Both black and white united in celebration when an Afrikaans boy and a Xhosa boy graduated from initiation school.
Estiaan Swanepoel and Ndibulele Sobhoyisi – both 18 and from Gonubie – spent three weeks at Phinda Malova Traditional Initiation School in Centane undergoing the traditional rite to manhood.
Instead of the normal practice of holding iminqayi – special traditional ritual sticks – the two held Bibles.
There was no alcohol and no rituals, normally used and practised at traditional graduation ceremonies.
There was a church ceremony conducted by Assemblies of God Church national deputy president Pastor Nkosinathi Mbombela and veteran preacher Pastor Thomas Seteni.
Estiaan’s relative Johan van Niekerk, who travelled from Klerksdorp with his family for the event, was proud of Estiaan. “Being a white South African, this is an eye-opener.
I hope the youngsters will obey the commitment that they have taken and be real men and the pride of the nation. It is nice to see black and white people doing things together.”
Estiaan’s mother, Ester, said she was happy her son was back and had returned as a man. “I was very nervous when he went to the mountain. It is a good thing that the boys are embracing each other’s cultures.”
She added with a smile: “I am interested to see if they are going to be respectful and God-fearing men, as people said they would be when coming back from initiation school.”
Estiaan and Ndibulele, Grade 11 Hudson Park High pupils and first team rugby players, wanted to undergo the rite together.
“We are just like twins and have done everything together, and I wanted us to become men together in the same way. I am glad that we have indeed done it…it was tough though,” said Estiaan. — lulamilef@dispatch.co.za
Church ceremony for initiates
Estiaan Swanepoel and Ndibulele Sobhoyisi – both 18 and from Gonubie – spent three weeks at Phinda Malova Traditional Initiation School in Centane undergoing the traditional rite to manhood.
Instead of the normal practice of holding iminqayi – special traditional ritual sticks – the two held Bibles.
There was no alcohol and no rituals, normally used and practised at traditional graduation ceremonies.
There was a church ceremony conducted by Assemblies of God Church national deputy president Pastor Nkosinathi Mbombela and veteran preacher Pastor Thomas Seteni.
Estiaan’s relative Johan van Niekerk, who travelled from Klerksdorp with his family for the event, was proud of Estiaan. “Being a white South African, this is an eye-opener.
I hope the youngsters will obey the commitment that they have taken and be real men and the pride of the nation. It is nice to see black and white people doing things together.”
Estiaan’s mother, Ester, said she was happy her son was back and had returned as a man. “I was very nervous when he went to the mountain. It is a good thing that the boys are embracing each other’s cultures.”
She added with a smile: “I am interested to see if they are going to be respectful and God-fearing men, as people said they would be when coming back from initiation school.”
Estiaan and Ndibulele, Grade 11 Hudson Park High pupils and first team rugby players, wanted to undergo the rite together.
“We are just like twins and have done everything together, and I wanted us to become men together in the same way. I am glad that we have indeed done it…it was tough though,” said Estiaan. — lulamilef@dispatch.co.za
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