Creating a Sustainable Future: Reimagining Xhosa Masculinity through Ulwaluko

The emergence of a man from a boy

In South Africa, among the Xhosa tribe, ulwaluko is a traditional rite of passage that is synonymous with the emergence of a man from boyhood. It is a traditional custom where young boys are socialized to become men. The successful completion of the ritual comes with the status of indoda that is associated with power, decision-making, honour, respectability, and a man who carries their family name and history with dignity. Moreover, the successful completion of the ritual comes with responsibilities of being indoda, which are associated with cultural significance in terms of being involved in decision-making processes in family-related and tribal matters. Additionally, perform customary rituals and sit enkundleni among other men when performing sacrificial rituals to appease the ancestors amongst other socio-cultural responsibilities.

 

Self-reflection

In contemporary South Africa, I envisage the rite of passage as an agent of socialization that promotes feminism – equality amongst the sexes – towards a sustainable future for all. Cultural initiation schools can become spaces that encourage initiates to engage in dialogues that challenge the historical and dominant constituting elements of masculinity in South Africa. These include “assertive heterosexuality, control of economic decisions within (and outside) the home, political authority, cultural ascendancy, and support for male promiscuity”, as Kopano Ratele reveals in the paper “The Ruling masculinity and sexuality”. I believe having young boys engage in these dialogues as they transition into manhood will hopefully deconstruct harmful masculine norms and promote diversity within masculine cultural identities as a way to move humanity forward.

 

A functional being in society

In this way, the socio-cultural significance of the ritual can evolve and change to become one of ubuntu. The foundation of these young men’s understanding of their masculinity can stem from kindliness, empathy, humility, vulnerability, resilience and respect towards womxn, children and other men in society. I believe the Xhosa culture through ulwaluko can make strides to engage young men on addressing patriarchy, sexism, misogyny and sexual violence which cultivates toxic masculinity in society. I believe the Xhosa culture can be the pioneers to achieve this by instilling progressive masculine values of inclusivity, peace and equality along their journey of obtaining a new status of indoda. Also, the culture can teach young men to have an acceptance of marginalized masculinities and femininities as well as principles of responsible and ethical leadership alongside the ritual proceedings of the rite of passage. I think during the cultural initiation, these young boys can be taught these progressive masculine values by their ikhankatha – an older Xhosa man who guides initiates during ulwaluko. Additionally, we can have these masculine values reinforced through mentorship when they return home from initiation school.

Looking forward to the future  

The Department of Traditional Affairs in South Africa could encourage older men within communities to undergo a kind of second manhood. Whereby they engage in dialogues about the challenges humanity faces and critically think about progressive values and teachings that they could instil in the next generation of young men who will be under their guidance in the rite of passage. I believe the older men in our communities can help mould the next generation of young men to become agents of change. They can promote and introduce these young men to critical reflections about gender equity, activism, human virtues: temperance, integrity and care into the development of their character as they go through the proceedings of ulwaluko. The Department of Traditional Affairs can collaborate with registered and relevant civil society organizations that operate under the mandate of the Department of Social Development as well as different stakeholders in communities to design and implement mentorship programmes that will change the worldview of young men. Additionally, empower them to define the kind of man they want to be in the world. We can look at intervention programs from other contexts for inspiration.  

Steve Harvey established the Steve Harvey Mentoring Program for young men who are raised by single mothers to teach them the principles of manhood. The mentoring program seeks to help young men recognize their potential and make plans towards achieving their vision for their lives. Additionally, the mentoring programme aims to deconstruct the misguided traits of manhood and introduce mentors who will serve as positive role models of manhood. The mentoring programme achieves this through the educational enrichment of these young men which involves university preparation, career guidance and development, as well as offering one-on-mentoring by positive male role models to help them build communication skills and establish community relationships. Lastly, the programme engages young men in global service, which involves cultural, international and philanthropic awareness.  

I define my masculinity

Therefore, I believe with these values, teachings and mentoring we can cultivate a new status of indoda that is associated with having a strong ethical and moral character, self-expression, sincerity and instinct to lead with authenticity, purpose, truth and perseverance. Also, the traditional cultural responsibilities that I stated above can remain. But alongside them, we can cultivate a new social responsibility of being indoda that is associated with being a positive changemaker in their families, communities and society at large.

I Am Because You Are

I hope that we can reflect on the status and responsibility of ulwaluko for it to become a transformative rite of passage that gives young boys the freedom to define their masculinity and see themselves as agents of change in society.

 

Disclaimer: The photographs that appear in this article come from a photo series titled “Alternative Xhosa Masculinity” that I created, curated and exhibited at Idumba Yolwazi: A Place of Scared Knowledge, in the past year. The purpose of the exhibition was to showcase how young people used their artistic talents as a means to facilitate positive change in their communities. The poster that appears below is a tool that I used to market my standalone exhibition, which was supported by the Creative Change Laboratory.   

The Creative Change Laboratory is housed at the Office for Inclusivity and Change at the University of Cape Town. The Creative Change Laboratory is an immersive learning space in which young people can use their artistic talents to the full to come up with creative solutions to problems they face in their communities. 

The title of the exhibition Indumba Yolwazi refers to a hut where a traditional healer carries out sacred actions such as cleansing ceremonies and rituals. Thus, Idumba Yolwazi serves as an archival site of community knowledge. The exhibition title highlights how the young artists who exhibited their art worked to deeply reflect on the spaces and communities they are a part of to reimagine their world.  

 

• masculinity