Stick fighting and modernity
Traditional affairs correspondent writes about dying African martial art, traditionally practised by teenage boys in villages in Southern Africa
THE death of five people in an incident relating to stickfighting last week has left many questioning the ancient custom’s relevance in 2013.
In the good old days, stick fighting was synonymous with celebration. Almost all traditional celebratory ceremonies in the Nguni culture included men putting on a stick-fighting display as women ululated with joy.
But whenever death rears its ugly head in these cultural practices – as is the case with circumcision – people sit up and and ask questions.
In the olden days, when a Xhosa boy went to initiation school, one of the skills he would work on was stick fighting. A young Xhosa man who carried himself well with “the sticks” won a lot of respect wherever he went in life.
In former president Nelson Mandela’s autobiography, Long Walk to Freedom, he writes, “I learned to stick-fight – essential knowledge to any rural African boy – and became adept at its various techniques, parrying blows, feinting in one direction and striking in another, breaking away from an opponent with quick footwork.”
But the ancient African martial art, traditionally practised by teenage boys in rural villages across Southern Africa – which Madiba proudly said helped develop his athletic prowess and love of the outdoors, is all but forgotten in the modern context.
The once beautiful game, in which each boy and young man once prided himself, is a forbidden practice among certain communities in the Eastern Cape.
Eastern Cape House of Traditional Leaders chairman Nkosi Ngangomhlaba Matanzima said it was sad that this game was disappearing.
“It taught respect among youth and skills to attack and defend.
“It was part of making warriors alert. I think that sports like soccer, rugby, boxing have taken over,” Matanzima said
He says the fact that children go to school early and spend a lot of time there during the day is another reason the sport is less popular.
“They don’t have a chance [to participate in] stick fighting.”
The sport – one of South Africa’s oldest – is a martial art developed hundreds of years ago in rural parts of the Eastern Cape where it served as an important rite of passage in Xhosa culture
Modernisation and abuse of the game by people holding grudges against each other has seen the sport decried a violent act in which people are killed.
Last Saturday, five people were killed in Willowvale due to an incident related to stick fighting.
Police spokesman Captain Jackson Manata said there was a traditional meeting called ingxelo, meant to inform certain family members and close relatives about a boy who was supposed to undergo initiation today.
The meeting was held at Waphi Location in Bojini Village, Willowvale, last Saturday.
In the evening, young men played ikhaba, a friendly stick-fighting competition. In a bout between two men – Zola Vova, 43, and a 21-yearold man, the latter was allegedly outplayed.
It is alleged that he did not like that he was being outplayed and drew his knife, stabbing the older man on his upper body. Vova died instantly. “It was at [that] stage that boys who were from [the] location of [the] deceased [Vova] went to call for backup and came back at about 9pm, attacking everybody who was at that homestead.
“They [allegedly] murdered three men,” Manata said.
Police arrested the 21-year-old suspect for the murder of Vova and five other boys – two aged 16 and three aged 17.
Manata said in most parts of Willowvale, stick-fighting was stopped by elders. But that had nothing to do with police. “It is not a crime,” he said. Qongqo Ndarha, 88, of Qokolweni, Mthatha, said he was one of the stick-fighting champions in his day.
“This was the only sport that was known among the youth. And we were proud of it.
“It was played by both males and females. But . . . times have changed.”
Although stick fighting is no longer done in some areas, it is still practised in places like Tsolo and Qumbu.