As soon as Bishop Joshua Maponga went up the stage at the Castle Milk Stout Ancestors’ Day celebrations, the rain started to drizzle. When he sounded the kudu horn, it poured heavily.
For the Castle Milk Stout marketing director, Khwezi Vika and as culture would have it, this signifies a good omen. It was a sign of the divinity of not only the day but Bishop Maponga’s poetry performance on the importance of 8 May – Ancestors Day.
Even as a lad raised in a semi-Christian home, Khwezi is grateful to finally be able to embrace “us as a people, as Africans”.
“We want to advocate for the recognition of Ancestors Day. We’re seeking to educate what African spirituality is all about,” he told attendees of the celebratory event in Muldersdrift, north of Johannesburg.
Since the inaugural Ancestors Day in 2021, the alcohol brand brings together traditional healers and leaders together to observe this day as they push for it to be recognized as a religious holiday.
“Ancestors Day comes with the realisation that African spirituality is not given the same recognition in the calendar, so we’d like it to be added as well in the calendar,” he added.
The same call was made by celebrity sangoma Gogo Dineo Ndlanzi when she performed her address.
Read More | Gogo Dineo on being a new-age traditional healer: 'There's this stereotype that a sangoma has a look '
Speaking on why the date ’8 May’ was signifcant, she said May is internationally recognised as Africa month and the number 8 is associated with discipline.
“We need to come to a point where we are disciplined and intentional about this day. When you walk into a retail store that says, ‘Happy Ramadan’, we can actually say ‘Happy Ancestors’ Day’ and the colours and the themes of our ancestors are there. This is so that our children do not have to explain themselves anymore [when] they are wearing isphandla (traditional wristband made from goat or cow skin) because these things are not fashion statements only, but they are symbolism of our expressions,” Gogo Dineo explained.
She adds that “for us to claim our godliness, we need to claim our spiritual identity [with] no apologies and explanations”.
As the rain continued to pour, Gogo Dineo mentioned that it is the heavens assuring that their call is definitely heard.
To the pioneer of the idea to celebrate this day, Zolani Mkiva, it goes beyond just embracing who you are on the day.
Celebrating on the day would be “to instill a sense of pride in us, to say ‘let us not be shy to be related to those who gave birth to us’". Our relationship with them is not only biological but it is also spiritual and we, as the current generation, represent their dreams, hopes, fears and everything.”
The general secretary of Congress of Traditional Leaders of South Africa (Contralesa) pointed out that “our sophistication and intelligence as a people is actually found in the African wisdoms and the indigenous knowledge systems. If we don’t tap into that, we will never compete with the big nations in the world.”
Zolani is not only a Contralesa leader but he is also a traditionalist, praise singer (imbongi), actor and poet who approached the various stakeholders involved to inaugurate Ancestors’ Day.
He said he didn’t do this so that the day is romanticised but so that Africans can go back to African spirituality as it was embraced by forefathers.
“It’s to ensure that we may stream it in the national discourse and instil a culture that says, no nation can be governed by the true scientific discourse but a combination of scientific discourse and spiritual discourse.”
Read More | Zolani Mkiva spearheads the first Ancestors Day
According to him, this combination will “make us a better people and a better country” and the "tedious" process to enact it through parliament will be worth it.
After the festivities, sangoma and reality TV star, Tumi Motsoeneng also known as Gogo Skhotheni, told Drum how this day would ideally be celebrated.
“We must have everything that connects us with amaDlozi (ancestors), for example impepho (incense), candles, snuiff (snuff), anything that we all use to communicate with our ancestors. We don’t have to have rules, we don’t have to be strict about it, you don’t have to come wearing skirts [or your doek]. You just have to be simple because I believe that if we come as we are, that’s what they love about us.”
Acknowledging that public holidays lose meaning over time just as would be seen with June 16, Gogo Skhotheni said, “It wouldn’t lose its sacredness only if we remain humble and respectful, thina the people who started it, thina who know where it comes from but if we leave it to be, it’ll lose its meaning.”
In an effort to make embracing ancestry a habit as the bid for recognition continues, Castle Milk Stout has launched a campaign from which a TV show called Black Conversations. The show airs on Mzansi Magic.
