The Kuyedza Clubs
| Published date | 01 November 1962 |
| Author | Doreen Magahy |
| Date | 01 November 1962 |
| DOI | 10.1177/0032258X6203500606 |
| Subject Matter | Article |
DOREEN
MAGAHY
Information Officer Southern Rhodesia Information Service
The wives
of
police officers have always been an integral part
of
the
Service. Thefollowing article is about a new and valuable contribution
by the wife
of
the Commissioner
of
the British South African Police.
The
KuyedzB
Clubs
SPECIALIZATION IN POLICE CIRCLES is usually associated with the
use of scientific and technical aids for the better prevention and
detention of crime.
Mrs. Jean Spurling, wife of the Commissioner, British South Africa
Police, Southern Rhodesia has introduced a new ..
hi-note"
to
specialization by preparing the wives of thousands of African police-
men to become useful and better citizens and homemakers.
By their example and through their contacts on the high veld and
deep valley stations they can, and do, have a profound effect on
Southern Rhodesia's population of nearly
3m.-through
the women
for, the Sindebele proverb umfazi ka
lankosi-a
woman has no chief
-admits
pretty frankly
who"
wears the
trousers"
in the home.
The women of Africa want to KNOW. They want to know any-
thing and everything. Their thirst for knowledge is as relentless as
thirst for water in time of drought. Many women who missed a
formal education are making up for it by learning everything they
can through the media of the womens' clubs, an influential feature
of African life today.
Of the numerous such clubs throughout Southern Rhodesia, one
of the most progressive is the Kuyedza Club in Salisbury's police
lines, run for the wives of B.S.A. African policemen by Mrs. B. G.
Spurling, wife of the Commissioner.
Kuyedza means to ..
try".
The title, chosen by the all-African
committee, impressed the members by its aptness. They realized
that if they were to learn all they wanted to know a great deal of
..
trying"
on their part would be called for. At the same time new
members were not put off by the name; while not sure that they
could succeed, they did know that they could
try-and
try they did.
The name too bears out Mrs. Spurling's own theory on how a
club for African women should operate. She believes that if a
member attempts something for herself,
unaided-eutting
out a
dress, for
example-and
makes a nonsense of it the first time she
will take more trouble with better results the second. When a
pattern for a dress is being chosen, she insists that plenty of thought
is given to the matter of style and material, with particular attention
389 November-December 1962
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