not a pleasing scenario.

I have been studying the writings and oral, ‘painted and etched’ history of KMT/Egypt and there have been so many ideas coming to my mind, I have shared some with my brother Khaya and some with a few of my friends and scholars.

My friends also see the rot pervading most if not all of the political world, although at first we have argued, we now agree that a radical change has to occur, it must be made to occur for the forthcoming generations cannot be asked to inherit such a tired and ineffective system. My brother on the other hand, who is quite a philosopher in his own right thinks that we should not try and take any lessons from the past, instead we should strive forward and simply learn from whatever mistakes we make.

He says that whatever our sciences produce should be tried out without all the moral hang-ups that have characterised our past, since all the moralising and religiosity has only been done to control each other rather than to help individuals to progress naturally.

During one of these regular philosophical conversations which can often get quite confrontational since he calls himself an atheist and I call myself a believer or potential knower of God, we got to talking about what I called the efficacy of Ancient Egyptian and Kushite theocracy…the worldview that Ubuntu or Ma’at can be an excellent system considering its insistence on Cosmic harmony which filters down to everyday actions.

The main point was that I had been reading a historiographical novel called A God Against The Gods, written by Allen Drury, the author of a non-fiction book called “A Very Strange Society”…anyway, this novel published in Great Britain in 1976 deals with the life and adventures (ascendance and rule) of KMT/Egypt by the enigmatic pharaoh famously known as Akhenaten. 

This novel is leaving a deep impression on my psyche, I see so much in it that is similar to what is happening to the world right now. There are so many similarities to contemporary African society.

Perhaps it is just the power of the Egyptian intrigue or it is just myself choosing to see things the way I wish to, but aside from that, what I see is that once in every while there appears a ruler who wishes to transform subtly or sometimes stealthily the lives of his/her subjects.

There have been many such rulers in both African and Western history, some have built monuments that still stand for all generations to see and touch while others have left their legacy in the wisdom and inspiration that they managed to exert in peoples lives. I am well aware of the complexity of todays society as compared to the ancient world, we appear to have become more sophisticated technologically and in the way we view leadership, yet there still hands a spectre of perplexity over every society. Most people are still unable to think beyond what we are shown in the media, the political arena and the religious platforms.

Yet there is still no sophisticated or evolved system of living, one that all can know how to apply without much coercion or force.

Let us take a brief look at Akhenaten, former Prince of Thebes, Son of the Sun, tenth pharaoh of the Eighteenth Dynasty. Born around 1390 B.C., Akhenaten and his equally if not more famous Great Wife Nefertiti reigned for about 60 years  from the city of Akhet-Aten which is presently called Tell-el-Amarna. He was called ‘the Heretic’, ‘the Criminal of Akhet –Aten’. He has been called history’s first idealist and some have called him history’s first great mad-man. The other of this book say’s that he was possibly both. The desert sands of present day Egypt have erased most of what can be clearly known about this great African king, yet his fame seems to grow from strength to strength, more authors are emerging to write about him and more archaeologist and serious anthropologists have been digging up all the evidence that can be found under the tell tale sands of KMT.

 According to evidence found on the hieroglyphics and surviving and preserved papyri, his throne name was “Nefer-Kheperu-Ra”, yet his original name was Amonhotep IV as agreed by serious historians.

For those who have read some of my writings on Egypt, some may wonder how a personality possessing such a lovely name ended up being called a heretic and a mad-man.

We have to keep in mind that this passionate and idealistic ruler ascended to the throne of one of the most stable, peaceful and longest preserved kingdoms and attempted to change or alter the course of its history by challenging the status quo. His biggest sin was to neglect the worship of the many neteru/gods of Egypt, gods that had been help in reverent fear and adoration by thousands of generations before him. Primarily, he went against the authority of the ancient priesthood of Amen/Amun, the God who the original rulers of Egypt the Kushites had also known and praised albeit in many aspects.

He can be compared to a pope who comes to Rome and directly or indirectly goes against the worship of Jesus Christ. If he does not get killed he surely would be called a heretic and a mad person.

In changing the way people worshipped the gods and attempting to cause the whole society to worship one single all powerful God, Akhenaten necessarily also had to transform specific institutions within the socio-economic frame of KMT/Egypt. This meant that even the arts and cultural life of the people would be directed in accordance with the ‘new’ and primary God. But would this ever be possible, can people make the transition from what they know works (with all its flaws and sacrifices) to whatever an idealistic ruler wishes them to observe?

Here is some of what Akhenaten did, according to some historians.

“Akhenaten was simply carrying to the extreme his pursuit of a dream-ideal, and insisting upon perpetuating this symbol of life passing from the Globe ( Aten ) to the double-principle of the couple, itself essential to the enduring omnipotence of the Globe ( Aten ).”

Here is what the author of this novel has the young pharaoh say:

“Why do the people like so many gods? Why do they not see the simple advantages of one?

