Patience Makwele
Minister of urban and rural development James Sankwasa’s warning about foreign cultural influence in Africa has sparked a broader debate over where cultural preservation ends and personal choice begins.
Sankwasa recently questioned the growing adoption of foreign-influenced beauty practices, including Brazilian hairstyles and artificial nails, arguing that Africans should be more conscious of the cultural influences shaping their identities.
Speaking at the Olufuko Cultural Festival gala dinner in Outapi, Sankwasa challenged Africans to examine whether some imported trends were gradually displacing traditional practices and values.
His remarks have drawn both support and caution from analysts, with one arguing that globalisation can weaken local cultural practices, while another warned against reducing cultural identity to a choice between what is “African” and what is “foreign”.
Analyst Joubert Harushando said Sankwasa’s concerns were legitimate, particularly as globalisation increasingly influences how Africans dress, communicate, consume media and understand beauty.
“There is a legitimate concern behind our honourable minister James Sankwasa’s argument,” Harushando said.
He cautioned, however, that cultural preservation should not be interpreted as a rejection of everything foreign.
“Cultures have always evolved through interaction and people should retain the freedom to choose what they adopt while still understanding and valuing their heritage,” he said.
Analyst Alex Murangi took a more critical view of Sankwasa’s framing, saying the discussion should not create a rigid divide between African and foreign practices.
Murangi said hairstyles, artificial nails and fashion choices were ultimately matters of personal choice and could coexist with cultural pride.
“The minister raises an important question about cultural identity… but the debate should not become a simplistic distinction between ‘African’ and ‘foreign’,” Murangi said.
He argued that if the government genuinely wants to strengthen African culture, its focus should extend beyond individual appearance.
“More meaningful intervention would be through education, cultural institutions, language preservation and support for traditional knowledge rather than policing how individuals look,” Murangi said.
Sankwasa’s comments come amid broader discussions about the preservation of African cultural identity in an increasingly globalised society.
The minister has previously emphasised the importance of traditional institutions and cultural heritage, including arguing that traditional leadership should be grounded in hereditary lineage rather than political affiliation.
His latest comments have consequently placed the question of cultural preservation alongside the wider debate about how Namibia can modernise without losing practices and values that form part of its heritage.
According to Harushando, the challenge lies in finding a balance between cultural confidence and openness to outside influences.
While Murangi argued that preserving culture requires stronger institutional and educational investment rather than judging individual lifestyle choices.
The contrasting views highlight a broader question facing African societies: how to preserve cultural identity while allowing individuals and communities to participate freely in an increasingly interconnected world.
