SAFE RETURN: Uncle and nephew back from the mountain, greeted with song and pride
By Becker Semela:
The hills of the Eastern Cape stood witness to a powerful moment this past weekend, as the Stuurman family rejoiced in the safe return of two of their own - uncle and nephew, Thembinkosi and Luncedo Stuurman - who emerged from the mountain transformed, reborn as men through the sacred Xhosa rite of passage.
For an entire month, they had stepped away from modern life and into sacred time - answering the ancestral call to undergo ulwaluko, the traditional Xhosa initiation into manhood. What they left behind was boyhood. What they returned with was something far deeper: honour, discipline, and an unspoken strength carved into them by fire, silence, and ceremony.
Their return sparked scenes of uncontainable emotion. Traditional songs rang out, women u...