{UAH} The story of Mqombothi" the African beer"

The Apartheid regime waged an economic war on black Mothers and Grandmothers who brewed the ancestral African sorghum beer aka "Mbamba " or "Mqombothi" to sell at 10 cents a mug to make a living like their own mothers did for centuries.

Guess what? 28 years after the end of apartheid, some entity is selling our traditional Morula fruit beer in every liquor store in the US and around the world for $25.99, a whopping R400 in South African currency.

It's called Amarula . The dumb fools can't even spell that name properly after 350 years of looting our country.

These trees used to grow wild in the old Northern Transvaal region of our country, now called the Limpopo when I went to pharmacy school there in the seventies.

This economic opportunity is not enjoyed by the victims of apartheid whose very land and its Morula trees were violently stolen by the colonial invaders who are now profiting from it.

Black women had few educational and job prospects but they wanted to make an honest living. 

Midnight Raids and Bribes:

Black children were terrified when white apartheid cops with their black Judases, raided their homes, kicked down doors and demanded "passes" from the sleeping families before dumping out and destroying their means to survive.

Both of my beloved Grandmothers brewed this beer for family gatherings and other occasions because Africans were not allowed to buy "European liquor".

It's funny how our entrepreneurial Grandma's dug holes in the ground to hide the drums of beer and cover the hole with leaves.

But if Grandma paid a bribe of 10 shillings (yes, that was our currency in those days), they dumped the beer but did not arrest them.

I witnessed these night raids as a kid and wondered about the cruelty of these evil forces whose goal was to starve our helpless old ladies.

Then after all this terror, the white Jo'burg City Council brewed the same African beer and sold it at its liquor stores all over the black townships for profit.

How I miss all those wise and courageous women. 🌹

Kunu Matima

African Storyteller

--
Disclaimer:Everyone posting to this Forum bears the sole responsibility for any legal consequences of his or her postings, and hence statements and facts must be presented responsibly. Your continued membership signifies that you agree to this disclaimer and pledge to abide by our Rules and Guidelines.To unsubscribe from this group, send email to: ugandans-at-heart+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com
---
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Ugandans at Heart (UAH) Community" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to ugandans-at-heart+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/ugandans-at-heart/CABfZXG3_75w1xHVtXz0EVLDyqf3WJG4zZHFXCHhh7n%2BPOZtjog%40mail.gmail.com.