Ubuntu

Ubuntu is a computer operating system created by billionaire & "first African in space" Mark Shuttleworth. 

Ubuntu simply means "humanity" in Nguni languages (compare with "ubulwane" meaning "animal-like cruelty") but it has been stolen & twisted to become a cult ideal embraced by celebrities & influencers as some sort of virgin African mentality. It's the belief that is verbatim stated as "I am because you are" by certain influencers. For me, this concept is just asking to be ridiculed. Personally, I would find it more sensible if ubuntu meant civilization because Africa had some precolonial civilizations as you may or may not know. Civilization in the dictionary is stated as; "An organized culture encompassing many communities, often on the scale of a nation or a people; a stage or system of social, political or technical development." By this, I think we could call the iron smelting, stone wall building, stone calendar making, gold & bronze artifact making Bantu agripastoralists - a civilization. The Bantu Civilization being called called Ubuntu would make more sense to me than the vague vitriol I've heard. 

"I am because you are" is virtually black Nazism & could lead to ethnic genocide. For the sake of all logical Africans, I think we should rebrand this word called "Ubuntu" because it will lead to othering disenfranchised people not indoctrinated into another person's idea of "ubuntu" as not being "abantu" (people/humans). We mustn't forget that these so-called ubuntu preachers can be ubulwane practitioners when no one can see. 

Ubuntu bethu: Our civilisation. 

The Bantu region, as by anthropologists, in Africa. 

Ubuntu should simply mean "humanity" or the Bantu Civilization. Nothing more.

The lost art of being a black conservative.

Most black people grew up around "conservative" black people. For many black people, their parents seemed conservative. The English dictionary definition of the word "conservative" states; "One who seeks to promote or preserve traditional values or institutions." Black conservatives are just black traditionalists. 

At some point in a black individual's life, they have been conservative about something & liberal about other things, this is why sticking to one political label is so complex, people seem stuck on leftism or rightism as labels when they are more a spectrum across various differing matters. One person may be conservative on immigration matters & at the same time liberal on economic matters, the vice versa is also true. 

Black conservatives are usually seen as uptight, privileged & often unreasonable when it comes to matters black people are faced with. Especially because being from a disenfranchised populace, being conservative comes off as siding with oppressors of an "un-black" system. This is why populism almost always wins against traditionalists in Africa, disenfranchised people want a man of action - they want someone in power that they can relate with. They want someone who looks familiar & seems like they walked the same streets in life as them & so, thinks like them. 

Conservatism, in it's nature comes with siding with old orders i. e. 'old models of power' & ultimately power attracts power therefore there are black conservatives who end up siding with colonial oppressors in some fields (as do black liberals). This is where other black conservatives draw the line & become nationalists/populists because while African conservatives are about order, they are about black indigenous/African order. Again, you can't really box people into left & right, populists can be conservative. And it will always be counterculture to be a conservative popular leader of a disenfranchised people because either, your people thrive unstereotypically for a black nation in Africa or you become an oppressive dictator. 

While African politics is filled with popular leaders who you often see riding through streets upon streets of cheering followers & unpopular "conservative" dictators who are often pictured as very troubled & grumpy when leading a displeased populace, I believe conservatism can still succeed in Africa. We have old orders which many laymen recognise & still respect which could hold the key to the emancipation of Africa in future. 

N. B.: Old doesn't always mean outdated, old can also mean established or tried & tested through the centuries. 

African liberalism vs African traditionalism. 

I feel while African politics is often filled with charismatic politicians - I believe sensible, progressive brother-figures have a place in African leadership & tradition can still save us despite secular liberalism being the order of the day in modern Africa. 

For more, see: Kwatuism & Repartition Africa.

A case for professionalising indigenous African games.

I just watched a professional pillow fighting match on YouTube & realised that as Africans we really limit ourselves. Frankly, we often spread ourselves thin by wanting to participate in everything. Also, the most popular sports in the world are already crowded with such elite competition that it becomes near impossible for African teams & athletes to truly succeed or win titles. 

