Culture must not oppress

South Africans love Heritage Day with good reason: it’s the country’s opportunity to celebrate its diversity. Last Saturday, TV newsreaders wore traditional attire, staff at our local retailers, restaurants and hotels were vibrant in their traditional doeks, with eye-catching dots on their faces and traditional jewellery adorning their necks and arms.

Colourful and uplifting though it was, I could not help my thoughts.

You see, a week ago, my colleagues and I spent two hours with some talented and articulate young people (more about that on page 11).

Kuyasa Combined School’s debating club’s examination of what it means to celebrate heritage in SA made me think about my own upbringing.

As I am no cultural expert, I will only critique my own Xhosa traditions and cultural practices.

To start with, most of the people in town wearing traditional attire were women and girls – about eight out of 10. As I entered one business on Saturday, the staff members were taking a group photo – and not one of the men was wearing traditional attire.

One speaker in last week’s debate argued that heritage was no longer relevant due to its oppressive cultural aspects.

She backed up her views by saying when a bride gets married she has to dress a certain way, such as wearing a doek, a scarf around her waist and long skirts. But dress rules do not apply to her husband.

Where I grew up, a woman was not allowed to sit on the right-hand side of the rondavel.

I still remember a conundrum where a newly-married wife at home wanted to serve my grandfather with food but she could not give it to him as she was not allowed at the righthand side of the rondavel. A ritual had to be performed authorising her to be able to do so.

Will those traditions still apply now, when you hardly ever find a rondavel – even in the deep rural areas where I come from? The answer is no, and culture is not static.

The Kuyasa debaters reminded me that where we grew up, girls were not allowed to wear trousers.

Not only that: they were also not allowed to eat the high-protein foods, amasi and eggs. All these rules only applied to women.

I will never forbid my children from eating healthy food that their bodies require. I understand the dress code was meant to prevent girls from revealing themselves in the belief it would protect them. But “protecting” potential victims at the expense of their freedom is not the way to go.

Knowing your roots is never wrong but we need to relook at some of our cultural ways as Africans. –