‘Traditions’ is often a dangerous term to use. We may define tradition as the beliefs, practices, values, customs and social behavior shared by a particular group of people. Unfortunately, some members of certain South African traditions tend to disagree causing divisions between one another. We have evaluated that because of not agreeing with each other our youth has been divided into two, namely ‘rural’ and ‘westernized’ groups

Modern versus Rural

Westernized youth of South Africa  We have witnessed as the youth ourselves that our youth has been divided into two groups… the more western group and a rural group. The reason why this has happened is because there are some underdeveloped places and towns in South Africa, but there are more developed cities with technological advantages which unfortunately most of our youth was raised into. The differences between these two groups, is that the one has stronger beliefs in tradition, and practices them with the mentality that things are meant to be done in that specific way and no other way, while the other group pays more attention to the new and modernized ways of the world. The modernized part of our countries youth is more in tune with the religious side of things, they acknowledge that they were born into a certain cultural group but they do not take it seriously. They see culture as a language they can speak and nothing more, they believe that their culture is just another issue. A culture that they follow is the traditions of the country, to follow public holidays and the laws. But most our youth follows the (what is commonly known) hip hop culture, to them it seems as though hip hop is the way of living, a preference from traditions and cultures. What they normally believe in is their religion, whether its being a Jehovah’s witness, Catholic, Zion or Roman Catholic it is more likely for the modernized youth to have faith in God than in traditions. Our youth is made up mostly of the western youth, who don’t cherish their true cultures but the cultures of the world. 

Rural youth of South Africa  The rural part of our youth is more in tune with their spiritual being and ancestors. They do want to try to move into developed cities but they feel as though they won’t get along with the people as they don’t see eye to eye when it comes to tradition. The youth in the rural areas feel so strong about their tradition that in some points they feel so offended by how much impact the world has affected their country and how now the youth don’t even know it exists. The youth in the rural areas believe that if they do not prepare rituals in the correct way, their ancestors will bring bad luck to their families. Some tribes believe in performing rituals such as virginity testing, for girls and boys attend initiation school where they get circumcised.This then flows into the topic of our youth disagreeing with one another. The westernized youth suggest that these types of rituals that they practice is superstitious and unscientific, while the rural group add that the modernized youth is undereducated in traditions. We conclude to say that there are some of the youths that still cherish their culture and others are not so crazy about it either.

Common ground  Despite there being a division between westernized and rural traditions, they are still able to find common ground. They say an apple can never fall too far from the tree, this phrase also applies to South African youth. No matter how much we’ve been divided, we are bonded by the spirit of UBUNTU.  WHAT IS UBUNTU?  Ubuntu comes from the Zulu language, which is roughly translated as “humanity towards others”. However it has a much deeper meaning than this, it is the spiritual bond of all societies. Ubuntu is a chain that connects all humanity, like the Zulu saying, “umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu” which simply means a person is a person through other persons.

do young South Africans adapt when going to study or work abroad? It is usually difficult for anyone to adapt away from their family and friends. One has to adapt to the language spoken, religion and customs of that particular country. As well as the weather, climate change and time zones. They need to learn how to work with new syllabuses and methods of teaching, as it is different from those of South Africa. It may be slightly harder to adapt in working environments, as you have to create working relationships with people who practice different customs and have a different way of thinking from you. Food also plays a role because you used to African cuisine such as mala mogodu (cow insides) and not familiar to the different textures and tastes to the food of a particular country.

CONCLUSION  Lastly we say after careful investigation of these questions we have come to the conclusion that there are various reasons to why people cherish and don’t cherish their culture, simply because of the impact science and technology has on South African traditions. It may be hard to adapt to new customs and environments but the reason we survive is that we take the spirit of UBUNTU everywhere we go.

Presented by: manasseh kunda, trudy milanzi and zandile mabilisa for norkem park high school proudly south african