Ilobolo is cattle (regardless of number) paid by umkhwenyana for his umakoti. We thoroughly enjoyed this and it was just a prelude for the uMembeso ceremony where the two families exchange gifts amongst more festivities. So during those days people use to charge whatever number of cattle for ilobolo. To return to the matter at hand, the following points are worth considering : Umsamo Institute is comprised of indigenous African Healers and researchers who are able to provide our clients with insights into the African spirituality. On . Zulu is a 1964 British epic war film depicting the Battle of Rorke's Drift between the British Army and the Zulus in January 1879, during the Anglo-Zulu War. Umqholiso/Ingquthu – The cow given to the mother of umakoti. The list of what was paid and outstanding was signed by both parties and apparently this is needed when you register your marriage with Home Affairs? Lobola is a process where the husband-to-be introduces himself to the girls family, ask for her hand in marriage and shows his appreciation towards the family for bringing up a well cultured woman he now wants to call his wife. On . There was no fixed number of cattle. Some desired for their daughter to go after the wedding. We must understand that, the marriage between two people in an African Culture, is not marriage unless is blessed by the amathongo. Imbeleko – the cow also given to umakoti, saying that it will be slaughtered for her children once she is there. Often, a great deal of pomp, ceremony and robust negotiations accompany this custom. Today we are confusing ilobolo, which are cattle and izibizo which is just goods – , and something else. Umakoti is a gift to umkhwenyana and his family to such an extent that the belief is that umakoti is not yours as umkhwenyana but is for your father. Lobola definition: (in southern Africa) an African custom by which a bridegroom's family makes a payment in... | Meaning, pronunciation, translations and examples In this case uBabezala (tezvara) would exit for discussions. After greetings we went straight into the negotiations. Lobolo, has more value that just a mere practice. It is a very important practice in Zulu culture. We  waited for the family to come. Hello Friends,We are getting married, so we decided to take you along our wedding journey. Lobola is a word commonly used by Zulu, Xhosa, Ndebele, Swati that means “brideprice” or bridewealth”. For most black people, however, this is only the beginning of a process called Lobola. A traditional Zulu wedding is quite different, but also has distinctive stages, with the first being the payment of lobola, something that’s the subject of great debate these days. Write CSS OR LESS and hit save. By doing so, Shepstone was deliberately distorting an otherwise noble practice as part of a bigger and nefarious agenda of depleting the cattle herds of Zulu men who otherwise saw no need to pay various demeaning taxes nor submit to the needs for cheap labour at the time. vi . Where I … Secondly, getting a girl, on the other side does not guarantee the continuation of the family name instead it symbolizes the wealth (ukungena kwezinkomo) ekhaya and also an outside extended relationship. The primary purpose of lobola is to build relations between the respective families as the union would involve the extended family living in the homestead as well. Although historically the lobolo ritual predates colonialism, ‘the Europeans who codified Zulu law and the missionaries, regarded lobolo as being in the nature of a business transactio in which a fixed price had to be arrived at,’ so argues social anthropologist Absalom Vilakazi in his celebrated book on aspects of Zulu culture and tradtions, Zulu Transformations. Inhlabisamthimba – the cow that gets slaughtered on the wedding day. In conclusion, although various pressures and influences of modernity and socio-economic conditions have brought both distortions and innovation to the lobolo custom, in general, the practice still constitutes the most preferred, revered and recognized gesture of cementing the marital bond and calling upon the ancestors and God to bless it. Tag: Lobola-negotiations-in-zulu-culture. Lobola or Lobolo in Zulu, Swazi, Xhosa, Silozi and northern and southern Ndebele (Mahadi in Sesotho, Roora in Shona, Magadi in Setswana, Lovola in Xitsonga), and Mamalo in Tshivenda language, sometimes referred to as "bride wealth" is property in livestock or kind, which a prospective husband or head of his family undertakes to give to the head of a prospective wife’s family in gratitude of letting the husband marry their daughter. We paid the amount and placed in a plate and the young man only came later to collect. ingquto. No women were present. Lobola procedures There is an organised process that lobola ceremony follows, and that begins with scheduling a meeting by the groom family with the bride's family. Both families are proud! A young boy came to us after a short time and said they didn’t hear us so we need to do it again. ... ancestors into their family process. Even though we evolve and modernise quickly, this is one of the many practices I have noticed many families still uphold. As umkhwenyana pays these cows, there are also cows which get given to umakoti by his father on the day she leaves her family. My great take away from this is that the whole lobola process when done right with the intended purposes is good thing which we do need to