Is reading culture an African culture?

Lazarus Sauti

“Blacks don’t read: They Are Still Our Slaves”, is said to be an article written by a Caucasian (white man).

Part of the article reads: “We can continue to reap profits from the blacks without the effort of physical slavery. Look at the current methods of containment that they use on themselves: ignorance, greed and selfishness.

“Their ignorance is the primary weapon of containment. A great man once said that the best way to hide something from black people is to put it in a book.

“We now live in the Information Age. They have gained the opportunity to read any book on any subject through the efforts of their fight for freedom, yet they refuse to read… Yes, we will continue to contain them as long as they refuse to read... By the way, don’t worry about any of them reading this letter, remember, they don’t read.”  

Frankly, this article triggered this writer’s emotions and forced so many questions to pop up in his mind.

Is reading culture an African culture? Is this culture alive or it is dying? Is it nurtured or neglected? Are stakeholders in the continent doing enough to propagate and nurture a reading culture amongst Africans?

Writing in The Herald newspaper in Zimbabwe, Beaven Tapureta also asked: “Speaking of reading culture, have Africans…neglected themselves in favour of the highly technological, global literature? Have we become victims instead of victors of globalisation?”

Proud Mutauto, a Zimbabwean writer based in Mutare, says: “Indeed a reading culture is an African culture but there are many factors that are stopping Africans from reading. For instance, in most African countries books are expensive; therefore, access to them and other reading materials is difficult.”

Sharing same views, Zimbabwean writer Stanley Nyamfukudza says: “One of the reasons is that affording literature has become a luxury for many Africans. The story of survival has intensified. Bookshops in the African cities openly reflect that sad story of a declining reading culture.”

Tichafa Bradwell Magadzire, a Harare based information practitioner, blames poorly equipped library and information centres for the waning reading culture in Africa. “Such decline is due to poorly equipped libraries on top of little direct access to books,” he notes.

Zimbabwean writer, Virginia Phiri, believes technology is not to blame for the death of a reading culture in the continent.

She singles out South Africa as one of the few African countries that have effectively used modern technologies to get young people to read.

“What young South Africans are reading on their mobile phones might not be much but they are reading,” says Phiri.

Magadzire agrees: “Technology should not be allowed to be a stumbling block in promoting a reading culture in Africa. Instead, stakeholders should embrace modern technologies to promote a reading culture in the continent.”

Magadzire also says to revive the reading culture in Africa, the provision of digital as well as traditional libraries and information resource centres in schools and communities is a necessity.

“Libraries and information resource centres are places where information services are rendered to users.

“Therefore, the provision of up-to-date information resources in all fields will not only aid in the development of basic reading skills but instill a love of reading in our children and youth,” he says, adding that “educators and publishers in the continent simply need to find novel ways to reach young audiences and develop their growing minds.”

Educators, publishers and other critical stakeholders, he adds, should invest heavily in electronic libraries as well as digital books.”

Since a widespread shift towards e-books requires partnerships between private enterprise and government, very strong public and private partnerships are required.

However, Nyamfukudza believes parents and teachers play a crucial role in cultivating a reading culture in children.

“Reading culture starts in childhood, and the system has to encourage the widening of education beyond the core material that students have to read in order to pass examinations. You cannot expect a reading culture to mushroom where it has not been encouraged or nurtured in childhood,” he says.

Frankly, reading plays an essential function in the growth of children during the formative years of life. Therefore, a reading culture must be nurtured and integrated into African cultures if the continent is to transform socially and economically.