Urban and rural development minister James Sankwasa has challenged Africans to examine the extent to which foreign cultural influences have reshaped their identity.
Sankwasa made the remarks at the Olufuko gala dinner at Outapi on Saturday.
The minister claimed Africans were gradually abandoning aspects of their own culture in favour of foreign values.
“Where do we come from? Where are we going?” he asked.
He argued that Africans should research and understand their own history and identity.
He criticised what he described as the adoption of foreign beauty standards, saying Africans were increasingly being made to believe that their natural appearance was inadequate.
“We have even changed the definition of beauty. If you have kinky hair, you are not beautiful, you must have Brazilian hair. You don’t even know which Brazilian that hair came from,” he said.
Sankwasa also took aim at artificial nails, saying some modern beauty practices could disconnect people from traditional livelihoods.
“You must make your nails, which prevent you from going into the mahangu field. Who are we?” he asked.
