Introduction
From birth a special child is already chosen. Within the same family all childreen can be chosen for various reasons. This or these chosen children are most backward children of all of the children. Their progress is seen in the progress of their siblings. If they have to have much money, they are bound to desert those who chose them. This calls for bigger hearts of them. They must be bigger people. They should be happy for the progress of other children. Not that they are not progressive. Their progress is seen in the way their ancestors lived. They live in a certain set of rules. They are expected to be in constant communication with past parents of parents.
This is done in certain way. I have experienced three ways of lives. And these are:
Christianity
Tribal aka Traditional
Combination of both
Communicating with ancestors can be a choice. It can also cost you to do it all. It is called Ukukhuphula in my language. That is to raise the dead to meet the living through the living. It is also called ukufemba. In English it is called Mediumship or verenation. World wide many people do things differently. Whatever we do and how it is done, it all involves the dead. Whether they are from our family lineage or not, the truth remains. They are all dead people.
Take Christians who got their name from Jesus Christ, a once living person on earth. The various traditional tribes exist through the once lived tribes. Some people choose to live by combining both.
The choice of the Process
Ukukhuphula can be done using many processes. This means you have a choice of using izangoma, Shembe, Christianity or whichever Denomination.
Many people do not understand the Christian way of life even though they are hell bent that they are Christians. Jesus came to the world with an important message. He said that his coming did not mean people must completely stop what they knew. It did not mean abandoning their past. They also did not have to stop believing in what they knew. Instead he was to add to what they knew and do.
This is why communicating with ancestors can be done in any way. As long the process includes those who gave us existence, it is A ok. I can be biased but, if you follow me you will see my point. As Christians we are stereotyped. All priests, pastors and leaders of this religious group do every Sunday what Jesus did. Where they differ is in the issue of money. According to Mlungisi Makhanya,we should use Christianity as a stepping stone to communicate with parents and God. Maybe it is because Jesus had one side with proper family lineage. Like a child with a step father. That says Jesus had a biological father. As to who it was, we can only believe because we do not know.
If Jesus were to do Ukukhuphula, it would mean he communicated only with his mother’s side of the family.
I have done almost all processes. I spent years in the church. I even was on my way to priesthood. I learned about the existence of the word belief. You only believe in that you don’t know. No matter what, there are things that their existence happen in your imagination. You can not explain their concept as you don’t know them. All you can do is to believe in them.
A priest, pastor, etc are the same as izangoma. This I say because of their work. I already have opposition. My argument will always be the same. Jesus lived and died. He had a mother and a father. Izangoma according to Mlungisi Makhanya, talk about the living, the lived and relationship between the two. Izangoma talk ukufemba. It is believed everyone is assigned a person in the family lineage that guide us. It is these people that show us the path we must follow. They come to you in the form of visions. These are mostly not easy to understand.
Eventually they become clear and understandable. It is the shame that you do not finish these processes. Some I never finished, myself, because some homes never believe in their parents once they are not before them. That way it is better to practice these beliefs in your home with no disturbances.
Let’s go to the history :
History
What we see today in many areas of life, started many years ago. There are many people who contribute to life as we know it. All we want is to have peace in our homes. For that peace to reign, we all start to go and seek help. This help come in the form of izangoma, Shembe, pastors, priests, prayer agents and many more. A few of these people will tell you the truth. That truth is Umsamo ( Sacred Space used for connecting with ancestors inside the hut.)
Umsamo as a whole has to do with family history and how people follow each other generation after generation. Umsamo is straight meaning good or twisted meaning bad. Good means all ancestors are at peace and so the living are at peace too. Bad means ancestors are at war and as such are the living.
Bavulele grew up believing in the family ancestors. This happened after he saw his father communicating with ancestors. Soon there was no communicating with ancestors. Things fell apart. This did not mean that there was total miscommunication between Bavulele and them. He grew up knowing that the ancestors are there. As he grew older, things began to happen. Thabzoro, his brother took him to consult with izangoma.
There was communication again. Since there was no practices, full communication was not there completely. Whatever happened through Bavulele, happened with no communication with the family. Even though, there was no communication, ancestors continued to be around Bavulele’s life. He kept communicating with them.
In 2012, Bavulele accepted idlozi. On the same day of the acceptance, there was a vision. A man woke up from the red sand near the river. Izangoma interpreted this as a sign of graduation. This led to them accompanying Bavulele home. Goats were slaughtered. Bavulele was soon sent away from home. This was exactly the 4th time. This made Bavulele go out of the way. His father died before he came home. He was sent away from home. He was invited to go and build a house at his ancestral home. He delayed that because he wanted to get married first.
In 2018 he was introduced to the new site. Building a house was never easy. The house renting made things not easy. Bavulele and his wife took to his wife home. Things went hard with the elders, ancestors. Bavulele got problems. At the very same time Bavulele’s sister’s child was having problems of her own.
That led her to search for help. Eventually she found herself help in the form of Shembe.
Shembe process
When Bavulele’s niece went to do Ukukhuphula, Bavulele’s grandfather appeared through the medium. He asked that they be built a shelter( traditional hut). They also asked for the older person than her. She went for Bavulele’s brother. He made a promise to do as they asked. Unfortunately alcohol took over. When she went back they were angry at her. They sent for the older person the second time. Again she asked for Bavulele’s sister. They talked to her. They guided her towards Bavulele. Thanks she saw the light.
Bavulele came to the party. Only it was not your usual party. Bavulele met his mother’s grandmother first. She scolded Jim for deserting them. She also pointed him to the fact that, she gave him a job as inyanga from which he absconded. They talked about rebuilding the surname and find Bavulele’s mother’s surname.
After her came Bavulele’s great grand father. He engaged with them on the topic of bring them into the hut. He made his demands. He told them to go and discuss the procedure. He asked them to leave everything to Bavulele to draw the plan. When they were ready they went to give the report. Instead of meeting the earlier great grandfather, they met the old one. He made his own demand too.
All the requirements were bought. From Shembe’s Nazareth clothes, ubhoko (sharp stick), amabheshu(but covering calf skin), liquor, food, etc. Finally the day came. The procession began from Bavulele’s home to the old house and back to Bavulele house. Goats were slaughtered. On the next day , the feast began.
It was a great event. Everyone made a contribution. To Bavulele no contribution was greater than the other.
. TiwgP-00001
. TiwgP- 00002
 
 
 
