INITIATION IS a tough, cold and life-changing experience. It is spiritual and it's physical.
It is the initiation of a boy into manhood - a test of character. Or so tradition tells us.
BUT THERE'S NOT MUCH TRADITION IN ENJOYING SUSHI WHILE STREAMING THE WORLD CUP ON TV!
Pictures taken at an initiation school have been trending, making people question what exactly is going on there.
These pictures show an initiate eating sushi, a satellite dish attached to one of the rooms, and a bed with white linen.
Some people don't see anything wrong as times are changing but some parents are furious. Most parents believe initiation should remain the way it was, saying it is not supposed to be a luxury excursion where boys can lose sight of what they went to do in the first place.
Daily Sun spoke to Aaron Mbonani (34) from KwaMhlanga, who was initiated in 2018, who said over the years initiation schools were becoming more and more soft. He said as long as these boys leave that place having learnt everything that they need to learn, then it shouldn't be a problem if you're eating sushi or watching TV.
"Of course, many parents would be against this because they believe being in the wild with none of these things is supposed to teach you a lesson, so their frustrations are understandable," he said.
Furious parent Jafta Mahlangu said: "I don't support this at all. I don't care if times are changing or not. This is totally unacceptable and I hope our leaders will look into this and stop it," he said.
Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs spokesman Lupi Ngcayisa told Daily Sun traditional practices and cultures have evolved.
"The world is in a bewildering stage where life is about extravagance, demonstration of crass materialism and abundance," he said.
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He said it comes as no surprise that initiation schools are taking the luxurious route.
"A bigger conversation should be whether or not the initiation schools are upholding their core values."
He said the most important thing is whether these boys learn anything while indulging in sushi or umngqusho. "Or has the rite of passage been reduced to just another act in ticking the boxes?"
Daily Sun spoke to a cultural expert Mkhulu Solly Nduku, who said different cultures have different rules but at the end of the day, the most important thing is if those boys transition from being boys to being men. He questioned the DStv satellite and said this makes him wonder when those boys get time to learn about what they came there to do.
"I can't dwell too much on the food part because a lot of rules have changed because of different dietary conditions, and we can't question that."
He also said it's sad to see all these changes.
"I fear these things are creating a society of circumcised men and not men who're supposed to be lovers, providers and pillars of their communities."
