"Cleansing ceremony" for deceased - who knows more?

[Teez]

To put it bluntly, F him and his entire family. I could care less what they need to do for closure or his passage.
It is disgusting that people even think after the trauma their relative caused that anyone would allow any leeway

Agreed.

[Zuku]

Here’s some info I have experienced during a previous lifetime. I was transferred to a unit of about 700 people. The European numbers were no more than 20 at any time. There was a good mix of all the languages in the Southern part of Africa. A lot of “educated” and “learned” colleagues including the chaplain. More than half self proclaimed “Christians”. However, talk about Death, the Tokoloshi and Sangomas and all education and Christianity flew out of the window including the Chaplain and something else takes over. I have seen grown mean starts to shake of fear if certain subjects is adressed. And then the “killing of the cow”, drinking of blood, dancing till the next morning and including the night vigils starts, talking to spirits, offering gifts and some other customs climbs out of the box, None of these I could cross reference to any Bible prescriptions.

Another colleague’s Grandpa had a farm somewhere in the platteland in the late 1990’s. He relayed every 2nd year around middle December two busloads and some bakkies and taxis accent on one corner of the farm to pay respect and mourn the dead. The carcade stop at the old farm swing gate next to the gravel road and a small delegation made its way to the main farmhouse at the main entrance and announce their presence and ask for permission to enter the farm to visit the spirit of their forefarthers that’s been buried there more than 80 years ago. Grandpa was used to the rituals and did not have a problem with the people visiting. However, he picked up from the last two visits that “landgrabbed” that piece of the farm was at stake as the land belong to their forefathers because they were buried there and the new government made some wild promises about land. There were about 5 graves with stones piled on top of the soil. Nothing else. Next to gravel road was the old farm swing gate and a big piece of land where the cattle grazed and about 4 km inwards were the graves on a small hill.

After the group left the farm, Grandpa sent all the workers to work on the other side of the farm. He took a tractor and flattened the soil, and replanted bushes and shrubs on top of it. He built two massive columns at the gate, fit a sliding gate and planted 6 trees next to the gate. The first 500 m was converted to a mielie land. For the next 2 years the nature took over and change the landscape to something else. When the bunch arrived December again at the farm they drove past the new gate a couple of times. It does not look the same place where they entered previously. Eventually a small delegation was send to main house again asking for directions to the graves.

Grandpa sent his foreman to talk to the delegation. The foreman stated he stayed on the farm for about 20 years. He also stated he saw the same mourning procession a few times going past his farm down the road a couple of miles. The delegation said sorry for interruption and left. At about 3 o’clock the carcade has driven past the new gate a few times up and down. Then the delegation stopped at the farm again and ask if they can search the end of the farm. Foreman went with them and open the sliding gate and escort them on the farm. The drove past the small hill a couple of times. A mini forest of shrubs and bushes and mielie land has changed the landscape. The delegates all agree they are on the wrong farm. Two years later the carcade was driving up and down again. Again confirming the graves it is not on this farm.

I guess the restless spirits is at the nearest highway trying to get a lift to Gauteng to visit some far off relative to rest in pieces.

[Ds J]

Thanks for all the replies.

It seems that situations and circumstances differ, therefore the responses also differ.

As so many times before, the cultural differences in SA play a huge role in these occurrences. What is regarded as good, heroic, evil or obnoxious by one side does not necessarily correspond with the views of the other party.

Some of the instances mentioned above seem straight forward, whilst others are clearly used for personal gains of some sort.