Eleven Cows For A Bride

By Frank meke @ Nanta News, Jorbug 

Phezulu Safari Resort, is a biosphere combo, where nature, heritage and culture binds together. It's a laboratory of innate and intimate knowledge of the zulu nation, how they lived with nature, mastered it and pushed the frontiers of their culture to the world.

From our guide, a strong, caring and proudly zulu woman, Baja (pronounced Barcha), a repository of zulu history, her networking and response  to  make her people the centre point  of our visit  to the famous kwa zulu Natal province, would remain with us for a long time to come. 

Let me situate, this story in proper contest. Phezulu Safari Resort, gave and the visiting tourism trade buyers from Nigeria and Ghana, a back to school knowledge of how we must protect and benefit from conservation. 

Indeed,  the blend of nature, to which the entire Kwa Zulu Natal geospace, represents, is better seen than being dreamt about. It is a grotesque and will make you fall in love with nature but again, as a heritage resort, it further tells of the zulu culture,  the drumming, the warrior and resilient spirits of the people made famous by King SHAKA. 

If you have ever read King Solomon's Mines, KZN province, its culture no doubt is like a deep well of clean water in a desert to which you must come and come back again drink. 

Okay, now that you know a bit of KZN historical and conservation background,  the gist and the selling point, is the heritage and culture. Remember Festac  77, hosted by Nigeria and to which an iconic estate, was named after in Amuwo Odofin Area of lagos ,Nigeria?

If you are  too young to remember,  you probably won't forget Nigeria's biggest and iconic National Theatre, in iganmu, area of lagos,  which became the melting point of unbelievable unveiling of the the best of African cultural rebirth in 1977.

At  that  event, the South African nation, stormed Nigeria, with its Ipi Tombi cultural troupe, shook Africa and the world with its Kwa Zulu Natal cultural heritage, and lifestyle, her beautiful charming women, toast of married and unmarried men.

Culture and polygamy thrives in Africa and in KZN, most visitors and those privileged to market South Africa to the world, must  get their trade profile right  on this aspect of tradition of the culturally rich zulu nation. 

So what am i saying? I really again don't know how to provoke this thought so overflowing and to which back home in Nigeria, in Ghana also and all over Africa, that men and women have lived in denial but to which  the  zulus has preserved,  held in esteem and showcased to the world. 

The Nigeria and Ghana trade buyers got a full valuation of this interesting heritage endowment of the zulus.  They are not alone, even large groups from Europe,  Asia and around the world, conferenced during the marriage dance of the zulus on propriety of a male suitor, marrying  a bride( as  many as you wish) with  eleven  healthy Cows per bride. 

Now for polygamous Inspired man, it translates to  forty four Cows for five brides, this aside the local brewed beer, gift to all the mothers of brides, ( heard this is another huge expenditure) and the list goes on.

So what are the lessons for men's insatiable lust for the opposite sex? The zulu culture certainly sets a warning benchmark but it appears both men and women are born polygamous. 

But its a choice,  the beauty of African culture,  pedestaled to keep our the lustful nature in check while teaching the  traditionalists to bear the consequences of their hunger for the opposite sex. 

Significantly, the rage of polygamous spirit has long been foretold by the zulu enigmatic cultural heritage and we must tell the story,  to which even the colonists, can't lay claim to its moral lessons to mankind. So when next you "eye" that pretty lady, remember the eleven Cows commandment. Who says Africans  are primitive!?  Africa has got  the edge, i mean cultural edge. @ South Africa Tourism.