Topic: south africa

[daphne]

History

Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika was composed in 1897 by Enoch Sontonga, a teacher at a Methodist mission school in Johannesburg. It was one of many songs he composed, and he was apparently a keen singer who composed the songs for his pupils.

The words of the first stanza were originally written in Xhosa as a hymn. In 1927 seven additional Xhosa stanzas were later added by Samuel Mqhayi, a poet.

Most of Sontonga's songs were sad, witnessing the suffering of African people in Johannesburg, but they were popular and after his death in 1905 choirs used to borrow them from his wife.

Solomon Plaatje, one of South Africa's greatest writers and a founding member of the ANC, was the first to have the song recorded. This was in London in 1923. A Sesotho version was published in 1942 by Moses Mphahlele.

The Rev J L Dube's Ohlange Zulu Choir popularised Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika at concerts in Johannesburg, and it became a popular church hymn that was also adopted as the anthem at political meetings.

For decades Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika was regarded as the national anthem of South Afrika by the oppressed and it was always sung as an act of defiance against the apartheid regime. A proclamation issued by the State President on 20 April 1994 stipulated that both Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika and Die Stem (the Call of South Africa) would be the national anthems of South Africa. In 1996 a shortened, combined version of the two anthems was released as the new National Anthem.

There are no standard versions or translations of Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika so the words vary from place to place and from occasion to occasion. Generally the first stanza is sung in Xhosa or Zulu, followed by the Sesotho version.

[daphne]

Going through the culture of South Africa for this thread is kindof like a recap for me. I have always loved Africa, the land and the people.. This year I suddenly found myself intensely disliking Africa, almost to the extreme of hating it here. - not the land, but the people. It came in part because my kids left, feeling that there was no future for them here. Perhaps there isn't, perhaps there could have been. So I am looking again to Africa, to find what it was that connected me to Africa in the first place, and to release any animosity I now feel towards it.

Africa is like a slumbering giant. Beneath the veneer of westernization, lurks the ancient primal energy of the Cradle of Mankind. The Ancestors are very much alive here, and they are waking from their deep sleep. What will happen when they meet the modern world.. well.. thats Africa!

[Jennifer-]

Daphne, Ive always been so curious of your tales of Africa.. Im pleased you are sharing some here.

My step sister is married to a man who came to the US from South Africa not very long ago. He has been gracious to my curious nature and told of his homeland.

My ss went to meet his family recently and brought home her own tales of a different land.. One thing she mentioned that stuck with her.. when walking with his friend/family Omega (her husband) would think nothing of holding another man's hand as a gesture of love and respect.

Here in the US that wouldnt be viewed the same.. which I find sad, yet very fitting.

Teresa (my ss) and Omega just had a little boy, they named him Mika. Ive not yet had a chance to meet the new little one and ask if the name has significance.

Its been interesting to watch my father interact with Omega. He was born and raised here in Maine with a strong dislike for other races.. pure ignorance really, I bet he had never even seen another culture until well past highschool. A dislike my grandparents taught.. like a recipe.

Growing up I remember my mother snapping my father when he would speak poorly of others due to their skin color.. she was far different and not from Maine.

My father would cringe when it was mentioned that my step sister was dating Omega and now that he has met him and welcomed him into our family.. the interaction has been beautiful on many levels.



Thank you for sharing! 

[Jahn]

xenophobia .
Fear and contempt of strangers or foreign peoples.

xenophobia (zē•nō•fō•bē• ),
n an irrational fear of foreigners or strangers

xenophobia (zen´ fō´bē ),
n an anx-iety disorder characterized by a pervasive, irrational fear or uneasiness in the presence of strangers, especially foreigners, or in new surroundings

[daphne]

Hi Jen - Omega? That is an unusual name, doesn't sound very "african".. does he have another name?

Males holding another male's hand is not frowned upon, though today, my son and his (black) friends wouldn't be seen dead holding hands!!    His friends are rather "yuppie" or.. "buppie" as they are called here in suburbia! Interestingly, his one friend a couple of years ago, just before his matriculation exams, had to return to his "homeland" - he is Xhosa - for his initiation. He had turned 18 and it was time. I don't know much about what happened (other than what is generally known), but he did tell his friends (including my son) about it. Apparently it wasn't very pleasant. But then that is the face of modern Africa too. Many families, however 'western' they may be in many ways, still adhere to quite a lot of tradition and traditional ways. It reminds the youth of their roots, and in a country where roots were torn asunder, it is one way of forging an identity.

Another tradition very much alive even in the cities, is the lobola - that is the payment - was in cattle, today often in money - the groom and his family pay for the bride, to her family. The bride leaves her birth family and becomes a member of her new husbands family.

[daphne]

Some local advertising...

"Have you paid lobola?" Despite its high profile internationally, lobolo (aka magadi and other terms) is one of the least understood traditions here at home.

Is it a commodification of women, a burden on men, an act of gender disharmony, a power play, an exchange of gifts among families, a tax on love?

It is practiced differently in different ethnic and racial groups, in urban and rural areas, in different provinces, but one thing is for certain: lobolo is an essential part of South Africa's cultural heritage, inseparable from marriage. Isn't it?

