Cultural perceptions and linguistic terminology regarding traditional marriage within indigenous South African communities

Abstract

This article discusses the important role played by common cultural perceptions in African communities, legitimising certain values, expectations, meanings and patterns of behaviour with regard to traditional marriage. Men and women who do not conform to socially acceptable behaviour and attitudes are regarded as outcasts. There are many words or phrases in these communities which cement the existence of cultural perceptions. For example, among the Sotho-speaking people, a mature unmarried woman is called lefetwa (lit. ‘one who is passed by’), while a mature unmarried man is assigned the name kgope (lit. ‘one who hooks in vain’). Such words and phrases reflect the communities’ views on preferential versus prohibited marriages, including preliminary steps to initiate marriage proposals, for example ukugcagca (‘elopement’) and ukuthwala kobulawa (‘abduction’). This paper concludes that some cultural practices that were once the pillars of marriage in African communities are no longer observed. Families flourished under these cultural practices and if children were raised by someone other than a biological parent, they were probably wholly unaware of this. In order to address the problem of diminishing African cultural values and norms, teachings on these practices should be introduced as part of a new curriculum at schools and institutions of higher learning.