Ndebele initiates’ return from the ‘Wela’, the journey to manhood

Our stay in the remote village of Mapoch was a memorable celebration of Ndebele custom and culture

18 July 2022 - 20:30

By DAVID FORBES

Three initiates run through the village, singing praise songs to their ancestors and the king. They are accompanied by the young men who looked after them in the 'bandla' (their sleeping place in the 'Mountains of Manhood').

Image: David Forbes BOYS TO MEN Three initiates run through the village, singing praise songs to their ancestors and the king. They are accompanied by the young men who looked after them in the 'bandla' (their sleeping place in the 'Mountains of Manhood').

The entire experience was serendipitous. We have been working with the Ndebele people for nearly 30 years, having made two documentary films about them, and made firm friends with families. But we had never visited the “original” tourist village — Mapoch.

The youngsters and children of the village accompany the initiates as they run through the dusty village at dawn and sunset. The Ndebele Wela only occurs every four years and originally would create a new regiment for the king's army. After their defeat by the Boers in 1883, the Wela was banned.

Image: David Forbes PROCESSION The youngsters and children of the village accompany the initiates as they run through the dusty village at dawn and sunset. The Ndebele Wela only occurs every four years and originally would create a new regiment for the king's army. After their defeat by the Boers in 1883, the Wela was banned.

Maybe it was our dislike of apartheid-era concepts of “ethnic” and “tourism”, or our predilection for real experiences rather than guided tours. We first met Ndebele mural master artist Dr Esther Mahlangu in 1993 but decided to work with her biggest rival, Francina Ndimande, and her family for the more than 25 years that followed.

Outside the homestead, a fire burns continually, coals created from the burning tree. Here large round-bellied three-legged cast-iron pots, introduced by early colonialists, cook the vast amounts of food required for the approximate 300 guests and also heat water. Here Rose (left) and Selina Skosana (seated) tend to the cooking. They are sisters to Thabo, the initiate's father.

Image: David Forbes SMOKE HOUSE Outside the homestead, a fire burns continually, coals created from the burning tree. Here large round-bellied three-legged cast-iron pots, introduced by early colonialists, cook the vast amounts of food required for the approximate 300 guests and also heat water. Here Rose (left) and Selina Skosana (seated) tend to the cooking. They are sisters to Thabo, the initiate's father.

A homestead of the Msiza family, occupied by Siyabonga's grandmother, and the venue of the Wela homecoming celebration. In the old days, if you had a son at the Wela, you had to repaint your house (various muds created the different colours, but today they have been replaced by commercial paints). A white flag denotes the home of an initiate.

Image: David Forbes HOMECOMING A homestead of the Msiza family, occupied by Siyabonga's grandmother, and the venue of the Wela homecoming celebration. In the old days, if you had a son at the Wela, you had to repaint your house (various muds created the different colours, but today they have been replaced by commercial paints). A white flag denotes the home of an initiate.

So here we were, finally at Mapoch (pronounced Maposh) with our cameras, to explore what appeared no longer to be a tourist village at all but a living community. A very poor community. The roads to it were terrible, there were no signs, no maps, no GPS reference, and the people appeared poverty-stricken and desperate for some tourist trade.

A relative chops cabbage (left), watched by youngsters Nokuthula Oratile (centre) and Ipileng Letado (right). In the background, sweet potatoes, carrots and other veggies are being prepared in large numbers.

Image: David Forbes MANY HANDS A relative chops cabbage (left), watched by youngsters Nokuthula Oratile (centre) and Ipileng Letado (right). In the background, sweet potatoes, carrots and other veggies are being prepared in large numbers.

Throughout the night, the fire is a place of light and warmth for those working to ensure everything is in place for the ceremony the next day. Here someone has come to collect some hot water from the largest container on the fire. Electricity to this little community failed about six weeks ago, and nothing has been done to restore it.

Image: David Forbes HOME FIRE Throughout the night, the fire is a place of light and warmth for those working to ensure everything is in place for the ceremony the next day. Here someone has come to collect some hot water from the largest container on the fire. Electricity to this little community failed about six weeks ago, and nothing has been done to restore it.

As we wandered around, documenting the beautifully painted walls, a young lad came up to me. Siyabonga Msiza introduced himself and explained that the boys who had gone to the “Mountains of Manhood” some six weeks earlier were due back in a few weeks, and we were welcome to come and photograph the ceremony of their return at the house of his grandmother, a painted house on the other side of the dusty street.

Our lodgings for the night are across the road from the homestead. Very comfortable, the thatch makes it warmer than the tin roofs used for more modern houses. The rondavel was painted both inside and out, an incredible amount of work for a mural artist.

Image: David Forbes WARM COLOURS Our lodgings for the night are across the road from the homestead. Very comfortable, the thatch makes it warmer than the tin roofs used for more modern houses. The rondavel was painted both inside and out, an incredible amount of work for a mural artist.

The initiate, in loincloth and their white cross-body beadwork, prepare to emerge from their seclusion boma on the Sunday morning. Also in the boma are the young men who have looked after them for the past three to four months.

Image: David Forbes PRIMED The initiate, in loincloth and their white cross-body beadwork, prepare to emerge from their seclusion boma on the Sunday morning. Also in the boma are the young men who have looked after them for the past three to four months.

We already knew about the “Wela”, as the male initiation process is called, as we had filmed it several times before, but never in this village. He assured us he would arrange a place for us to stay. We discovered Siya was just 13 years old but with an entrepreneurial spirit that was admirable. His elder brother Lindokuhle was “at the mountains” and would be returning.

