A description of the ceremonial transit to manhood: Lessons from Vatsonga rites of passages

Abstract

From time immemorial, the cultural practice of male circumcision among many African communities was pivotal as a way of transitioning the young men to manhood. This paper deals with the ceremonial transition to manhood rites of passages among the Vatsonga communities. It seeks to find out how this male traditional circumcision as a religious act is performed and its relevance in this new dispensation where clinical or hospital circumcision encourages the Christian faith dominating in many African societies. The aim of this paper is to describe the cultural ways of preforming the male circumcision among Vatsonga. This cultural practice has a role to play in the health of the people. Data was collected from 31 May to 30 August 2016 using the qualitative techniques, namely observation and interviews. The study found that male circumcision as a way of transitioning to manhood is mainly performed in clinic and hospital settings while the cultural practice is fading away with time. The study is important as it provide insights information on the traditional practice of male circumcision among Vatsonga. The significance of this traditional practice is that it helps in the prevention of many sexual transmitted diseases such as HIV and AIDS pandemic.

Keywords: Male circumcision, Culture, Ritual, Religion