In combat sports, I'm a fan of MMA, some boxing, kickboxing & 5-on-5 MMA... I also occasionally watch slapfighting. Slapfighting & pillow fighting are real sports in 2026 where you can earn real money; why couldn't Laamb, stick fighting or even capoeira be made professional sports in Africa? We already have Indigenous Games tournaments in South Africa, why couldn't we professionalise these events & develop them with complete federations, rules, points systems & even punditry. I, genuinely, believe that stick fighting & Laamb could be national sports in both southern Africa & West Africa, respectively. 

If breakdancing can reach the Olympics, surely we could, at least, professionalise Laamb & Nguni stick fighting to make a new type of sports star in Africa. I'd like to see a famous Laamb wrestler & stickfighter making a living off their craft sooner rather than later. And would like to see a South African Nguni stickfighting Federation & a Senegalese Laamb Federation in future. We should make money from our own culture & be enterprising with what is ours, not for tourists but ourselves. 

• Nguni stickfighting 

• Laamb wrestling 

• Slapfighting 

• Professional pillow fighting 

• 5-a-side MMA 

• All-Africa Games

How can Africa win the FIFA World Cup?

Nigeria has already won the U17 FIFA World Cup five times, Ghana has won the U20 FIFA World Cup & Cameroon has won a gold medal for football at the Olympics before so could we win the main event? The Senior Men's FIFA World Cup? 

People are going to make comparisons between European & African domestic leagues. While that is the main difference, there's a bit more to it. In Africa, we simply don't have the culture of sanctifying our countries. We are not really serious about our countries (see previous blog on the mentality of African footballers), whether we get this from our leaders or we ourselves are ill-disciplined is a sociological & psychosocial matter. But let's put all this aside - how could we attempt to catch up to European football? Not only in football but perhaps for other sports. 

It all starts with the infrastructure: You need to build self-sustaining infrastructure (stadiums, academies & club funding models) so that once we get talented footballers they can earn a living when they reach professional ranks. This might mean the football federation of the land needs to make kit sponsorship deals (preferably, with a local kit manufacturer) certain television deals & make an exciting sport product that will be enjoyed by people in the land & outside the borders of the land which can only be created by development. 

Development: In Europe, they are more about efficiency in football & in South Africa, we are more about the style of play. The thing is because of such bad development, we find that some players don't really have good ball control or even proper tactical awareness. Ball control has always been the entertainment factor in football, so if you take that away - you'll get a very clumsy & dull game. Ball control simply brings fans. Personally, I believe ball control should be taught in schools, ball control is something that can be taught & a footballer can constantly improve in (it's really not difficult). Players should also be identified by which talents they possess so they can be further specialised into the roles they show the most potential in & I believe that for this a unified national playing style needs to be formulated. 

Old I. Y. iMpofana development video 

BRINGING SPECTATORS TO GAMES 

For example, exceptional players from 14 years onwards could be identified & sent to regional academies identified by the state & national football federation. As each player has unique talents, they could be categorised into which positions they could be best in. Goalkeepers could be selected by height or ability to stop shots & penalties, defenders could be selected by speed & ball-winning ability, midfielders could be selected by defensive ability, passing ability & all-round technical ability in play, forwards could be selected by speed, goalscoring ability & dribbling.  These are my ( I. Y. iMpofana ) preferences but I imagine many other academies & national federations could identify other talents & mental capabilities in a player. 

Once we have the above, it becomes a matter of limiting corruption & hiring the right people & (preferably local) technical staff. Then hopefully, in time, results will come. 

Lastly, the players need to want to be there. Their fans, family & government needs to want them to win. The players themselves need to believe that they can win the title. 

I need your help.

If this blog or it's writer has helped you in any way, please do the favour of donating any funds you wish to donate via PayPal or these cryptocurrencies:  

PayPal: PayPal receive

BTC:  3A3xX7SGs9afxewPAeG9Gpi2azXCKBJMoG 

ETH:  0x8932C0E3e649fF6E73FFCb161625bF4d10E05D2c 

USDT:  0x14CAD477e3704bb3429e7769FbC32971CF60f856 

USDC:  0x14CAD477e3704bb3429e7769FbC32971CF60f856 

If you have the option, please choose the above cryptocurrencies to send because the PayPal system in South Africa is still underdeveloped & mainly for online use.  

Your donation is greatly appreciated.