Most of us live in between mixed culture, therefore we are bound to see things in cultural perspective. In every culture there are good things, and not so much good ones. After all culture is dynamic. For example, we might grow up in the same village or town, but as long as we grow up there in different times, we might experience different cultures. Culture is a way of life. It is not so much a religion even though , religion might have its own culture at times. While it is encouraged keep and preserve one's culture, it is not a bad thing to see good things in some other cultures if you can. Its hard to discus this topic without mentioning the word tradition. It seems to me that tradition is culture when it has gone by. Every nation, tribe and language must preserve these two things if possible.
There are a lot of things I admire in my culture. There are also many other things I admire here and there in other cultures. Of the things that my culture encourages is to give credit where it is due. It is also encouraged in Ndebele that if you see a good thing outside your territory or area, you may go and get it. Hence the famous saying, "Induku enhle iganyulawa ezizweni" Literally mean a good "club" can be found in other nations. (Normally refers to a young man finding a women) This does not mean that one should change his/her cultural values, it only means be open minded. I can imagine this came about as a realization, we lived/live among other cultures us. At no time in history did any civilization been on its own.
Growing in the Southern part of Zimbabwe known as Matabeleland, I would hear my grandmother admiring some things about other cultures around us. There were things we admired about AmaFengu, amaXhosa, amaShona,ama Nyasalandi, amaKalanga, amaVenda, abeSuthu, amaNazwa and so on. In my opinion having lived side by side with Shona people, One thing admired most about they cultures is the way they 'give thanks" In Zimbabwe I am living in the United States, right now far from Southern Africa's cultures. There are different cultures in America too. Some of them might not be very much pronounced, but still they are cultures. People bring their cultures, where ever they go, some do it better than others.
One thing that I realized when I was growing up is the fact that, Ndebele culture, does not give praise easily. Part of it could be a wrong interpretation of the saying, "Umuntu ungambuki esizwa" Do not praise somebody when he / she is present. Or never tell somebody that they are doing something good in their own hearing. In Ndebele we condemn more than we can praise. I do not know that we do this consciously or not, but either way, we can easily see somebody's faults, more than what they do right. For example, if we are talking about somebody. One would say, so and so is doing well, and then the other person will say, Yes but did you hear what he did ten years ago? There is always a but, in everything. An average Ndebele parent will not always praise his/son for good grades, until they start going down. You are doing below, what you did last term! Yet that last term , he did not praise you for your effort. We seem to be oblivious of the power of encouraging somebody from behind.
We probably have too higher expectations. Again another example, would be if Highlanders Football team is not top of the log standings, nobody is happy. We are only happy when it is on top. By the way its on top these days, so enjoy it while it last. Asifundeni ukubonga, okuhle kuyabonga maNdebele! That is the only thing we can improve on! Its been said so much that we have a bring "our own down syndrome" Let that never be said again.
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