What is iXhanti?
iXhanti refers to the Tethering Pole or Post where communication with the ancestors of the home are conducted and where the horns of the animals used are hung. It is most commonly found in urban areas where the family kraal is not a readily accessible reality, so a make shift kraal is made around the tethering pole.

In its traditional application, it was the pole or post to which the cows are tethered, for either milking or for ceremonial purposes. It was where the family iNtlabi stood to perform his duties, and it served as the family Altar where petitions to the Ancestors and the Gods were made. It also served as a classroom for the individual being initiated into a certain Rite of Passage.

Thus we see that iXhanti was central to our traditional way of life as it served multiple purposes within the context of the home and the ritual necessities of the family.

 

What are amaSiko nezithethe zaBantu?
The words amaSiko and iziThethe are commonly misunderstood by the people that usually find themselves using them. Let us look at their individual meanings to accertain what each of these words holds.

Firstly the word amaSiko includes the connotation of the act of cutting, therefore when thoroughly investigated one sees that it hints at the process of birth. It is at birth that one is cut, uyuSikwa, from the mother's womb to make an entrance into this world. Thus we see that the word points to the cutting of the umbilicus and the question, to whom are you cut and given to as a family to raise? That is where you will receive your identity, culture, and legacy.

iziThethe on the other hand when translated loosely means that which was spoken about and agreed upon. It speaks of the result of what is known kwaXhosa as iBhunga – Family meeting, where the intimate members of a family come together and discuss how to execute the Siko that is necessary to be performed based on the logistics presently apparent and the resources available.

 

We see therefore that iziThethe are the methods and practical applications of the necessary ritual needs of amaSiko. The are inseparably connected to each other and cannot be performed one without the other.

 

The Xhosa are an ethnic group and nation living primarily in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. They are one of the four major Nguni groups in South Africa, along with the Zulu, Swazi, and Ndebele. The Xhosa people are originally from the Nguni, who migrated from central and northern Africa to settle in southern Africa. Their traditional homeland is in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa, stretching from the Gamtoos River to the Mzimkhulu River in Natal. The Xhosa are one of the Nguni peoples, and their culture and language are deeply rooted in the region. The identity of the "first" Xhosa person is complex, with historical and oral traditions offering different accounts. One tradition, rooted in oral history, suggests that a leader named Xhosa was a pivotal figure, with the group eventually taking their name from him.

 

Alternatively, some traditions point to Tshawe as the ancestor of the Xhosa royal clan, suggesting he founded the modern Xhosa kingdom. Archaeological evidence suggests that Xhosa-speaking people have lived in the Eastern Cape region for a very long time, potentially as far back as the 7th century AD.

Presented by AbaKhaliphi bouKhanya Institution of Spiritual Knowledge and Abba Ayalew Amlak