preserve! Ilobolo is not a gift or thanking to the parents of the daughter for raising her up. The people negotiating should have good listening skills and be willing to negotiate. He must send delegates to negotiate lobola prices on his behalf. Since traditionally Zulu and other African societies frowned the idea of a divorce, the widow or a divorced woman can be paid whatever that can be negotiated by the two parties without the involvement of her direct parents as she no longer belongs there. Uyise ebese ebiza abalingani bakhe abayomsiza ukuyoxoxisana nalabo akakwantombazane undodana azimisele ukuyithatha ibe ngumfazi. Lobola within the Zulu culture is a traditional Southern African custom whereby the man pays his fiancée family a dowry for their marriage. We had 3 parts to our traditional wedding. Apparently if you do it once and then repeat without being invited you will be ‘fined’. When an Zulu woman falls pregnant out of wedlock, there are firm traditional procedures to adhere to and inhlawulo usually comes into play. ilobolo. Ever since I moved to... © ALL RIGHTS RESERVED - B A Y N H A M G O R E D E M A 2018. uMsamo Institute. No doubt this will be a profession in its own right in the near future! This process of paying lobolo with no fixed number of cattle, was revisited by Sir Theophilus Shepstone known as USomtsewu ka Sonzica, who actually so this tradition as an exploitation and he then fixed the number of cattle to Eleven (11), hence today we have lobolo as eleven cattle. We must always put it into a context whenever we talk about lobolo, and not just discuss it in isolation. Lobola is essentially the "bride price" that the prospective groom must pay to the bride's family in order to enter into marriage. Someone familiar with the lores, customs and traditions and also spoke the language. Umthothongo – the cow that gets given by the father to umakoti, on behalf of the ancestors to always look after her at emzini. The first step is lobola, it is a process, one is not expected to pay all the lobola in one day, then izibizo (bringing of gifts for the bride’s mother and close family) may follow, umbondo ( the bride brings groceries for the groom’s family) may follow and then the wedding / umabo. In order to... Age 19 and half - My life has turned out for the better At times you maybe made to wait for hours while you can see everyone going about their early morning chores seemingly ignoring you. Traditionally lobola is amounted to about 6 cattle – depending on the bride’s family’s request. Ilongwe – slaughtered after accepting the cattle, Ukucola abakhwenyana – slaughtered for abakhongi as sign of acceptance, Imvuma – slaughtered to accept umkhnwenyana. It is viewed as an outward sign of love when a man saves up and gives his bride’s family gifts in recognition for giving him a beautiful woman to marry. So if you are charged 10 cows and she had 3 children then you paid 7. It is only then when the father will start talking. majority of Zulu people in South Africa), that the payment of . Imbeka – lenkomo ehlantshwa emzini ngumakoti yokujabulisa abasemzini. Initially we had been warned that makhoti would come covered with three other maidens and we had to correctly pointe her out and we had worked on a sign from makhoti but this never happened.Cos if we got it wrong we would be ‘fined’. Before she is allowed to join her new family, a special cow called udondolo is offered. . I thought that was noble as it takes away any superiority and enhances the idea of relation building. Imvula – is the cow that gets mentioned first before even paying the ilobolo. Lobola within the Zulu culture is a traditional Southern African custom whereby the man pays his fiancée family a dowry for their marriage. After the second time we were invited into the homestead and we were settled in a room. This cultural practice is one that is valued by many that still stick to traditions. In Shona culture its us the uMkhwenyana who  exit to discuss. In our negotiations we were not allowed to mention the number 5 eg R5000 for the price of a cow, it either had to be 4000 or 6000 as 5 was considered to be an open palm and would be akin to slapping our tezvara in the face. It involves the groom, together with his family coming to the bride’s family with gifts. However, things have changed and some families prefer to be paid in cash. An old man who happened to be passing by just said uMkhwenyana! Ilobolo is a two way process. Are you taking personal responsibility? ‘Jesus Appears to Thomas’ – Rembrandt reinterpreted, Illustrated Countdown to the 2018 Zimbabwe Elections, Dissecting Dominic Benhura’s #MugabeStatue, Dominic Benhura: Views from Zimbabwean artists on #MugabeStatue. Where I may have erred please forgive, clarify and  enlighten. A few years ago I was in Watsomba and came across so many indigenous wild fruits and it took me back to the days... Every year during the festive season at Beitbridge Border post, travelers to and from South Africa have to endure degrading and dehumanising treatment and verbal abuse at the hands... We are all flowers, man and woman alike. It is in the context of this particular historical moment in Natal that saw then governor Sir Theophilus Shepstone uSomtsewu as Zulus called him, impose a figure of 11 cattle as a standard for ilobolo. The two: umakoti and umkhwenyana have no say what so ever in the whole negotiation process. CTRL + SPACE for auto-complete. At this stage the women took over the negotiations. These cattle are a sign of pride and showing that ‘your daughter will never starve when she joins the family.’ It is ubumnumzane of the umkhwenyane’s father, that we are not that poor. It is the process governed by the amathongo, as the belief is that to have people coming and initiate ilobolo is a gift from the ancestors. When he arrived they came in and sat with us. The first cow that will be requested will be iMvulamlomo for the father. No doubt this will be a profession in its own right in the near future! It is mentioned in the article that some people say they do not need paying lobolo because they have been together for a long period. But even though, it is these goats’ inyongo which connects umkhnwenyana and amathongo, also umakoti and amathongo. The first critical question is Why Lobola? It was all about negotiating the quantity and value of the cows. The primary purpose of lobola is to build relations between the respective families as the union would involve the extended family living in the homestead as well. If the groom is to be is accepted, the groom, together with his uncles, would visit the family of the bride. In Zulu culture, for both the traditionalist and Christian Zulu, honouring parents, whether alive or dead, is to relate to them with great respect. Umakoti is a gift to umkhwenyana and his family to such an extent that the belief is that umakoti is not yours as umkhwenyana but is for your father. The father is always kept in the dark all the time. Lobolo is a problem in our era because we do not have people who have a clear know how of what it is, and why was it or is it still being practiced. HomeBlogGeneralILOBOLO : Its Meaning and Proc... Know the vocabulary, the dialect … Know the language! Compared to the list from Zimbabwe. This is effectively a negotiation process between the bride and groom’s families that can take months before the ‘white wedding’ happens. It is various cattle with their specific names and functions paid to the father and also to the mother of their daughter. When inside the house they will be asked to repeat what they have been saying. They stated their number of cows some small, some large and the price for each. It is the conversion of the inkomo called Ubikibiki. Those who don’t agree with lobola should find partners and their parents who believe in the same. Petaless flower, when you meet him will you be ready? After two rounds of negotiations they were adamant that the price was not going down and the number of cows was not changing so we took our cows from their kraal and presented them! In Izithakazelo. Lobola. Disclaimer: This account of traditional Zulu #lobola negotiations  is just my experience and my interpretation of as a first hand witness of this specific one. ... Lobola process | Lobola procedure. A customary marriage is valid in South Africa once agreement has been reached on lobola. The lobola negotiations always take place at the home of the bride’s family. Ubikibiki – This cow is given to the mother by umkhwenyana. Today most people call these izibizo ubikibiki, which is the main cause of confusion. From there we went on to negotiate for the bride so that we will be given our makhoti without the wedding. The izibizo are part of this general pattern.’. For centuries, the Nguni tribes of Southern Africa have practiced lobola — paying a bride price to ensure a union between two tribes, similar to the dowry’s of Western Civilization. It was only the men. Let’s take Zulu culture as an example. Umumba – Cow also given to the Makoti’s mother, but part of the ilobolo, Imvulamlomo/Ingqaqhamazinyo – cow given to the father in order for him to talk to the abakhongi (people sent to pay lobola). So on arrival we had to stand by the gate and shout out the clan name, who we are and why we were there. Part 2, There is Mhofu, then all the other totems, 20 Quotes from the Prophetess Beverly Angel, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bCoKVYHRz0&t=1s, Dehumanised at Beitbridge Border – South Afrika, Infertility and the yearning for children. Lobola, also known as Roora or dowry, is an integral part of the Zimbabwe traditional wedding ceremony. Umbeka – the cow that get given to umakoti to slaughter it when arriving at emzini. 10 cows is the minimum amount for a bride in Zulu culture. When the price is being decided upon, the ultimate decision goes through much debate of the value of the bride-to-be and it has been known to reach peak levels of impasse – especially when destructive family members are entrusted with the delicate process. Apparently with the number of cows, if the makhoti has children from a previous relationship, a cow is deducted per child. This number may go up or down a cow depending on certain factors. By admin. We are delivering all the requested cows. We must therefore never confuse ilobolo, which is cows and izibizo. As is the case in many cultures, in the final analysis, the failure or success of any marriage mainly depends on the two people who have entered matrimony. We were there for a while until the same boy came back who was acting as the apprentice. Those who say their marriage will never last, it won’t last if these processes were never done. They would put up their hands and in unison they said the surname of uMkhwenyana. We were waiting for an uncle to come for the proceedings to go ahead. The process of Inhlawulo: Please note that I’m outlining the