Haven Hills residents have expressed their discontent as the 2023 winter initiation season kicks off amid controversy.
Complaints have arisen due to the establishment of initiation huts within what appears to be the cemetery grounds, a violation of both bylaws and traditional rites.
According to a report by the Daily Dispatch, local cemeteries including Haven Hills have been progressively falling into disrepair since 2018.
The municipality has struggled to keep up with the lack of suitable land for cemetery development, worsened by rapid urbanisation and a high mortality rate.
The local cemeteries have become vulnerable with no fences, inadequate security, and overgrown bushes.
Compounding the issue is the scarcity of undeveloped space available nearby to conduct initiation rites.
Selwyn Blignaut, the owner of Mandrin Funeral Parlour, revealed that the land surrounding the cemetery had been used in the past during the initiation season. However, due to the lack of maintenance at cemeteries, the boundaries between the cemetery and the surrounding land had become blurred.
The erection of initiates’ huts close to graves has lead to encounters between cemetery visitors and initiates.
This violates the sacred Xhosa tradition of Ulwaluko, a rite of passage for young boys transitioning into manhood, which stipulates that the practice should remain private.
Dr Nokuzola Mndende, a traditional consultant and presenter for Umhlobo Wenene FM’s African Traditional Religion show, believes placing initiation huts, also known as ‘amabhoma’, near graves will have detrimental effects on the mental and spiritual well-being of the initiates.
She criticized Buffalo City Municipality and parents for allowing initiates to use Haven Hills cemetery and disregarding the importance of seclusion in supporting the cleanliness and purity of the practice, both physically and spiritually.
Mndende said: “The graveyard is a place that is filled with spirits, making it spiritually unclean. This will impact these boys, potentially leading to mental illnesses. We cannot send children to sleep among the dead.”
She said space limitations should not be used as a reason for placing initiates close to gravesites.
Instead, she said initiation rites should be held on the land of relatives in rural areas.
Blignaut acknowledged the ongoing maintenance and security issues at the Haven Hills cemetery.
He stressed the importance of providing safe facilities for initiates.
“Provisions should be made to ensure the safety of initiates, as the current lack of resources and maintenance poses risks which can endanger their lives,” he said.
By the time of the print deadline, BCM had not responded to the concerns raised by the community.