Hence the development and introduction of the Lobola Contract was born in new South Africa for the new generation who prefers not to use scrap papers or loose papers, exchange of note books and or a mere good faith but to conclude their marriages through the Contract for Lobola that legally confirms their marriage without visiting the offices of the commissioner.

Lobola Institute offers: Lobola Contract for single wife - R250.00

Benefits include:

    * Provision for return of Lobola money
    * Legal Confirmation of the marriage on the day of lobola delivery
    * Spouse cannot enter into another marriage without written consent by another spouse
    * Allows a second, third and unlimited wives as you both wish.

Click here to email us. Remember to supply us with full details of the prospective spouses and their I/d numbers

Lobola Contract for multi-Wives: from R350.00 to R650.00 for five or more

Benefits include:

    * Allows a second, third and unlimited marriages and discourage divorces
    * 1st wife freely signs the contract to allow a second wife marriage
    * Polygamy discourage illegal extra-marital affairs
    * Spouses enjoys the security of their partner

Click here to email us. Remember to supply us with full details of the prospective spouses and their I/d numbers, including the 1st wife.

We also offer Private Consultation on problem solving like:

    * 2nd wife marriage
    * Damage, maintenance
    * Report on pregnancy before marriage
    * Prevention on child access and
    * Return of lobolo money

[daphne]

Our potential next president..   

Jacob Zuma in for a bridal shower
Bongani Mthethwa and Subashni Naidoo.    Published:Feb 16, 2008
Related Content
# The Zuma wife count

The country’s most prominent polygamist, Jacob Zuma, is set to add another bride to his harem — and probably wife number six after that.

Just weeks after tying the knot with Nompumelelo Ntuli in a ceremony attended by about 400 guests, plans are under way for the 65-year-old to take on his fifth wife .

It was established this week that the unemployed Zuma — who is currently in Mauritius to prepare for a legal challenge — has already paid lobolo for Thobeka Mabhija, described as a Durban socialite.

Following Zuma’s election as ANC president, the 35-year-old Mabhija was said to have spread the word in Durban circles that she was going to be the country’s next first lady. She later denied saying this.

When contacted for comment about her upcoming wedding, Mahbija demanded angrily: “How did you know about it?” She said she preferred her personal life to remain private.

But, when asked how she felt about being in line to become first lady, Mabhija said she would cross that bridge “when I become Mrs Zuma”.

She may, though, have to consider that at least one other potential Mrs Zuma is waiting in the wings.

If she actually ties the knot, Zuma would match Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini, who has six wives.

The Sunday Times tracked down Zuma’s sixth prospective wife after receiving the following tipoff via e-mail: “I am getting angry that u keep leaving out my cousin Bongi Ngema 4rm Umlazi with a boy Sinqumo aged3. She was also lotsholwad (meaning lobolo has been paid for her hand) and is going 2 marry Jacob Zuma.”

The Sunday Times has ascertained that the e-mail was accurate: Zuma, the father of at least 18 children, has Bongi Ngema from Umlazi lined up for another trip down the aisle.

Zuma’s younger brother, Michael Zuma, 59, confirmed that there was a relationship between the ANC president and Ngema, with whom he has a three-year-old son.

Michael told the Sunday Times that he was quite surprised that the lobolo negotiations involving Mabhija had overtaken those held with Ngema’s family.

But, he said, the talks with the Ngema family had fizzled out after the death of her father about two years ago.

Ngema this week declined to discuss her relationship with Zuma .

It has been established that over the years Zuma has relied on the generosity of friends - including ANC stalwart Phyllis Naidoo who confirmed paying lobolo for Zuma’s first wife, Sizakele and various businessmen supporters like Don Mkhwanazi, Vivian Reddy and Abdul Malek, to pick up the tab for his wedding bills.

Zuma also paid lobolo for Swazi Princess Sebentile Dlamini, 38, the granddaughter of King Sobhuza III, in 2002 but nothing has come out of it.

She was reportedly so disappointed at hearing that Zuma had married Mantuli that she had to be taken to hospital to be treated for depression and felt that she was being humiliated in public.

The traditionalist Zuma apparently has had to contend with bickering between Mantuli and Mabhija over who should become the first lady should he land the top job.

And as if that is not enough, his bevy of wives and wives- to- be is not sitting too well with some of his children.

Michael Zuma said he was unaware of a dispute among Zuma’s wives about who should become the first lady.

“There could be a dispute among the women which I’m not aware of but this issue has never been discussed in the family,” he said.

Zuma’s sons Edward and Khula also said t he y w ere not aware of any dispute about who should become the first lady.

A Durban businessman who is close to Zuma said that although there had earlier been tensions over the ANC president’s recent marriage before it took place, he believed that Zuma had managed to deal with this.

He had been told that Zuma would decide who would be the first lady from among his wives, and not the women.

Mantuli has previously declined to comment on any ambitions to be the first lady, saying it would be Zuma’s decision to make.

