KABILO (CLAN LAW ENFORCEMENT)

Breakdown in value system. Discipline has disappear. Bounds between families has lessen. Communal eating as a family.

KABILA (a group clan descipline technique). families take responsilities for the actions of their family member, no one to blame but the whole family, so people have a burden on their shoulder.
Outdate it is, the days when the community use to observe laws in localities. Even an over 30 years old lad like myself can hardly remember the method use in the discipline of nutty grown-ups. The method of clan law enforcement is best referred to as kabila. The term use to instil fear in rogue folk just like modern day police officers. But if going by policing of now, kabila was much more effective.
What is kabilaro? This is where an entire family call upon a grown-up family member who break the social norm beyoun acceptable limit. The methods was so effective, the biggest bully will wee in his pants at the hearing of a family meeting. What makes it so effective?
Kabilalo is a mandingo word for clan or all extended family ties. If a member of a given family for instance impregnate another family’s daughter outside marriage, the man will be invited in a clan meeting. But the guilty party wouldn’t know that he is going into a trap. A trap in the sense that every single adult member of the family will be present.
After the man enters the room, he will find himself in the middle of an all male den. He will be seated in the centre. A chosen clan member will do the interrogation. The man will be allow to defend himself after the accusations are thrown at him. His defence will depend of the statements of the lady who was impregnated.
The mere fact that, one breaks the social norms of having sex with a woman you are not suppose to, result in a social beating. The guilty party is in the centre, and he is told to defend the blows from everybody. Since he was man enough to impregnate then he should be man enough to defend himself. Whether the thinking behind the communal punishment is logical, i can’t say. But what it use to do is put people inline. This discipline technique was not just men having affairs but for theft, fighting and all other criminal acts.
Things were done with due care and protocol. Respect was very important, petty theft was non-existence. The elders then where true elders. People hardly use capital punishment, a twinkle of an eye use to mean a lot to youngsters.
Men knew their limits, if one inflicts harm on his spouse, a potential family conflict ensued. So women where talk to regarding the norms, this is call BUMBA (an all women council, giving out advice and rule that marriage couple adhere to). If a man breaks these rules, that woman can report the matter to ladies of the bumba and they take the matter from there. The men also receive their own talking. This was called KEWULO. Kewulo (an all men secret council, which advice men on their duties and responsibilities and what they can and can’t do).
These regulated norm use to be a stabiliser in village set-ups so much so that, even kid’s realise the things they can get away with. An outsider to one’s immediate family can dish out warnings to unruly children. Nutty gangs and smoking group are non-existent. Children caught smoking brought bring to themselves a very embarrassing told-off. That told-off is not just done by mum and dad but by his close immediate family. This is very effective. The child now realises the expectation on his/her discipline. Bad behaviour is not tolerated.
I remember hearing of a case in my own village, a foreigner not knowing the rules of our village. He rode through the village gates with a cigarette on his mouth. Our village bands any one smoking cigarette in the village square. You can smoke in your back garden or outside the small village but not inside it. This guy rode up to the village head, and make his greetings whilst puffing his cigar. He was escorted off the village to finish of his smoke and then allow back in. Is this rational, not on the face of it, but what it resulted is the very low smoker population of my village, one can easily count the smokers with the fingers easily. What one cannot enjoy within the community, it becomes very un-enjoyable. When i read of the smoking ban in British pubs, i remembered that old norms of my village. Was it irrational? This depends of one’s judgement.
There was no teenage pregnancy then, especially unmarried ones. There was no crime spree, no violence against innocent people, and very low level of theft.
This people were not educated in the modern sense but they understood their environment. Things were solved using what appeal to people’s conscience and humanity. Social responsibility which is paramount to multi-nationals now a day was practice in villages without any material benefit attached.
Kabilalo is now dead and buried. Replaced by the police. No one cares about the neighbour that much. Kid’s do as they like. The discipline was transferred to school authorities and the schools were restricted what they can and can’t do. So boys rule the streets and girls rule the house. The dad’s are no were, mum are engage twenty four hours. From naming ceremonies to shopping, from wedding to regular weekly meetings, from one event to the other. Kid’s have the time to themselves to do as they like. The men are so useless; they now advice their daughters to hunt for men.
I would rather have my village life back; at least you were guarantee safety and true community spirit. I am not blaming our adoption of any other people’s value; we choose to change, so we take the blame.
Rest in peace kabila.