The seven initiates from this village proudly display their new 'Middelburg blankets' and their sticks, which signify that they are now men. Despite it being the middle of winter, they are barefoot.

Image: David Forbes WARMLY WRAPPED The seven initiates from this village proudly display their new 'Middelburg blankets' and their sticks, which signify that they are now men. Despite it being the middle of winter, they are barefoot.

True to his word, his mother Patricia, a teacher, formally invited us via a phone call and WhatsApp, and all the arrangements were made. His father is a policeman. When we came up weeks later, we were warmly greeted and accepted immediately into the bosom of the family.

Image: David Forbes PROUD PORTRAIT Initiate Lindokuhle Msiza, the son of Thabo and Patricia, at whose homestead the ceremony was held.

The white cross-body beadwork that identifies the wearer as a returned initiate. When they leave, they wear only the loincloth, a different stick and a grass ball on their foreheads.

Image: David Forbes SIGNIFICANT The white cross-body beadwork that identifies the wearer as a returned initiate. When they leave, they wear only the loincloth, a different stick and a grass ball on their foreheads.

The boys who had left for the “Mountains of Manhood” had returned now as men. Their mothers had “lost a son” but “gained a man”. This concept is why the mothers wear the “mlinga koba” or Long Tears of beadwork that reaches down to the ground during the ceremonies linked to the Wela.

The initiates emerge from the boma, watched by the elder men. This is their 'coming out', a cause for great celebration in the community.

Image: David Forbes CEREMONIAL The initiates emerge from the boma, watched by the elder men. This is their 'coming out', a cause for great celebration in the community.

The group of initiates, accompanied by their elder brothers, runs through the village singing to show the community they have returned safely. Not all do, though deaths at initiation schools have declined substantially due to regulations surrounding the medical procedure for circumcision and other measures taken to reduce deaths.

Image: David Forbes CULTURAL The group of initiates, accompanied by their elder brothers, runs through the village singing to show the community they have returned safely. Not all do, though deaths at initiation schools have declined substantially due to regulations surrounding the medical procedure for circumcision and other measures taken to reduce deaths.

The new men were secluded in a small private boma of sticks and brushwood once they arrived back from their “bandla” (where they had spent time in the mountains). They run around the village in their skin loincloths and with their sticks to show the village they had returned, and then all night they sing praise songs to their fathers. The next morning they would emerge from the boma, having received each a “Middelburg blanket” (a blanket with thick yellow, red, blue and green stripes) marking Ndebele culture.

Proud parents Patricia and Thabo Msiza in front of the homestead. Patricia wears a red blanket associated with the initiation of her son, and the Long Tears (the long beaded strips that run from her headdress down to the ground) that signify the loss of her son but the gaining of a man. Thabo wears his family's totem (the animal skin decoration hanging over his chest) and carries his stick, and a more modern white shirt and matching hat painted with Ndebele designs.

Image: David Forbes PROUD PARENTS Proud parents Patricia and Thabo Msiza in front of the homestead. Patricia wears a red blanket associated with the initiation of her son, and the Long Tears (the long beaded strips that run from her headdress down to the ground) that signify the loss of her son but the gaining of a man. Thabo wears his family's totem (the animal skin decoration hanging over his chest) and carries his stick, and a more modern white shirt and matching hat painted with Ndebele designs.

After everyone had eaten (some 300 guests), a ceremony would be held where the mothers would give thanks for their safe return and give advice to the young men. In turn, the young men would recite their forefathers’ praise names. Then they would be given gifts by their family, ranging from toothpaste to beds, plastic wash basins to computers.

At the gifts ceremony, the initiates sit in a line on a grass mat with their fathers behind them with the elder men. At the opposite end of the field sit the mothers, mostly in their red blankets and mlinga koba (long tears). The seclusion boma can be seen behind on the left.

Image: David Forbes POMP AND CEREMONY At the gifts ceremony, the initiates sit in a line on a grass mat with their fathers behind them with the elder men. At the opposite end of the field sit the mothers, mostly in their red blankets and mlinga koba (long tears). The seclusion boma can be seen behind on the left.

Image: David Forbes FULL VOICE An initiate gives voice to his songs of thanks and praise to his ancestors and the king.

Both Saturday and Sunday (including the nights) were extremely busy. Mountains of vegetables were prepared by women relatives. The elder men mostly sat outside the boma talking and drinking, and the younger men who had already been to initiation school sat either with the initiates inside the boma around the fire, or worked to keep the generator working, to prepare meat, booze, firewood and petrol, or feed the initiates.

The joy of the occasion is reflected in the faces of Lily Buhle Skosana (left in the Middelburg blanket) embracing Selina Skosana (in the blue blanket), who went home after a long night and day of cooking, to change and return for the celebrations with her family and friends.

Image: David Forbes JOYOUS The joy of the occasion is reflected in the faces of Lily Buhle Skosana (left in the Middelburg blanket) embracing Selina Skosana (in the blue blanket), who went home after a long night and day of cooking, to change and return for the celebrations with her family and friends.

We managed to snatch a few hours sleep in a beautifully painted Ndebele rondavel before rising early to photograph the frenetic but organised activities around the homestead, teeming with small children. These photos give an insight into the diverse cultural riches in our beautiful country that are mostly ignored by the department of sports, arts & culture.