COLOUR CULTURE OF ZIMBABWE

BY ABDDULRAHMAN MUSTAFA
ZIMBABWE
 SHORT HISTORY
ZIMBABWE (FORMERLY KNOWN AS RHODESIA AND SOUTHERN RHODESIA) IS A COUNTRY IN
SOUTHERN AFRICA, BORDERING SOUTH AFRICA, MOZAMBIQUE, ZAMBIA AND BOTSWANA. IT IS
MOSTLY POPULATED BY THE SHONA PEOPLE, THE MAJORITY OF WHOM ARE CHRISTIAN. HOWEVER,
THE COUNTRY ALSO HAS A GREAT DIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES, COMMUNITIES, BELIEFS AND
CUSTOMS. THE DOMINANT CULTURE OF ZIMBABWE HAS SIGNIFICANTLY CHANGED FROM ITS
TRADITIONAL FORM UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF BRITISH COLONIZATION, TECHNOLOGY AND
CONTEMPORARY SOCIAL PRESSURES. WHILE SOME ZIMBABWEANS IN RURAL AREAS CONTINUE TO
PRACTISE AND MAINTAIN TRADITIONAL CUSTOMS AND BELIEFS, THEY REPRESENT A RELATIVELY
SMALL SEGMENT OF THE POPULATION. TODAY, FOR MANY ZIMBABWEANS THE VALUE OF THE
BRITISH EDUCATION SYSTEM, CHRISTIANITY AND ECONOMIC PROSPERITY HAS TAKEN PRIORITY
OVER CERTAIN CULTURAL PRACTICES. THIS BEING SAID, SOCIAL ETIQUETTE AND IDENTITY ARE STILL
DEEPLY INFORMED BY THE TRADITIONAL SOCIAL STRUCTURES AND CONVENTIONS OF TRIBAL
GROUPS. MOST ZIMBABWEANS MAINTAIN DEEP RESPECT FOR AND CONNECTION TO THEIR
ANCESTORS AND HERITAGE, DESPITE URBAN MIGRATION AND GLOBALISATION.
 THE FLAG
The Flag Consists of Black, Red. Yellow, Green, White and black.
Yellow - Represents the wealth of minerals in the coutry (Mostly Gold)
Red - Symbolises the blood shed during the 2 wars in the struggle for independence.
Black - Represents the heritage, rave and ethnicity of the black majority.
White - The white triangle represents peace.
Green - Symbolic of the country’s agriculture and vegetation
 NATIONAL COAT OF ARMS
THE COLOUR GREEN REPRESENTS THE FERTILITY OF THE LAND
THE WAVY BLUE AND WHITE LINES ARE A REPRESENTATION OF THE WATER THAT BRINGS PROSPERITY
THE GOLD AND GREEN WREATH BELOW THE RIFLE AND HOE SYMBOLISE THE MINING AND AGRICULTURAL
INDUSTRIES OF ZIMBABWE
THE STAR TINGED WITH RED, MUCH LIKE ON THE FLAG OF ZIMBABWE, REPRESENT THE HOPES FOR THE FUTURE
AND PAST BLOODSHED
THE ‘KUDUS' HARMONIOUS COLOUR’S OF BLACK, BROWN AND WHITE, ARE A REPRESENTATION OF THE THE
VARIOUS ETHNIC ORIGINS OF THE ZIMBABWE PEOPLE
THE GREEN SHIELD IS A SYMBOL OF THE FERTILITY OF ZIMBABWE'S SOIL
 CLOTHING

