PC(USA) - Mission Connections


	Letter from Susanne Carter and Ken Jones in South Africa

	January 20, 2006 Dear Friends, Do you remember a distinct point in time when you felt you were no longer a child? Was it when you passed your driver’s test? When you were confirmed in the church? When you moved out of your parents’ home? For young Xhosa males around the age of 18, the end of childhood is marked clearly. The rite of passage from being a boy to being a man involves circumcision and a stay of several weeks out in the bush away from home and family. During this time, the “abakhwetha” (initiates) build their own temporary huts, wear only special blankets, and smear their bodies with white clay to symbolize their separate state. Older men teach them the behaviors and values expected of adult males. The break with the past is stressed in a variety of ways, among them the enforced use of new vocabulary for all items in the hut.

	The new initiate and his attendant come out of the bush				Last December, we were invited to be part of an “umgidi,” the big celebration when a young man returns from the bush. Women dance, sing, and beat steel drums or sheets of corrugated iron to call the young man out. After washing in the river, he emerges with his attendant, both covered in blankets. The hut where they stayed for the last weeks is set on fire.

	While the initiate is seated on a mat outside his family’s home, male relatives once more instruct him on the responsibilities of manhood and, nowadays, particularly on the importance of finding employment or pursuing further education. Afterwards, the newly initiated young man withdraws to a bedroom in the house. Young unmarried male and female friends join him there, and the party begins! Home brewed Xhosa beer as well as brandy fuel the singing, which goes on for hours. The rowdy celebration lasts all through the night. We did not have the stamina to stay that long, but returned the next morning to see young Theo emerge from his room in brand new clothing, a particular style of outfit reserved for recently initiated “amakrwala.”

	Theo’s body language throughout the day showed the culturally required respect toward elders. Even during the gift giving ceremony, he made his initiation school teachers proud and never established eye contact with the older relatives and friends in the room—a behavior he will need to set aside should he ever be invited to a job interview outside of his Xhosa culture. When we asked Theo’s mother recently how the young man was doing, she proudly told us that he was very pleasant to have around and very eager to find a way to pursue further education beyond his recently obtained high school degree. He is well on his way toward responsible adulthood!				Theo in his room.

	Male initiation rites are deeply rooted in Xhosa tradition—so much so that an uncircumcised man can never be regarded as a full adult at any age. In spite of this, 19th century Christian missionaries insisted that Xhosa converts reject nearly every aspect of their culture, including ritual circumcision. Today, many Christian churches embrace these cultural practices, with some pastors even serving as qualified traditional surgeons. The Anglican Diocese of Grahamstown recently began to draft new liturgical resources to be used in connection with initiation ceremonies.

	Friends of the initiate, celebrating.				As the influence and authority of traditional customs is undermined by modern trends and values, serious problems are surfacing in regard to the abakhwetha. Unscrupulous and unqualified “surgeons” charge fees to perform illegal operations that can lead to permanent impairment or even death.

	Inexperienced attendants and caregivers sometimes fail to notice the early signs of dehydration caused by the ritual abstinence from any kind of fluids for days. During the recent summer circumcision season, 24 initiates in the Eastern Cape have died from a variety of post-op complications.

	Will new laws prevent these tragic deaths? Elected legislators attempting to promote public safety clash with advocates of traditional Xhosa customs. Balancing two sets of valuable yet conflicting standards provides a huge challenge to communities and congregations. At the intersection of two very different cultures there are no easy answers. We are glad that Theo has made a successful transition. Please pray for him, and for his cohorts, that adulthood for them in this globalized economy will mean more than poverty and unemployment and life without further achievements. All our best, Susanne and Ken				Theo in his new clothes, a particular style reserved for recently initiated amakrwala.

	The 2006 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 339

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