Mourning and burial customs of the AbaThembu tribe

01 Feb 2016 | Admin Author

Mourning and burial customs of AbaThembu
Issued by the ELCGTA Ministry on 10 December 2013

This information details the mourning and burial customs of AbaThembu. We release this to help you understand how the people of this Kingdom and their clans conduct themselves when a head of the family passes on.

We trust that the media will publish this and release it to the global community as it will educate people interested to know more about AbaThembu and their customs.
THEMBU BURIAL CUSTOM INTRODUCTION

Death is a respected occurrence among all African people. The deceased are regarded as ancestors and are treated with great respect as they are believed to have a special relationship with the living. The that fact that AbaThembu still follow proper rites and ceremonies following the death of a loved one reflects this belief.

FUNERAL PREPARATIONS
When an individual dies, it is the responsibility of the deceased's family to announce the death to the extended family, relatives and the community so that they can support them during their bereavement.

Before the funeral is to take place the furniture of the main house is taken out and women belonging to the deceased's family must clean the home where the deceased was living. Previously the walls of the main hut where the deceased was living were covered with soil. Now the main house is usually cleaned and painted. A traditional mat is put on the floor of the main bedroom. The widow sits on a mat below a window.

The body was buried as soon as possible in order to avoid decomposing since there were no mortuaries in the past. Currently the deceased body will be taken to the mortuary where it will stay for a few days while the family is busy preparing for the burial. AbaThembu have traditionally used their homestead as a final resting place where their deceased are buried. After the funeral, the period of strict mourning for the bereaved family will be observed.

UMKHAPHO (ACCOMPNAYING OF THE SPIRITS OF THE DECEASED )

There are usually a number of rituals accompanying the burial that must be followed and abaThembu still follow the bereavement rituals that have been performed in the past. Hence, when the head of a household dies, umkhapho and umbuyiso rituals are performed. Because of a belief in after-life combined with the belief that the departed continues to live in the hereafter; on the day of the funeral or soon afterwards elders slaughter an ox very early in the morning.
Choosing a beast for umkhapho ritual depends on the importance of the person being buried. An ox may be slaughtered for a very important person.
The men cook the ox meat in traditional pots with boiling water with no spice added. Then they eat the meat, outside of the house. This ritual is called umkhapho that is, to accompany the pirits of the departed person. Umkhapho ritual is performed to accompany (ukukhapha) the spirits of the deceased to the ancestors. Umkhapho ritual is intended to help facilitate the movement beyond so that the ancestor can return later. Mourning (ukuzila) may continue until the performance of umbuyiso ritual.

UKUZILA (MOURNING)
Mourning rituals begin immediately after the family member has been confirmed as having passed on. The primary meaning of the Xhosa word ukuzila, to mourn, is to abstain. Following the death of the head of the household or a traditional leader, various restrictions apply to dress code, diet and routine daily activities, such as the performance of chores. In the case of an elder or a traditional leader, villagers must for a stated period abstain from all chores and festivities.
It is the responsibility of the family members guided by custom to decide how long ukuzila should take place. However, it is customary for the wife of the deceased to do so for a period of a year and for the male it is anything from 3 - 6 months. All family members including children must shave their heads and abstain from all festivities as a sign of mourning.
The widow is called by the family and given instructions on how she must conduct herself during the mourning period. The way the widow dresses changes during this time and she must discard her previously worn clothes. It is customary for a woman to cover her head with a black scarf and to put on a blanket over her shoulders which she will wear until the end of the mourning period or the widow may wear a black dress during this period. The men as well as other family members wear a black button with a black cloth. This is done in order to be seen by everyone that they are in mourning. The community members are expected to be supportive. Also, all members of the family are expected to cut all their hair as a symbol of mourning. The bereaved are not expected to raise their voices when speaking amongst family members and to other people in general. They are not expected not to socialize. The children are also expected to behave in a certain way (e.g. they are not expected to go to parties) during the period of bereavement. The way they carry themselves should reflect those who are in mourning.
At the end of the mourning period, the widow's clothes are taken off and burned. And women gather round the widow and bring her new clothes. This is called ukhulula izila (which means take off mourning clothing.) The buttons which were worn by the bereaved family are also burnt.

UMBUYISO
AbaThembu also follow the ritual of umbuyiso which literally means to bring back. This is when it is believed that the person who died has now become an ancestor to protect the family. This usually happens within the first year. The family slaughters an ox for a male for ukubuyiswa that is, to bring the deceased back home. Unlike umkhapho, umbuyiso is a celebratory event and therefore includes fermented traditional beer.