The Views of Amakrwala on the Usage of Umqombothi and Commercial Alcohol during the Initiation Ceremonies

Abstract

Alcohol has been used in many African countries like Tanzania and Kenya to celebrate important cultural ceremonies for many decades. In the context of amaXhosa, they use both umqombothi (traditional beer) and different types of brandy to celebrate ulwaluko (initiation process). The use of umqombothi and commercial alcohol by initiates during the initiation is integral to the initiation process of amaXhosa. This paper therefore presents the findings on the views of amakrwala (new initiates) on the usage of umqombothi and commercial alcohol during the initiation ceremonies. A qualitative research approach was employed using an exploratory-descriptive and contextual design sampling 16 amaXhosa young men between the ages of 18 to 24 years who recently graduated from ulwaluko. Semi-structured telephonic interviews were conducted. Themes such as different rituals practiced by amaXhosa, meaning of umqombothi and commercial alcohol use, and recommendations based on alcohol usage in ulwaluko by amakrwala emerged in the study. Both umqombothi and brandy use during ulwaluko was viewed as good practice by amakrwala. However, they emphasised that guidelines should be put in place to monitor responsible drinking. Based on these findings, it can be concluded and recommended that there should be guidelines on who, how and when alcohol should be used during the initiation ceremonies, and for what purposes.