An Africana womanist reading of Queen Mother (Indlovukati) Ntombi LaTfwala’s praises

Abstract

The general belief today is that, traditionally, the African woman has not been described positively and that in African cultures, women have hardly been talked about; they have been invisible. Women have not held any positions of influence or affluence. Further belief is that positions and responsibilities of African motherhood are a limitation to the woman. It is the contention of this article that all these are testimonies of a Eurocentric perception of the African woman and her status. This article is a content analysis of the praises of the Swati Queen Mother, Ndlovukati Ntombi LaTfwala (written by Thembekile Msibi). It exploits the Africana womanist theory, which calls for people’s culture and history to be considered when looking at gender issues. The article observes that, if the African woman is looked at using such a perspective, her image can be seen differently from what is popularly conceived today. The praises show that, culturally, the African woman is visible and respected. She is also admired for being a mother and nurturer. The article concludes that it is important to look at the African woman, her position and roles from an Afrocentric perspective as this allows for the exposure of attributes which can help society address some of the biases held towards women today.