by Fatima Wahab
If this really happened, it’s shocking to me! Unless there is more to the story than has been reported, it’s a mindless western xenophobic action and quite contrary to Pan-African values and it is wrong.
Ugandan government deported a woman from her homeland (Africa) because she required a specific type of visa to entertain her people and spread good tidings to her womenfolk. We are talking about a talented African woman, whose work is centered on unity in Africa and promoting women’s issues. Her purpose to be in Uganda was to celebrate African women.
Picture Source: Facebook
Uganda’s treatment of this daughter of the land is based on bourgeois, or as we say in B’More, bujee, western immigration mumbo-jumbo; we expect this type of treatment from western countries toward African people. But this is what happens when African-centric paradigms are sacrificed for western ideals that are not in the interest of African unity.
The Ugandan officials stated, “This has been done by the immigration officials with the security team to help maintain the integrity of our immigration rules” (Ugandan immigration officials)
What? Sweet, lovely Yvonne, a security threat? Such gimmick excuses are borrowed from western immigration rules.
The only security threat posed by our talented sister is the threat of her music, which would make Ugandan officials get up and take their potbelly bodies into a circle and dance till they drop. Yes, this sister’s music is that good and could be threatening to government official grinch.
Yvonne Chaka Chaka said it all in her song “Mamaland:”
Who’s that man calling me stranger, in my land, my Mama land?
Who’s that man telling me to go, from my land my Mama Land?
This is my home, where I belong…
My roots are here in Africa! Africa! Africa!
This is my hometown….This is my land Africa…
We’ve got to unite….
Listen for yourself to hear the rest in the video below…and tell me if you did not feel her message in your soul and your body. This is, apparently, a security threat in Uganda; Yvonne is suspected of using her beckoning crooning to get Ugandans on their feet.
I’m just a little miffed because xenophobic behavior has been seen in South Africa at the level of civil society and other countries, such as Angola at the state level. This is not a good trend for Africa, if we continue on this destructive path, we should not be talking about Pan-Africanism. These behaviors show it is only on our lips. Pan-Africanism would only manifest when we truly embrace it with our hearts and souls.
Before publishing, I read statements purported to have been made by Yvonne saying that she was not deported, that she left on her own accord. But we have video statements by Ugandan officials reporting the incident. You be the judge.
But my stance is that if it did happen, then I stand by labelling Ugandan officials’ action as cowardly western xenophobic copycat behavior, by African states toward fellow Africans.
Uganda goes in Mama Salone’s Hall of Shame for this behavior!
Sources:
South Africa: Uganda Deports Musician Yvonne Chaka Chaka
MAMA SALONE ~ Lioness of the West Coast 