Tuesday 2 October 2012

Heritage month over
Why celebrate culture or heritage day if we, the elders do not respect our culture?
Picture:heritage month is over.

J
ust two days ago we were still celebrating heritage month, being proud of  our culture, and showing other tribes what we got, defining our cultural activities and then we stopped doing it. When I was surfing the internet, today I came across this: I read this online article on city press  
“A sangoma from Soweto has been arrested for allegedly raping a woman who had gone to him for healing. According to Gauteng police the 50-year-old man invited the woman to his residence to carry out a cleansing ritual last night because she believed she was cursed with bad luck, spokesperson Captain Kay Makhubela said. “She was instructed to buy a white chicken and when she arrived with it ... the chicken was killed and the blood was mixed with water and medication.” The sangoma then ordered the 37-year-old to take a bath in another room and not wear clothes after she was done. “Then he went into the room and told her she was healed. All of a sudden, he was on top of her and he raped her,” said Makhubela. The man later threw the bath water out and said she was healed of the bad luck. The man was arrested this morning and a case of rape has been opened.” (http://www.citypress.co.za/SouthAfrica/News/Sangoma-held-for-rape-20121002)
Picture:traditonal bones

A
nd now coming to a conclusion I ask myself, why do we celebrate heritage month and plus even have an official launch day (25 September) if we, the leaders are not sending correct messages to the youth? On the other hand we expect every single child to know where they come from, I am talking about their roots, yet there are still traditional healers raping? So what we actually saying to this youth is: it’s ok to help a woman and then pay up yourself the way you want? See it is not only about or referred to the corporate fields that how, and what you say or do frame your organisation, they referred to anyone who deals with the public, I mean now where is this taking us? People from other countries will not trust us which means we might not be able to form any business partnering with them about heritage or culture.