Mazunga

Being a Canadian of British heritage, I have never been subject to an ethnic  nickname.  True Canuck was a derogatory term for Canadian, however Canuck now is just an under-achieving hockey team with very fickle fans.

During my last visit to Rwanda I learned that white folk like me were referred to as "mazungas".   This term is used throughout East Africa  This either means "wandering person" as I am sure Africans couldn't figure why these people left their homes to live in a land where the Africans were eking out an existence.  Someone else told me that it means someone with money and that black Africans are eligible for mazungahood.  Whatever.

I had a most embarrassing encounter today.

I love the little bananas they have here more than life and generally eat them for breakfast.  The quality of the bananas in our local market or street vendors is pretty poor possibly due to the season or maybe I am being offered mazunga-grade bananas.   I usually walk home but on taking a taxi which because of one way streets had to use  road parallel to the NR, I noticed some excellent fruit markets along that street.  For that reason I made a detour to buy some bananas today.  I actually bought them off a lady's head and probably paid too much but proceeded uneventfully along the remaining 2 km carrying my bunch of bananas in my hand.

That was until 1700 when a rather large school got let out.  School in Rwanda goes until 1700 although I think they get a long lunch break.

Suddenly a group of pubescent school uniformed girls  followed me, giggling and yelling "give us your banana Mazunga".  Okay it was getting close to supper and maybe they were hungry but somehow I don't think that was what they meant.  Rwanda is a very conservative country where men and women rarely even hold hands in public and I was a little shocked (and really embarrassed).  Anyway eventually I slunk onto a side street and they fortunately didn't follow me.

Last weekend I was at Nyungwe.  I had always noticed that when we passed groups of children they would always yell and wave and act like our driving past at that moment  was the best thing that ever happened to them.  This time I actually listened to them and they were chanting "money Mazunga" because that is apparently what we have.

I don't blame Africans for distrusting whites.  Aside from colonizing them (I still resent the British); there are all the stupid things we made them do post colonization, all the kleptocratic dictators we propped up, all the weapons we sold them and all the money currently stashed in Mazunga banks.

I have now spent 7+ weeks in Rwanda.  I can walk the streets safely (it would be nice if they learned sidewalk etiquette) , people treat me like a prince and the only Rwandan who has taken advantage of me is an ex-patriot Rwandan who lives in Canada most of the time (our landlord).

I can take the odd name calling and the odd embarassment.