THE TRADITIONAL DRESS OF ZIMBABWE IS COLORFUL AND CONSISTS OF WRAPAROUND DRESSES AND HEADDRESSES FOR
WOMEN. MEN DON A BREASTPLATE MADE FROM ANIMAL SKIN. AS AN ADDED DETAIL, WOMEN’S DRESSES ARE DECKED UP WITH
BEADS, AND THEY THEMSELVES WEAR LARGELY SIZED ORNAMENTS – AN INTEGRAL PART OF THEIR TRADITIONAL WEAR WHICH
DEMONSTRATES THE AGE THE STATUS OF THE WOMAN IN HER COMMUNITY. MARRIED WOMEN WEAR A BLANKET, CALLED A NGUBA,
OVER THEIR SHOULDERS AND A LOT OF THICK BEADED HOOPS OF TWISTED GRASS CALLED ISIGOLWANI. THEY ALSO WEAR COPPER
OR BRASS RINGS AROUND THEIR ARMS, NECKS AND LEGS, CALLED IDZILLA. THE ANIMAL SKIN BREASTPLATE FOR MEN IS KNOWN
AS THE IPORIYANA. THEY ALSO WEAR ANIMAL SKIN HEADBANDS, ANKLE BANDS AND A KAROS AROUND THEIR SHOULDERS.
THE ANIMAL SKIN IS IMPORTANT IN ZIMBABWEAN TRADITIONAL DRESS AS EACH NDEBELE GROUP ASSOCIATED WITH A DIFFERENT
ANIMAL, ALLOWING INDIVIDUALS TO OUTWARDLY CONVEY THEIR ALLEGIANCE TO THEIR OWN GROUP.
 IT IS BELIEVED THAT THE TRADITIONAL DRESSES FOR THE WOMEN OF THE
COUNTRY ARE DECKED UP WITH BEAUTIFUL BEADS. LARGE SIZED ORNAMENTS
FORM INTEGRAL PART OF THE TRADITIONAL CLOTHING OF THE WOMEN.

WOMEN TAKE GREAT PRIDE IN THEIR DRESS. THEIR TRADITIONAL DRESS IS

COLORFUL AND BRIGHT AND IS DECORATED WITH A LOT OF BEAUTIFUL BEAD
WORK. A WOMAN’S TRADITIONAL DRESS SHOWS HER AGE AND STATUS IN THE
CLOTHING (WOMEN) COMMUNITY. A MARRIED WOMAN TRADITIONALLY WEARS A BLANKET OVER HER
SHOULDERS WITH A LOT OF THICK BEADED HOOPS OF TWISTED GRASS, CALLED
“ISIGOLWANI” AROUND HER NECK AND LEGS. SHE ALSO WEARS COPPER AND
BRASS RINGS OR “IDZILLA” AROUND HER ARMS, NECK AND LEGS. THE BLANKET
OR “NGUBA” IS USUALLY ONE WITH STRIPES OF GREEN, RED, BLUE, YELLOW AND
BROWN.
 THE MAIN PART OF THE MALE ATTIRES OF ZIMBABWE IS THE BREASTPLATE,
WHICH IS ALSO KNOWN AS IPORIYANA. IT IS WORN AROUND THE NECK. MEN
ALSO WEAR ANIMAL SKIN HEAD BANDS AND ANKLE BANDS. TO KEEP WARM,
THEY WEAR AN ANIMAL SKIN ‘“KAROS” AROUND THEIR SHOULDERS. ANIMAL
SKIN TRADITIONALLY PLAYED AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN MEN’S DRESS BECAUSE
CLOTHING (MEN) EACH NDEBELE GROUP IS ASSOCIATED WITH A DIFFERENT ANIMAL. FOR
RITUALS AND CEREMONIES, NDEBELE MEN WEAR ORNAMENTS MADE FOR
THEM BY THEIR WIVES. THIS IS MADE OF ANIMAL SKIN. THE ANIMAL SKIN THAT
IS USED TO MAKE IPORIYANA DIFFERS AMONG TRIBES. THE SKIN OF HYENA,
AND CIVET IS COMMONLY USED.
 CONLCLUTION

IN CONCLUTION, ZIMBABWEAN’S ARE A PEOPLE WHO ARE RICH WHEN WE TALK

ABOUT THE USE OF COLOR. FROM THE LONG ETHNICAL HISTORY TO THE RICHIES IT
POSSESSES IN RESOURCES, IT IS PRETTY CLEAR WHY THERE IS A DIVERSE ARRAY
OF THE USE OF COLORS TO ZIMBABWEANS .
 LINKS
HTTPS://WWW.JENMANSAFARIS.COM/WHAT-PEOPLE-WEAR-IN-DIFFERENT-AFRICAN-COUNTRIES/
HTTPS://WWW.TRUSTEDCLOTHES.COM/BLOG/2016/07/04/ZIMBABWE-AND-FASHION/
HTTPS://FIDELITYGROUP8ZIMBABWE.WORDPRESS.COM/TRADITIONAL-COSTUMES/
HTTPS://WWW.VICTORIAFALLS-GUIDE.NET/FLAG-OF-ZIMBABWE.HTML