WeeklySA_AdminIMPACT: Hundreds of young girls in Ngcobo are turning to the traditional practice, promoting education, discipline and abstinence — as a response to teenage pregnancy, HIV and social pressures…
By Siyabonga Kamnqa
In societies characterised by teenage pregnancies, HIV/Aids and so-called “Blessers”, traditional practises such as Inkciyo are seen as a pivotal tool in the fight against the scourges.
During the traditional ceremony, teenage girls are encouraged to preserve themselves and focus their attention on education.
In a recent iNkciyo, held in Ngcobo in the Eastern Cape’s Dr AB Xuma Local Municipality, the message echoed loudly as hundreds of teenage girls participated in the traditional ceremony.
Dressed in traditional Xhosa regalia, they sang, ululated and danced as they paraded through the town’s streets.
Host and coach Phumeza Busakwe said the event was being held under the umbrella of the Eastern Cape House of Traditional Leaders.
Speaking to Weekly SA Mirror, Busakwe expressed her delight at the impact of the practice in empowering young girls.
“We have testimonies of young girls who go as far as acquiring tertiary degrees and getting jobs to provide for their families. We always emphasise the importance of education as a way to escape poverty,” says Busakwe.
Tracing back her passion for tradition and looking after herself, Busakwe says she joined iNkciyo at the tender age of 10 years under the auspices of the OR Tambo District Municipality in Mthatha.
At the time, she recalled, there were no iNkciyo practices in her hometown of Ngcobo, such that she and her peers were obliged to travel to Mthatha, 50 kilometres away, whenever there was an iNkciyo event.
“This led me to convince my parents after primary school to enrol me at Mthatha’s Khanyisa High, where I could comfortably attend iNkciyo.
However, she says it was not easy as she faced peer pressure and was often mocked over her prim conduct by other learners who called her “virgin girl” after “seeing her in newspapers”.
“But after years passed, they started accepting that this is who I am. Ndiyilentombi ethanda isingqi sakwantu, ndiyilentombi eliqabakazi nezitandela isintu (I am this traditionally-rooted young woman who is passionate about the rhythm and iNkciyo).
Busakwe said the practice’s pivotal role in society could not be overemphasised.
“It’s important for our young girls to abstain from substance abuse, teenage pregnancy and diseases.
“As coaches we believe that iNkciyo is the only solution to the high HIV infection-rate. We also preach the message of abstinence among young girls until they graduate and find jobs and get married,” she says.
