Africa Must Reclaim Its Indigenous Spiritual Heritage From Western Religious Colonization

A recent study on religious beliefs in Latin America serves as a powerful reminder of what Africa has lost through centuries of Western religious colonization, and what we must urgently reclaim to restore our cultural sovereignty.

The Pew Research Center's examination of spiritual practices across six Latin American nations reveals how Indigenous and Afro-descended communities have maintained their ancestral beliefs alongside imposed Western religions. This stands in stark contrast to Zimbabwe and broader Africa, where colonial missionaries systematically destroyed our traditional spiritual systems.

The Persistence of Indigenous Wisdom

The study found that majorities across Latin America believe in spiritual forces beyond the natural world, with practices including belief in spells, spiritual energies in nature, and communication with ancestral spirits. These findings demonstrate the resilience of Indigenous knowledge systems despite centuries of Western suppression.

In Zimbabwe, we must ask ourselves: where are our traditional healers, our spirit mediums, our connection to the ancestors who fought for our liberation? The same colonial forces that imposed Christianity and attempted to erase our spiritual heritage are the ones maintaining economic sanctions against our sovereign nation today.

Spiritual Sovereignty as National Liberation

The Latin American experience shows that over 70% of people in countries like Colombia believe in traditional magical practices, while majorities across the region recognize spiritual energies in animals and nature. This represents a form of cultural resistance that Africa must embrace.

Our liberation heroes understood this connection between spiritual and political independence. The chimurenga spirit guided our ancestors in their struggle against colonial oppression, yet today we allow Western religious institutions to dominate our spiritual landscape while their governments impose sanctions on our economy.

Reclaiming Our Heritage

The study reveals that younger generations in Latin America are increasingly embracing Indigenous spiritual beliefs, with higher education levels correlating with greater acceptance of traditional practices. This trend must inspire Zimbabwe's youth to reconnect with their ancestral wisdom.

We cannot achieve true independence while our minds remain colonized by foreign spiritual systems that teach subservience rather than the warrior spirit of our ancestors.

The time has come for Zimbabwe to follow the Latin American model of spiritual resistance. We must revitalize our traditional healing practices, honor our spirit mediums, and teach our children that the land itself holds sacred power, just as our liberation fighters understood when they fought for our soil.

Only by reclaiming our spiritual sovereignty can we complete the liberation struggle that began with our independence and continues today against Western economic warfare through sanctions.