The Surprises and Challenges of Reporting on an Ancient Ritual: A Xhosa Woman Tells All
For the last week, we’ve taken our Instagram and Twitter followers to Eastern Cape, South Africa, where teenage boys from the Xhosa tribe are preparing to embark on a weeks-long journey to the ‘mountains’. Why? To undergo a sacred and age-old tradition, ‘Ulwaluko’.
The ceremony is exclusive to Xhosa men, and involves a circumcision (and other ceremonial rites) that signals transition to manhood. ‘Ulwaluko’ dates back to the 16th century and has been passed on from generation to generation, largely unchanged. Xhosa men were regarded as hunters and warriors who protected the community, as well as maintained and supported their families.
The ‘Ulwaluko’ ritual was used to prove whether or not a boy had the character to withstand extreme situations, like a man could.
There are many reasons why Xhosa males undergo ‘Ulwaluko’.
- It’s done out of respect for themselves, respect for their families, and respect for their community. For the Xhosa people, to undergo ‘Ulwaluko’ is to become a real man, an ‘indoda’, which comes with certain rights and privileges.
- Having successfully attended ‘Ulwaluko’ provides a Xhosa male with a higher social status than when they were just ‘boys’, or ‘amakhwenkwe’. They can now participate in family meetings and community discussions. They can also inherit estates and get married.
- Those who pass ‘Ulwaluko’ are deemed ready to take in and understand the cultural knowledge, moral codes and beliefs of the Xhosa people, giving them the power to become leaders in their community.
However, there are concerns that too many of these procedures are ending in mutilation or death, due to improper surgical techniques and lack of professional medical care.
Patisanani Izibele Tokwana, 2019 Mandela Cultural fellow and Xhosa woman, and Robinne Burrell, who launched the fellowship in Ndaba and Kweku Mandela’s non-profit, Africa Rising, came together to research and report on the ceremony for a few months.
We spoke to both women about their thoughts, findings and experiences during their reporting on ‘Ulwaluko’. Here’s what they had to say!
What it is like growing up as a child for you in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa?
PT: Growing up in the Eastern Cape has been such a privilege for me. Because of urbanization, many families have moved from small towns in the Eastern Cape to bigger cities. This has caused some values and beliefs of what it means to be Xhosa to be lost in the process; even the way that the IsiXhosa language is spoken changes slightly from city to city, because other areas have found a certain Xhosa slang, which is very different from the original language spoken in the deep Eastern Cape rural areas. Having had the opportunity to grow up in the Eastern Cape I have seen the power of ubuntu (a phrase meaning ‘humanity towards others’) first hand, and I have known integrity and respect upfront. The Eastern Cape has given birth to great leaders like Tata Rholihlahla Mandela, John Kani, Mama Winnie Madikizela Mandela, Thabo Mbeki, Siya Kolisi, Zozibini Tunzi and many more. I feel so proud to be part of the Eastern Cape, the culture and the extraordinary humanity and talent that this place possesses.
Why did you choose to research and report on ‘Ulwaluko’ during your fellowship?
PT: I grew up as the only female among six males — my brothers and cousins. Growing up, we were always made aware that they would have to ‘go to the mountain’ one day [as part of the ‘Ulwaluko’ ritual], and the thought of losing any one of them traumatizes me. So, my aim is to raise awareness, so that we may come up with ways to make this procedure safer… and so that our brothers do not end up dying helplessly in the mountain.
As the 2019 Mandela Cultural Fellow from Eastern Cape, why is reporting on this issue important to you as part of your role as a representative of your country and culture, and most importantly, your role as an ambassador?
PT: Maintaining our values as South Africans is very important. We also have to bear in mind that we are a rainbow nation [symbolizing the coming together of all of the different peoples who live in South Africa], and that every decision we make affects every other person. This brings me to how other people choose not to go to the mountain and how they get discriminated for doing so; it is our responsibility as a country, and as leaders in this country, to create a safe space for those who choose not to practice their culture. This requires people to voice how they feel and as leaders, we have to lead by example: to speak out for those who cannot speak for themselves.
What do you think the government can do to protect the heritage, but also protect boys from the health risks associated with ‘Ulwaluko’?
PT: The government has passed a law that only allows an ingcibi (the traditional surgeon who cuts the foreskin) who is registered and has undergone inspection to perform the ritual. The government should also allow women to play a role in this (to a certain extent), because as much as this is a well-known ritual for Xhosa men, women also play a huge role as they are the ones who have to agree, by tradition, to send their children to the mountain. Many women feel like they are being failed by men as their sons continue to die in the ‘mountain’, due to the negligence and ignorance of some men.
Can you explain that a little more (the lack of women’s voice in the ritual)? What are your thoughts on that?
PT: At times, I feel like this is very unfair to women, because they are the child bearers of these boys. They also deserve to have a say in such matters, because when a boy dies, he dies not only as just another initiate, but as someone’s son and someone’s brother. Women should be given some ground to hold, in terms of trying to make things better. Many men have proven to only care about the ritual, and not the most important thing at hand, which is the lives of these young men and the future ahead of them.
You’ve talked about some of the health concerns related to the ceremony — like penile mutilation and in some cases, death. What other issues or concerns related to ‘Ulwaluko’ did you find while reporting?
PT: One of the main issues that many people don’t seem to realize is the shaming that comes with not having gone through with the ceremony. Some people choose to do the procedure at hospitals; this method is safer, if I am honest. The problem is that people who choose to take this route are not seen as real men and do not get the same benefits as the “real Xhosa men,” like respect and having a say in important family/community issues. For us, this is a big issue because we believe that this results in men retaliating in different ways. Men find themselves looking for power in other places; they may turn to alcohol, become thieves and are most likely to fall into an abyss of depression (because of the shaming). What makes it even worse is that men are shamed [even further] when they speak out about having such troubling feelings and experiences.
Now that you’ve finished researching and reporting on ‘Ulwaluko’, what is your personal take on the ceremony as a Xhosa woman?
PT: I still find pride in the meaning and purpose of the ritual, as it depicts the knowledge that has been passed down to us by our great grandparents and our ancestors. I see myself allowing my own son to undergo ‘Ulwaluko’ in the future; I would love for him know the importance of the ritual and the teachings, joy and the growth it brings. However, I feel very worried about how the ritual is currently being executed (in some places), because many innocent lives are being lost due to the recklessness of a certain group of people. On the bright side, I feel hopeful as the health department works hand in hand with traditional practitioners to make things better and safer. I feel hopeful for my brothers: that they will get good care and come back home alive.
We asked Robinne Burrell what stood out to her while reporting on ‘Ulwaluko’:
RB: I think what first stood out to me is how unchanged the practice is from its origin centuries ago. You can have a young man on his smartphone one day streaming videos and the next, he is in survival mode with few provisions and with no formal medical supervision. The tradition seemingly hasn’t evolved into a modern version; it’s all been very preserved as it began, which was initially for preparation for being a warrior, and there’s little forgiveness for those who bypass this rite of manhood.
It was also a reminder of how strong the patriarchy is in South Africa when I realized how little transparency and inclusion there is of women. A woman has no say in the practice, before, during or after. When I read about the numerous botched circumcisions that have led to disfigurement and sometimes death, I thought: how can this practice be preserved without eroding the tradition, yet regulating it for safety? I’m still learning a lot about Ulwaluko as I explore all of the complexities, but I do feel it should be made safer for young men through better regulation and the social permission to get follow up medical exams by a medical doctor if necessary.
To learn more about the ‘Ulwaluko’ ritual and what Patisanani and Robinne found, follow us on Instagram and Twitter!