typical scenario, however, the […] After a formal engagement has been made, and the terms of lobola settled, the cattle begin to be delivered in ‘instalments’ to the father. After all formalities were done we were were treated to some ukuGida dances! The process of ukulobola, to pay the bride price in brief, is a critical stage in which the symbolic and material gestures of the coming together of these two families is realised. Ngosuku oluhheliwe, abakhongi laba … In Izithakazelo. Assuming that a woman is getting married for the first time, her lobolo rites often comprise sending a delegation from the future bridegroom’s party who start a process towards paying all 11 cattle to the future bride’s family. For centuries cattle has formed the primary currency of Lobola but more recently, cash plays a significant role. This was a first for us but we were assured this was the cultural norm so we negotiated for a later time as we were coming from 2hrs away and by 830 we were there. The elders will carry this work until up to the end. There were no zvirehwa rehwa, after vhuramuromo we went straight to the cows which is basically rusambo. In the Zulu culture, a man chooses his own wife, ... he has gone up a tree and therefore money is needed for him to come down and discuss lobola with them. That is why people do not pay all the ilobolo, because of the belief that one day umkhwenyana will be of help to the family (umkhwernyana isiphuzi sokuhquzula). Izibizo is just what the mother wants from umkhwenyana, and it has no prescription, but the mother uses her own discretion. Instead, a token is given to her outgoing in-laws. ILOBOLO PROCESS. Her culture dictated I pay her dowry, even though we live in contemporary Australia. It happens once the ilobolo has been paid. Customarily Zulus consider marriage as an opportunity through which new bonds are formed between two families in the main, that of the bride and the bridegroom. Such blessings are done through various rituals, where either a goat is slaughtered or a cow for the inyongo to be used for either umakoti or umkhwenyana. Lobola negotiations involve a process of presentation of a payment made by t… © 2021 All rights reserved​. The process started with a family meet-and-greet on the 24th June 2017 where Zano was welcomed by my grandfather. They exited twice to consult with the women. Izibizo zikamama or her mother’s customary dues are paid as part of the lobolo process. It is the process governed by the amathongo, as the belief is that to have people coming and initiate ilobolo is a gift from the ancestors. But no one wanted his/her child to get married to the family which is poor and not really well doing. That is why in the olden days most abamnumzane wanted their daughters to be taken by families with many cattle so that he can get more, and also as a guarantee that his daughter won’t starve emzini. But after they discussed in private they came back to say we can take makhoti with us! Secondly, it is a token to the Amathongo (ancestors) that isibaya is growing, and as it grows it will create strong umuzi for them (amathongo). This law clearly stipulates that in order for the customary marriage to be legally recognised, it has to be entered into by a man and woman over the age of 18 years who have the intention of getting married under customary law. Disclaimer: This account of traditional Zulu #lobola negotiations is just my experience and my interpretation of as a first hand witness of this specific one. So that I sound educated I’ll throw in an expert (Monica Wilson, UCT Anthropology) quote for emphasis “a customary marriage in true African tradition is not an event but a process that comprises a chain of events”. beast for the mother) 1, 15 for hereditary chief siblings, and 20-plus for the daughters uMkhwenyana joined in the festive atmosphere. You can take your lobola to a vacation before handing them over in exchange for … But, even though, he will never attend to those people alone, but will call his brothers, and the neighbours to come and listen. Lobola, the provision of gifts to the parents of a bride, usually in the form of cash or livestock, is an entrenched part of marriage in parts of Southern Africa.2 In Lesotho, 1 The Zulu term lobola was that which the young research participants in each country used most commonly, and hence is the term I … I have finally taken the responsibility to pen part two of my article I promised in 2016 and never did so. It involves many members of the bride's and the groom's families. Culture Our traditional wedding was an infusion of Pedi and Zulu cultures uniting. As uMkhwenyana we expected to sit on the floor but we didn’t expect our uBabezala (tezvara) to also sit on the floor. Lobola is a token of appreciation to the bride’s parents for raising a woman for the groom and should not be seen as a chance to make a quick buck. Everyone was happy no-one felt hard done. It enforced my stance on the lobola ceremony that it’s a good tradition which should remain to join families. He stopped to chat and we exchanged pleasantries and he said this is a good thing you are doing! It’s important to understand the differences in cross-cultural settings. Abalingani mase bechazeliwe ngohlelo, kwakubeke sebenquma usuku lokuyovela lena ekhaya lentombi abazimisele ukuyilobola. The lobola negotiations then kicked off on the 24th of March 2018 and got finalized the same day. It will be then where the father will know for the first time. Keywords: Zulu Ancestors Bowen Theory Practical Theology Lutheran Theology ... 