This I ask my uncle Aye, whom it horrifies. Apparently never, in all our two thousand years of history, has anyone, let alone a Pharaoh, questioned the gods. Apparently never has anyone, let alone a Pharaoh, thought out for himself the advantages of one single, universal god to channel the worship of all men, to simplify the gathering of all tribute, to serve as instantly recognisable, universally acceptable unifier of empire, if Empire we must have.” (p.103)

This is the supposed sin that this great Pharaoh committed; he dared to go against the grain.

But then perhaps it was the manner in which he did it that caused future Egyptian ruler and priests to remove his memoirs and try to remove him from history.  He also is made to say this of his parents: {-There are many inspirations for a ruler but his religion may be the primary and most evocative one -}

“I hope they do not under estimate me, for I am supported by their love and Nefertiti’s and the love of the people; and perhaps, if the plans that are forming in my mind take shape as I want them to, I shall open a new way for Kemet that will make my name live forever in the minds of men.” (p.105)

And also this is what is inscribed on one of the many monuments to his god that Akhenaten had build all over Egypt/KMT in his endeavour to de-centralise power and counter-balance the power of the reigning God Amen.

“Live, Ra, ruler of the Horizon, rejoicing in the Horizon, in his role of light

Coming from the Sun’s Disk, giving life forever and to all eternity, Aten

The Living, the Great, Lord of Jubilees, Master of all that encompasses the

Sun’s Disk, Lord of the Heavens, Lord of the Earth, THE ATEN”

Of course the above was written in the language of the Metu Neter (mdw Ntr) now better known as Hieroglyphics, as long ago as 1367 B.C.

It is not my purpose to tell the entire history of Ancient Egypt and how its many kings and queens were able to maintain truth, justice and order for such a long time and in such a treacherous area which we now call as the Middle East.

What I mean to illustrate is that whenever someone attempts to transform the masses via his or her own however inspired agenda it may work for a while but then it usually backfires, this is the sad indication of people’s unwillingness to change.

What Akhenaten tried to do was to simplify the manner in which his people had worshipped their God.

He knew that essentially there was and is only one Supreme Being and that in many religions He, It or She was characterised/symbolised by the Sun which he called the Aten or the Disk through which flows all terrestrial and even some of the astral energy.

His own parents had encouraged him to revere the Aten as they had been disturbed by their first son’s (Tutankhamen) murder, which they vehemently blamed on the god Amun/Amen.

They just did not anticipate that their troubled son would take things as far as he did, in their eyes and indeed in the eyes of many Egyptians, he was indeed defying Ma’at (the cosmic order of justice, rightness) the principle that had kept Egypt/KMT so prosperous for as long as they could remember.

It appears that my reasoning is turning towards a more religious rather than a political nature, yet I think that the two have long been indivisible. Rulers rule with an ever so subtle reliance on principles and manipulation of peoples sense of faith and beliefs. This can be recognised everywhere from national symbols to the creeds and swearing in ceremonies done by even governments that appear so far removed from the religious.

The problem that I have found is that of intermediaries, those of us who feel that they need to preach and transform the minds, hearts and souls of others. This is not the kind of transformation that so many people bled and continue to bleed for, our mothers and fathers did not cry freedom so that we all could become reformed and neo-liberal and forward Christian soldiers. The Christian faith is suitable for a Western democracy build on such pathetic capitalist ideals as we now have, but there surely must be a better Tradition and Knowledge System for Africans to use in order to realise our great purpose. This tradition has to be built on the realistic and truth based intuitive principles of UBUNTU, that great humane faculty that we have been assured is our birth right. All the proselyting is a mistake that continues to cost humanity a lot of lives, the building of mosques, churches and all temples has not helped mankind progress any further:

Hear the argument between Akhenaten and his equally famous and powerful mother, the Great Queen Tiye:

“But if your god is the greatest god –“He interrupts instantly.

“The Only God! Amon and the rest are but profanation now!”

“If he is, then, the only god,” I persist, “why is it that the people must worship anyone besides him? Why must they worship you, my son? Why cannot they worship the Aten directly without your intervention?”

“Do the people worship Amon directly without the intervention of my father?” he asks sharply; and there of course, he has me. “They worship Father Amon and they worship my father who is his son – Father and Son, indivisible. They would not dare worship Amon did they not also worship my father. He speaks for them to Amon; he speaks for Amon to them. So they are worshipped jointly. Is it not so? Has it not been immemorially so.” (p.159)

It is now as it was in the beginning, it is now and forever will be. The challenge then is to cause young African’s to remember that We have been around for many years before we were subdued by the Western powers. It is time for the reclamation of our dominion, our sovereignty as a humane people with divine tendencies. Our vision must be steady and unmoved by the West winds, thus we shall be victorious in our politics and belief systems for longer and for a better world.

Menzi Maseko ©