Nkosentsha Khumalo
Matabeleland South villagers of Ndiweni village’s ward 14, Maphisa, Kezi under Chief Ndiweni Nyangazonke have expressed concern over the future of cultural values in rural communities, which is headed to natural death due to the impact of human rights and wealth in the lives of the younger generation.
Elderly villagers raised concern that the impact of human rights activists and wealth in their children’s lives comes as a ticking time bomb which has only promoted disrespect in rural homes and broken the chain of communication.
Chief Nyangazonke raised concern that the impact of human rights activists on the fate of the younger generation has only promoted lesbianism and gayism, an act which erodes cultural values.
“Cultural values have been eroded way far beyond par and disgustingly as you can now find another man married to another man, while other women also now marry other women, a culture we failed to embrace as Africans,” Nyangazonke said.
“Witch hunters (tsikamutandas) have now also liberated many human rights as they now move around our villages causing conflicts amongst villagers and performing witchcraft activities, while hiding behind their certificates. During the ancient times, Tshaka would have simple taken his spear and delt with them right away than watch the situation escalate in the name of rights.”
A Matobo Ward 14 villager, Nimrod Makhiwa Moyo said the want of unsweated wealth by the younger generation has made them adapt to uncouth modern ways of living, prompting them to abandon their rural homes.
“The future of our cultural values is headed to a natural death as most of the young generation now criticize their rural homes, they have now shifted to modern ways of living, prompting them to abandon the development at their rural homes and shift to urban areas,” Moyo said.
“The young generation can now only be reprimanded by mouth as they now have more human rights than back then where we simply used the traditional methods of reprimanding them.”
Ndiweni village’s Pickson Nyathi said the cultural values of arranged marriages has now been difused due to the many rights bestowed on the young generations who can now marry in whichever method and time they want.
“Parents no longer have a say in their children’s lives and marriages as they can now marry the wives they want and have children without informing or introducing the wives to their parents,” Nyathi said.
A Kezi villager, Artwell Sibanda said wealth on the young generation has made some of them become bread winners which poses more competition between father and son or amongst other family members.
“Some young people have turned out to be bread winners causing a scenario where parents end up being the ones who ask for everything. This has only limited reprimandations by parents on their children at the same time posing competition amongst family members.” Sibanda said.
Another villager Monis Dube said the rights now vested on the young generation have destroyed many homes in rural communities as unity amongst family members has been compromised.
“Young girls under the age of 18 now get into bars and drink alcohol the whole night with their rights, hence the time for coming home has changed than back then. There is no longer unity when it comes to eating as families as the younger generation now party all night only to come back the next day without valuing their families,” Dube said.
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