Tradition meets modernity

This past weekend, the volunteers and staff attended the inauguration of Bheki Nkosi as the new Induna of Ezwenelisha.

In a lovely blend of traditional culture and modern politics, the ceremony lasted about three and a half hours and took place at the Induna’s residence in Ezwenelisha.

With many of the men dressed in traditional Zulu warrior attire, the ceremony began with the arrival of the Inkosi, the region’s king. 

A band of men headed down to the end of the road to accompany the king, chanting and singing their way up through the gate of the house and towards the large tent set up for the ceremony.

What must have been over 300 people attended the gathering – an important one, as Indunas are not frequently replaced unless one of them passes away, like Mr. Buthelezi did last August. It took months for the committee of the Inkosi as well as Ezwenelisha’s committee to choose Bheki as the new Induna, and during the ceremony it was even revealed that the community came together to vote on who would be their next leader.

The Inkosi gave a speech filled with advice to the new Induna, saying that he must listen to his people and be faithful to them, and that he must listen to them in order to make the best decisions for his people. 

In return, the Inkosi also told the growing crowd that they must help their new Induna by being truthful to him, so that he can make decisions for the improvement of the community.

Mr. Mhkwanazi, the Induna of Khula Village, acted as the master of ceremonies for the event, and gave some advice to Bheki to work with local organisations, naming African Impact in particular.

What was so exciting about the ceremony was not only its rarity but also the mixture of traditional and modern ways. The new Induna wore traditional warrior attire, while other officials wore suits and fancy dress. Some of the women, including Bheki’s first wife, were dressed in a beautiful mixture of modern clothing and traditional scarves and shawls. The music included old Zulu chants and songs combined with a DJ who later sang Bob Marley.

It was a ceremony that African Impact has been waiting for, as many of our projects and initiatives have been put on hold until the new Induna is chosen and we can liaise with him about the improvements he wants in his community. In the coming weeks we will surely be paying a visit to the new Induna to decide our next steps in the community.