8.1.4.1 Lobola and Differentiation 171 . He brought a plate with 10 mealie seeds which was vulamulomo (vhuramuromo). We obviously didn’t expect to go back with her that day but we just needed that consent so that the two can plan their wedding at their own pace. Once umkhnwnyana has paid these cows, he can request for the date for the wedding. Besides these there are cattle which also get slaughtered on the wedding day paid by both umakoti and umkhwenyana: Ilobolo is an issue between the two families. Enjoy the read! The going rate in Zulu communities here is 11 cows for a bride. Umembeso is a process in the traditional Zulu wedding. We decided to have it slaughtered there. The negotiation of lobola can be long and complex. Where Twala says the elders communicate with the ancestors when lobolo is paid does not happen at the beginning, but that is a different process which happens during the acceptance time and also during the wedding time. Isibhoma – cow that also get slaughtered on the wedding day. We had our interpreter/chief negotiator who proved to be invaluable. That is why these cows have various names and meaning. This I will not miss! It is these izibizo where people start doing their gambling, which is conducted very badly. (Vakwasha). This may continue for a year or two … Thirdly, umnumzane for him to see that Umsamo is alive (uyaphila) and his ancestors are strong and present, he would see that by having many cattle (Umhlambi wezinkomo) and all his children get married. We strive to be recognised as the foremost brand and preferred partner in adding value to our clients’ lives, families and Workplace by successfully integrating the principles of African Spirituality. The first part called umembeso, were my in-loves presented gifts to my parents and family in the form of blankets, doeks and pots. She is then anointed with sacrificial bile to mark her new family status, more so that she is now no more a member of her original family. During the wedding other cows gets slaughtered where their izinyongo are used as symbol of connection. All the time when we talk of ilobolo, we always confuse it with Izibizo. To refer to Vilakazi again: ‘By Zulu customary law, the very essence of lobolo was its indeterminate character, for it was part of the gifts that pass to and fro between the contracting families as long as the marriage persists. We must remember that, it is only the elders that can represent the Amathongo and not the youngsters. The process varies from culture to culture, but … In Western culture, once a man has popped the question, the couple is free to start discussing wedding arrangements. Should she divorce or her husband die, for her second marriage lobolo is not required. Each seed representing a set amount. The first person who happens to know that there will be abakhongi (representatives from the umkhwenyana) coming, is the mother of the daughter. Once lobola has been paid izibizo will follow, where gifts are given to the bride’s family, followed by umbondo where the bride reciprocates by buying groceries for the groom’s family, and finally the actual wedding or umabo . He will see people sweeping the yard, doing all the cleaning, but he will never ask. Insizwake mase izimisele ukuthatha intombi, iyaye ibikele uyise ngalezinhlelo zayo. The lobola process is when the groom-to-be along with his family pay a certain amount of money to the bride’s family in order to obtain the right to marry their daughter. LOBOLA CUSTOM. Thereafter either a goat or a cow is slaughtered to mark her new family status. A Zulu wedding is not just a one day celebration but a series of events. It shows how 150 British soldiers, 30 of whom were sick and wounded patients in a field hospital, successfully held off a force of 4,000 Zulu warriors. After counting they gave a salute which was a sign of appreciation and this happened twice after this. The practice of paying "Lobola" (or Lobolo) as part of the marriage process is a tradition in many South African cultures including Xhosa, Zula, Swazi and Ndebele. The women were outside in a separate room where they would be consulted throughout the process. The Shona Lobola procedure takes place in stages, as detailed below. The father will call all his daughters and ask the abakhongi to point at the woman, once that is done, and then negotiations will start. Father | Graphic Designer | Print Maker | Social Commentator. My grandfather then passed away about 2 weeks later and my family had to go through a mourning period. When abakhongi are shouting they will be mentioning these cows, by their size, their gender and their colors. Lobola is the practice of offering cows or equivalent sum of money from the groom to the bride’s family. Isiqodo – the cow that is paid by the umakoti family for slaughtering on the wedding day. With the cows settled, the remainder to be presented as live beasts, they saluted again then we were called outside and shown a goat for uMkhwenyana which we could slaughter or take live. On that selected day, abakhongi will arrive early in the morning and shout at the gate by saying ‘sizocela isihlobo esihle’. I admired the passing of indigenous knowledge This boy can actually carry out the whole procedure if need be. Lobola is not the way we are taking it today and it was never meant to be what we are thinking of today.