Breaking Tradition: Zanzibar Imposes Ban on Hair Braiding by Men
Zanzibar’s Revolutionary Government has taken a firm stance on men braiding their hair, imposing a ban and severe penalties on offenders.
Dr Omar Adam, the executive secretary of the Council of Arts, Film, and Culture in Zanzibar, announced this measure, emphasizing its purpose of safeguarding the rich traditions and culture of Zanzibar.
Dr Adam declared that the authorities will not turn a blind eye to men braiding their hair without a special permit.
The police will apprehend all violators, subjecting them to the consequences of their actions. The penalties for such infractions include a staggering fine of Sh1 million or a six-month imprisonment term, or even both.
Zanzibar Bans Men From Braiding Their Hair
During a recent appearance on ZBC‘s morning show, Dr Omar Adam shed light on the council’s role in overseeing the arts and film sectors and ensuring the preservation of Zanzibar’s cherished traditions, customs, and culture.
He emphasized that obtaining permission to braid one’s hair would necessitate payment of 1 million shillings, approximately equivalent to R130k at the time of writing.
Dr Omar expressed the council’s unwavering position on the matter, stating,
“Police will arrest all men who plait hair; this is not acceptable by the arts council, and there is a special permit for plaiting hair, which is Sh1 million, and we have set that price in order to deter them. Now it is your choice to either pay Sh1 million to plait or buy a razor to shave.”
Though the law has purportedly existed since 2015, its enforcement has been lax until now. Dr Omar Adam did not explicitly mention whether this ban would extend to foreign visitors who come to the islands, leaving room for interpretation on its scope of application.