Ta Lakata The Tears of Africa is the title of my book...
Why Talakata? Why an African Tumbuka word that no one knows about nor cares about?
I learned to speak English and mastered a foreign language and spoke it better than my own mother tongue. I searched their vocabulary for the title of my book, knowing I was told from a tender age that my tongue was inferior and primitive..very jiberish..and that my name was villagish and not sophisticated.
On the contrary, I found English did not have the words to depict my hearts cry...English was fliud, mine was deep and rich in meaning, the only thing missing was me sharing my language.
Ta Lakata is a word picture that gives one the impression of leaves falling off the tree. At that moment when a single leaf plucks off its mother tree, it makes the sound lakata...as the wind blows mores leaves lakata...lakataThe mood is somber..the mother tree has no desire to be left looking bare, like a "dead tree standing"..it loves its leaves and loves being clothed that way. Its saddened by its loss and its nudity. On the other hand, the leaf loves hanging on to its mother tree and enjoys swaying and dancing in the wind...it even whispers secrets and songs of love to you. The moment it is torn away, its blown away aimlessly by the wind...some leaves fall and they land on the ground, they get are trampled by cruel feet, some leaves get stuck in thorny bushes others fall in brooks and swept away by the currents to wherever the river flows, while some are picked up and displayed in museums for all to see... Africa is my mother tree and I the diaspora of Africa is the leaf that the wind has blown away to wherever I have landed, while many are my brothers and sisters lakata lakata trampled upon and buried under the mother tree...with the howling of the wind in the night, the mother tree cries Lakata lakata bana bane Afrika...Ta lakata!!!
When HIV AIDS, malaria, needless diseases of poverty afflict my own people, my own flesh and blood, indeed and the wind blows me aimlessly where it has taken me, over the northern hemisphere, where I have stumbled leaving frosty traces in these far away places, my heart cries naLakata...when my home and village in Lundazi is encroached upon by the cruel hearts of men, my heart cries lakata lakata adada, bana Mphamba ta Lakata.....muzi wane wa lakata...tabana baTumbuka ...ta Lakata....The English language cannot depict such depth of meaning in language...it does not cut it for me...I love English...but English has its limitations...for this work, the title remains Ta Lakata.
Dr Kenneth Kaunda- The first Presdident of Zambia endorses Talakata The Tears of Africa.
When I was 20, I left Zambia for the USA and did not return home till I was 40...something:) He is the only President I ever knew...all others are new to me, so I remembered the man that gave me free education and reminded me that One Zambia is One Nation, to love all people, I went back to acknowledge him. To say Thank You. He was delighted to meet with me...and I was so flatered when he agreed to endorse me...YEA!! If I had known that that picture would be used for my book cover, I would have posed better...Oh well!
In Africa, I witnessed firsthand the hopelessness of watching a loved one slip away...being unable to stop death!I gave the Eulogy "Goodmorning Goodbye" for my uncle General Chris Tembo, the man who was the wind beneath my wings...I was honored to address all the four Presidents of Zambia.
From right to left: The current presidents of Zambia, His excellency Rupia Banda, with our first lady, followed by the second lady and Vice President George Kunda, then the first president of Zambia Dr Kenneth Kaunda followed by the widow to our late President Mwanawasa, Mrs Maureen Mwanawasa, and then Mrs Chiluba sitting next to her husband Dr Frederick Chiluba.
This is a map of Zambia and its location on the continent of Africa. The setup for all the happenings in Ta Lakata the tears of Africa.
This book was written with one goal in mind, to call on this civilized world we live in and ask for an Indaba...what ails Africa ...what cripples Africa are the external policies that are so unfair and do not help Africa grow...Africa is trapped economically..we are a crippled continent..we need economic freedom if Africa will ever survive.... Inquiry minds seek an indaba. We need answers....
We must revist Berlin...where it all started. We must Restructure, reMap, reThink and reDo the policies that cripple our nations. Fair Economic Policies...Win- Win situations...
Copper is Zambia's asset...its the only thing we got...how cruel can men be...??
I welcome your Your thoughts....
