The general belief is between God and the ancestors. Everything is done to try and hold on to those beliefs.
Midweek the people are busy slaughtering cows and praising their great-great grand parents where as on Sundays they will be wearing my uniform and praising the Lord Almighty.
A tiny part of them believes that religion came with the white man. He came with his book only to calm us so that we would not act violently. And if wronged we forgive those who have wronged us. To enforce this saying it said a prophet had noted the coming of the white man.
(Kuyakufika indoda enwele ezibulembu bombono. Le ndoda iphethe incwadi emlebe umbomvu kunye neqhosha elingenamthunja nina ke ze nihoye lencwadi)
The saying translates to “a man with hair like the corn hair will come. he will bring a book with red lips (bible) and buttons without holes (money). You are to pay attention to the book.
Another part of believes that the man upstairs was there all along they called him Qamata. People prayed and praised him and have often noted his might.
It is also takes time that one can separate the two beliefs. Other churches that have developed are against the traditional practices. Most people chose to the churches that endorses these practices. If one chooses to join the churches that stop practicing ancestral ritual they risk being called crazy.
For many the traditional practices often mark a time or stage in their lives that they cannot function without it. An imbeleko to introduce a child to the ancestors, an umbhinqo to mark the growth of a girl to being a young woman and intonjane to prepare the girl for marriage. Although it is done even after marriage. The boy goes through initiation which is followed through specific customs.
Certain occasion are marked by slaughter or a simple mqombothi. Many of those occasions include the welcoming of a daughter in-law, to thank the ancestors for giving you a job, to end a mourning period to which most modern Christians do not have.
It is up to one to believe what they want. There is no black and white in this instance it is only grey. A person can be religious and still continue to practice their traditions. Others chose to take one path and seemingly it serves them well.
