Chapters in Books (Practical Theology and Missiology)

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Browsing Chapters in Books (Practical Theology and Missiology) by Author "Matholeni, Nobuntu Penxa"

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    KwaNtonjane : the indigenous rites of passage amongst amaXhosa in relation to prejudiced spaces
    (African Sun Media, 2020) Matholeni, Nobuntu Penxa
    KwaNtonjane is an isiXhosa concept that refers to the space that a young umXhosa girl occupies from initiation to adulthood. During this time, she is called an intonjane – an initiate transitioning from girlhood to young womanhood. Some parallels can be drawn between the two initiation practices, Kwantonjane and ulwaluko, with the latter term referring to an initiation ritual for boys. These rituals are similar yet distinct. To illustrate this point further, both male and female initiates receive counselling on their transition and society’s expectations. Yet despite the similarities, there are also conspicuous differences in how the initiates are counselled and how much space they are allowed to occupy during and after the initiation process. For instance, on the one hand, the mother of the young man and the significant women in his life are not allowed to be a part of ulwaluko or in the spaces surrounding the ritual. On the other hand, the father of the young woman is allowed around and close to the girl’s initiation hut. There seems to be prejudice regarding the ritual spaces that amaXhosa women in general are allowed to occupy. This chapter investigates how the location of unequal spaces sets the tone for future imbalance in ritual spaces and unequal social relationships. This will be addressed by making use of the relational indigenous research paradigm, which considers how reality is collectively constructed and the connection that people have with each other from birth to death. The chapter will also discuss and explain the purpose and meaning of these rites of passage.