In African cultures, we first acknowledge and appreciate hard work. We say, Pole na kazi in Kiswahili. In Kihaya Wagira mahyo! In our Ugandan English, we say Well done! And then, if time allows, we talk about the toil itself. Cecy, let me tell you why your hard work counts.
This documentary, The Empty Grave, lays the groundwork we need to open public discussion about German colonialism in Tanzania. The documentary format gives access to a wider audience to the subject of colonialism beyond the dreaded history national examinations.
I understand why restitution is the form of struggle that this documentary takes. As if it were not enough that these Kings were killed, their heads had to be chopped off and shipped to Germany. It is, therefore, important for the bereaved clans of Kaaya and Mbano to demand that Germany return the heads of the King’s grandfathers for burial.
I am, however, sceptical about the possibility that Germany would commit itself to returning the heads of the African Kings and items they looted from Tanganyika. Basically, I fear Greeks bearing gifts. Germany, I think, is open to the discussion about its colonial past as a public relations campaign as a nation that lost World War I, the African colonies and World War II.
Only God knows what kind of arrogant tales they would have crafted if they had come out victorious in these major world events! We haven’t and probably won’t see in a long time, for instance, an open discussion on the part of the French and British governments concerning colonial rampage in Africa.
READ MORE: Mr Steinmeier, Thanks for Your Apology. Now, Let’s Talk About Reparations
In our own case, would we ever see the day that Britain will be open to the question of restitution for the Tanzanian economy? The British fought their way into Tanganyika to defeat the Germans. They stayed and made a claim over Tanganyika territory as our guardians until we were civilised enough to run a government and rich enough to have an economy that could redistribute annual returns through social services.
Between 1922, when Tanganyika became a mandate, and the breaking out of World War II, the British had continued to export diamonds, gold, sisal, coffee and cotton in huge quantities with no so-called human advancement plans.
When TANU became the official voice of African opposition to colonialism, the British, to the bitter end, were not ready to let us rule ourselves because we were not civilised enough. Would we ever get at least a verbal apology from the King of Britain for extorting our mineral and agricultural wealth without actually investing in the human development they promised?
Two reactions
I think there are two general reactions to the documentary that you, too, must have noted. In the documentary, we see young Germans shocked that they have all along known that there has been a public yet hidden colonial past. The poor children kept apologising.
On the day I attended the screening, the audience started pressing you on what had to be done next. In time, they will realise that the documentary is pointing them in a certain direction and not in itself a destination.
READ MORE: Tanzanian Families Appeal to the Govt to Expedite Repatriation of Ancestors’ Remains from Germany
I hope that in the end, the success of the documentary will be how it mobilised heirs of German colonial history in order to have collective initiatives to continue probing the past. The bigger task ahead is forging lasting relations between those who want to continue the conversation on German colonialism in particular and imperialism at large.
The possibilities of a conjoined study of Namibia, Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda and Cameroon to connect the legacy of German colonialism. Thorough studies of diaries, biographies, letters, photographs and official archives.
Lifetime trauma
From the time the conception of the idea to the final cut of the documentary, you must have accumulated enough trauma to last you a lifetime. We, the audience, have only seen close to two hours of edited work. We don’t really know what moral choices you had to make.
We will never be exposed to the raw footage you left out because it was graphic, controversial or even just outright creepy. Yet these details will flash in your brain from time to time. When it is time to go to bed, either spread or cover yourself with a khanga.
The khanga will hold your mind from leaving your body, just in case you wake up disoriented from dreaming about Carl Peters chasing you at gunpoint! Instead of asking you questions about what next we should be saying, Pole na kazi! Wagira mahyo! Well done!
‘Cuz girl, you ATE and left no crumbs!
Diana Kamara identifies herself as the daughter of Adria Kokulengya. She can be reached at dianakkamara@gmail.com. The opinions expressed here are the writer’s own and do not necessarily reflect those of The Chanzo. If you are interested in publishing in this space, please contact our editors at editor@thechanzo.com.
