The great minds of our time have concluded that culture is not a set of rules run by protocol; rather it is a dynamic concept run on the same pulse as any given society at any given time. Unlike tradition, culture really is open to interpretation. Growing up, my parents were staunch traditionalist and even though the 90’s came and went, they stood steadfast in ways carved at the beginning of the century.
Consequently I, along with my two siblings were the victims of this. Don’t get me wrong, I value the traditions of my people but I also value my sense of being in this day and age. Without throwing them aside, there are some rules I am going to bend or maybe even break. But incase, I do not make it through my parents torturous grilling about the importance of tradition this week-it has been real.
Tradition is important to the identity of the urban youth. Tradition is stereotypically thought to be strictly Africa, however, Europeans, and white South Africans also have tradition. Defining tradition is not easy but I can say it is relative to a certain group of people then it can even differ per family. While one family can be very strict on lobola payment, another can simply view it as a formality. The significance lies in the respect or acknowledgement given to the practice. It should serve as a reminder of our roots and heritage.
Moreover in this day, who is to say what is the right way, we have been divided by space and time, there is no real traditional council. Various customs from individual groups have become condensed with the move of people from rural areas to the urban areas. Let us use our traditional ways not to enforce a sense pf tribal authority but rather to augment the culture is comes from. Now that culture is ubuntu.Ubuntu is timeless, it’s like a universal law.
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