Afrocentric social values: 1) Gerontocracy

In the next series of posts, I will look at Afrocentric social values and teachings among Ababemba (the Bemba people) of Zambia. I will divide these teachings in three: 1) gerontocracy, 2) food sharing, and 3) general values. In this post, I begin with gerontocracy.

Generally, the Afrocentric teachings and values centre around gerontocracy, or respect for elders, are very critical. Elders are seen as 1) wiser, 2) more knowledgeable in the affairs of the community, and 3) closer to the ancestors (cf. Bascom, 1942 in Dei, 1994). As such, elders must be respected in number of ways. Hence, Ababemba have very clear gerontocratic teachings:

1. Ulecindika abakalamba bonse. Bonse abakalamba niba wiso, niba noko. [i.e. You must respect all elders. Every elder is your parent: a woman, your mother; a man, your father.]
   
2. Uleimina abakalamba pacipuna ngabafika apo wikele. [i.e. When an elder comes where you are sitting, you must leave your seat for him/her.]
3. Takuli ukufwisa amate apali abakalamba. [i.e. Never expectorate in the presence of elders.]
4. Tekwesha ukwiminina apali abakalamba. [i.e. Never stand where elders are.]
5. Tekwesha ukubikana ifikansa naba kalamba. [i.e. Never argue with elders.]
   

Do you see any contradictions with what you might have been taught as respect? In olden days, these teachings were passed on to Bemba boys at "Icisaka ca mushi", a circular shelter with a grass roof and wooden poles in the sides, where all teenage boys of the village were expected to be and elders would teach them practical (making fish nets, axes, hoes, animal traps, etc) as well as social (the dos and don'ts of social communion) skills.