Building a new home: Ndebele customs and rituals

IN ancient Ndebele customs one could not build a new home without the blessing of the parents. Married sons lived with their parents in the family homestead until they decided to move out and build new homes.

Moving out of the main family homestead was done in order of seniority. The eldest married brother was the first one to find a spot to build himself a new home. The youngest son was not allowed to leave home. His duty was to take care of the parents and the entire family estate.

Once the eldest son agreed with the father about moving out, he would leave early in the morning with the father to go to the new piece of land. The father went prepared with a very sharp axe.

Upon arrival the father would cut tree branches from the right side of the land and then cut from the left side as well. He would then pull the branches to the middle of the plot. As he pulled the branches he would utter these prayers to the ancestors:

“Nangu u ...... indodana yami, ngiyethula kini bobabamkhulu, u . . . uzatshela u .... laye atshele u . . . ukuthi u . . . usekhulile usefuna ukulakhela umuzi wenu. Limuphe inhlanhla, inotho yokudla kanye lezifuyo, inhlalakahle lenzalo.”

It was a prayer to the ancestors to watch over the home and bless the son with grain, livestock, children and prosperity. This process is known as ukutshaya ihlahla (groundbreaking).

The next stage was to invite usiyazi (traditional healer) to ward off evil spirits. The traditional doctor would fasten a peg (ukubethela isikhonkwane) at the entrance or centre of the home to strengthen it against evil and witchcraft. The father could also do these rituals if he knew how to.

After that, the land would be fenced around and an opening would be left at the southern side so that it was easier to see the layout of the house when building commenced. (source: -@ RealmzalaTom)