Zuma’s first wife, Sizakele Khumalo, who he met in 1959, is on the record as saying she would love to become first lady.

Zuma’s multiple relationships however ha ve caused discord with his children. Some of Zuma’s children boycotted his January wedding because they were upset about their father’s marriage to Mantuli — as Nompumelelo is affectionately known.

Attempts to find out why some of them did not attend the wedding were unsuccessful. Zuma’s eldest daughter Duduzile, simply switched off her phone when asked to comment on the reason some of them did not attend the recent wedding at Nkandla, Zuma’s traditional homestead in rural KwaZulu Natal.

[daphne]

Being a "new" society, there is often conflict between common law and traditional law, marriage is one of the instances. There is continual attempt to integrate and allow for 'choice' within the system, and allow for cultural and ethnic sensibilities.

4.1 Since colonial times, Christian marriage has been taken as a sign not only of religious commitment but also as an indication that the spouses decided to follow a westernized way of life. This assumption had a direct bearing on what law was chosen to govern the marital relationship: the form of marriage was deemed to indicate the spouses' intention that their rights and duties inter se and their relations with their children should be governed by common law.

[daphne]

Initiation

Before a Xhosa boy can become a man, he has to go through the initiation ceremony of the Khwetha, or circumcision lodge. If the boy didn’t do this, he would still be considered a boy and no girl would consider marrying him.

During the time of the initiation, they live in special huts, secluded from the rest of the tribe and especially from any females. They undergo training and endurance tests, which require great discipline. Sometimes these tests require so much privation that they even result in death. All aspects of the initiation are kept very secret.

The boys daub themselves all over with white sandstone and sometimes they wrap themselves in a reed skirt and a reed cone headdress with a fringe-like mask. They perform ritual dances wherein they imitate animals, usually a bull, drumming their heels into the ground and leaping into the air.

Finally when the day of the circumcision comes they burn all the items that they have used in the rituals including the huts. After the circumcision they are required to bury their foreskin and are driven to the river while being beaten by the initiators. Finally all the white sandstone is washed from their bodies and with it the last vestiges of their youth. They return to their villages and are daubed with red ochre which is not removed for another three months. They are men at last!

A very moving account of his own initiation is given by President Mandela is his book ‘A Long Walk to Freedom’

...............

The biggest problem here with initiation is that it is usually undertaken by elders of that particular community, whuch may consist of a small village, really small village. There is legislation underway to have "initiators" and "initiation schools" registered - which really means to have the traditional 'initiator' or traditional 'healer' registered. This serves a number of purposes.

One of the main reasons is the deaths that can occur during initiation. Another is to ensure hygenic situation, especially with the current HIV/Aids pandemic here in South Africa.
One of the main reasons is that although many people make use of 'western' medical care, many more go to traditional healers, including urbanized and those on various medical aid schemes. As such, while they pay for medical insurance, they also pay for going to traditional healing. With registered healers, those belonging to medical aid schemes are able to have the scheme pay for their medical 'treatment'. Traditional healers are very much recognized as a part of the culture, and going to one is seen as no different than going to a doctor for anti-biotics, or a psychologist for therapy. In accepting traditional healers as part and parcel of 'normal life, the movement afoot is to have it regulated. There are different 'lineages' of traditional healing amongst the different ethnic tribes.

[daphne]

North West to act tough on illegal initiation schools

29 December 2007

The North West provincial government will continue to act decisively against illegal initiation schools as well as any unlawful activities in initiation schools. This follows the closure of an initiation school in Bodibe village near Lichtenburg where six initiates were rushed to Thusong hospital after suffering from initiation wounds.

Government wishes to reiterate that it recognises traditional initiation as part of the culture, custom and tradition of many communities within the province. Government has no intentions of interfering with traditional practices and customs. However, it has a responsibility to ensure a balance between respect for culture and customs as well as the need to protect the health and human rights of the young boys who are taken to these schools.

The North West Provincial Government wishes to congratulate the South African Police Service for the firm and decisive manner in which they are dealing with unlawful activities relating to initiation schools. Government strongly condemns the commercialisation of traditional initiation schools as well as failure by some of the organisers to respect the agreement between the provincial government and traditional leaders on the regulation of initiation schools.

Government is particularly worried about the commercialisation of this cultural practice which has given rise to abductions and forced admissions into initiation schools. The provincial government is concerned that this once proud traditional practice has now turned into pain for many young boys and their families.

In the light of the recent mushrooming of fly-by-night initiation schools, the need to act resolutely has become even more urgent. The provincial government believes that it has a responsibility to curb unnecessary deaths and the abuse of tradition by unscrupulous individuals for financial greed.

Abductions and forced admissions to initiation schools, human rights violations, deaths and other forms of atrocities have become defining characteristics of some initiation schools. Government's view is that this cannot, and should not be allowed to continue. Government has a responsibility to ensure that the lives and health of initiates are not endangered.

Government believes that enlisting at an initiation school should be, and must be, a voluntary exercise, requiring the sanction of parents in the case of minors.

[daphne]

Washday..

..town



.. and country

[daphne]

Lets get together..

[daphne]