Page 32 - Research & Innovation Report 2020

HUMANITIES

Another major area of misinterpretation, she says, is the assertion
that it’s taboo for women to discuss anything to do with male
initiation as a rite of passage. “I wrote a paper about this. Women
are traditionally there all the way, with the exception of the first Adjunct Professors are awarded the honorary
week of the initiation period that is for males only. After this ritual title in accordance with the institutional policy
of umojiso, girls do visit the initiation lodge but not for intimacy; of conferring Honorary, Emeritus, Ad Personam,
even food is brought by the girl who is cooking for the initiate. So Visiting and Adjunct (HEAVA) professorial titles.
the initiation period as it is today is not our culture, it is made up
by men and colonialism. Dr Babalwa Magoqwana, department head
of Sociology and Anthropology describes
“There is so much confusion,” says Prof Mndende. “People have Prof Mndende as “a living archive of African
one foot in Christianity and another foot in African religion and call knowledge. Her experience and scholarship
themselves African Christians. It is their right and freedom of belief significantly contribute to the intellectualisation
but they cannot represent African traditional religion. You can’t talk of African knowledge systems, including African
to your ancestors on Friday and sacrifice an animal to them, and languages, while revitalising the humanities at
then on Sunday in church you have no relationship with the dead Mandela University.”
and Jesus is your saviour. We also have African traditional diviners
singing Christian songs. To be a diviner is a call from your ancestors
to heal. Then there are people from other religions who call African
traditional religion the Antichrist. We need to clarify the confusion,
address the stereotypes and move forward.”

“We need to clarify the confusion, address

the stereotypes and move forward.”

30|
|
30