Amatshawe gathering unites families
Clan members meet to speak to their ancestors
The Amatshawe clan in Port Alfred and surrounding areas held the first family gathering on Saturday, August 13 at eNdlovini.
Family member Mbangeli Futuse said the family had never had such a gathering before and they now wanted to stand united as a family to pass on teachings to the next generation.
Family member Bulelwa Puwe highlighted one of the significant aspects of traditional gatherings.
“We are meeting today as Amatshawe,” Puwe said. “We have different surnames such as
Bavuma, Siyolo, Mxube etc, but we all share a clan name. Our focus is to do our Xhosa traditional gathering and this includes the brewing of the traditional beer to communicate with our ancestors,” she said.
Monde Futuse said the gathering was to forge unity among members of the clan.
“At the end of the day, this process is to speak to our ancestors and with this ritual we will appease them, which is very important to us. All those related through the Amatshawe clan are gathered in unity today and respect in the family is the first priority,” he said.
He emphasised how every member in attendance would be able to share their views on how to take the family forward and be blessed in future. “This gathering is very important to be able to know that we can rely on each other for help. We’re basically here to build warmth in the family,” he said.
Puwe said she was delighted that the gathering would enable the younger generation to know their traditional practices, not steer away from their cultural roots and understand their cultural dynamics better.
Futuse said following this gathering, their ancestors would be shedding light into their lives.
The family hopes this will be the start of many more gatherings to follow and that this will also inspire others to familiarise their families with their cultural roots and pass on those teachings.
“Knowing where you come from will shed light on your future and bring success. We live to uphold our clan and we expect the younger generation to learn from this gathering and follow suit and even do better than us,” Futuse said.