Bergville residents’ construction of the cultural practice of ukuthwala : A discourse analysis

Abstract

Ukuthwala is a convoluted cultural practice that has attracted criticism and scrutiny from the public, academia, and the media. While it may be endorsed and contested simultaneously, ukuthwala envelops various forms of abuse which culminate in serious negative outcomes for most young girls and women. Ukuthwala is generally conceived as an old cultural practice where a girl or woman is abducted to for marriage when there are hindrances from the families. This study aims to critically interrogate and understand the discourse modalities used by the residents of specific areas in Bergville to construct the cultural practice of ukuthwala. The study was framed within a qualitative discourse approach. Objectification theory, the feminist perspective, and the philosophy of ubuntu were used as the theoretical framework. Informed Discourse Analysis was used to analyse data. The nine participants were recruited using purposive and snowball sampling strategies. The diverse sample of nine participants comprised: a police officer, a legal representative; three social workers; a priest; a teacher; law students and a taxi driver participated in this research. Three discursive themes were identified: the first theme was some members of the community of Bergville have detached themselves from the practice of Ubuntu when they engage in matters relating to the cultural practice of ukuthwala. This manifests in degrading ways by which contextual perceptions and enactment of ukuthwala are engineered to disempower women. The families play pivotal roles in disempowering, commodifying, and exploiting women and young girls in the name of ukuthwala. These constructions of ukuthwala produced three conflicting discourses: a discourse of lobola, a discourse of the ‘submissive wife’, and a discourse of the ‘runaway wife’. All of which goes against the core elements of ukuthwala based on building family relations.

In the second theme, ukuthwala was constructed as a cultural practice that allows for the expression of various forms of patriarchal masculinity. Patriarchal masculinity in the practice of ukuthwala was constructed in two different forms/ways. Firstly, ukuthwala was constructed as a practice allowing collective acts of dominance. Secondly, ukuthwala was constructed as the practice makes possible the expression of patriarchal masculinity that fails to accept any rejection of love advances. The production of these constructions arises from, reflects shared personal and contextual experiences of ukuthwala, and further reveals how a ‘discourse of entitlement’ and ‘toxic masculinity’ are used to construct and sustain the practice of ukuthwala. The discourse of entitlement speaks primarily to the particularities of the context of Bergville and the socialisation of men to the idea of ukuthwala as means to access women. The discourse of ‘toxic masculinity’ was used to construct ukuthwala as a shield to hide the premeditated sexualisation of young girls. In the last theme, the participants’ constructions of ukuthwala suggested that the act itself is a criminal offence. Amongst the aspects mentioned as offences were that women are subjected to emotional and physical abuse, some are abducted to be raped, and they are denied the right to education. Another component is that ukuthwala is tantamount to kidnapping and therefore warrants the arrest of the kidnapper. In this discursive theme, the participants used the discourse of criminal offences, rape culture, and legal discourse to construct ukuthwala as one of the forms of violence meted towards women and children. The discourse of ukuthwala as a criminal offence was deployed to account for abduction and emotional abuse incidences. Likewise, the discourse of rape culture was deployed to express the realities of contextually approved sexual violations against women and girls. The legal discourse was used to account for the use of ukuthwala as a cultural tool to deny young girls the right to education. The critical aspect of the participants’ construction of ukuthwala was that the legal orientation towards ukuthwala clashes with its traditional perspective. In the light of these issues, it became evident that the practice of ukuthwala poses a threat to the lives of both men and women regarding education, sexually transmitted disease and building healthy relationships. The discourses used to construct ukuthwala are rooted and shaped by the history of romantic relationships, context, and people’s worldviews. The economic and social constructions of gender have infiltrated ukuthwala and have contributed significantly to its evolution over the years. The nexus between these components elevates people as agents of change. Based on the notion that people develop cultures to serve them, people have the power to reconstruct their cultures for their wellbeing. From this position, this study argues for community dialogue to enable residents to determine paths that can help resolve the mistreatment of women through the culture of ukuthwala.

Ukuthwala kuyinkambiso yesiko esisuse ukugxeka nokubukisiswa emphakathini, kwezemfundo ephakeme, nasezikhungweni zezindaba. Nakuba ukuthwala kungemukelwa kuphinde kuphikiswe khona lapho, kuphethe izimo ezehlukene zokuhlukumeza okugcina kunemiphumela emibi emantombazaneni nakwabesifazane abaningi. Ukuthwala kujwayeleke ukuthathwa njengesiko elidala lapho intombazane noma owesifazane wayethunjwa khona ngenhloso yokumganisa uma kukhona iziphazamiso ezivela emindenini. Lolu cwaningo luhlose ukucubungula nokuqonda ngokujulile izindlela zokucabanga ezisetshenziswa yizakhamuzi zezindawo ezithile eBergville lapho zakha incazelo yesiko lokuthwala. Lolu cwaningo lwakhelwe endleleni yohlaziyo lwezingabunjalo lwengxoxo. Injulalwazi ekhuluma ngokwehliswa komutu athathwe njengento nje, ukubuka ngeso lokucabangela labesifazane, kanye nesikompilo lobuntu kusetshenziswe njengohlaka lwenjulalwazi. Kusetshenziswe Uhlaziyongxoxo Lwenkulumo Esekelwe Olwazini ukuhlaziya ulwazi oluqoqiwe. Ababambiqhaza abayisishiyagalolunye bakhethwe ngokusebenzisa amasu ukuqoka ngenhloso kanye nokuqoka okunikezelanayo. Leli qoqo labantu abehlukene elikhethiweyo lakhiwe: yiphoyisa, ummeli wezomthetho; osonhlalakahle abathathu; umfundisi; uthisha; umfundi wezomthetho nomshayeli wetekisi babambe iqhaza kulolu cwaningo. Kuhlonzwe izindikimba ezintathu zokuxoxa ngokubuka amaqiniso: indikimba yokuqala ibithi amanye amalunga omphakathi waseBergville ase eseziqhelelanisile nenkambiso yobuntu uma ezibandakanya nezindaba ezihambisana nesiko lokuthwala. Lokhu kuvela ezindleleni ezithunazayo zokubuka nokwenza ukuthwala ezenzelwa ukubukela phansi abantu besifazane. Imindeni ibamba iqhaza elibalulekile ekufenyiseni, ekuqedeni ubuntu, nokuhlukumeza abantu besifazane egameni lokuthwala. Le miqondo yokuthwala yakhe izinkulumo ezintathu eziphikisanayo: indaba yelobolo, indaba yenkosikazi ezithobayo, nendaba yenkosikazi ebalekela umendo. Konke lokhu kuyaphikisana nomongo wokuthwala ogxile ekwakhiweni kobudlelwane phakathi kwemindeni.

Endikimbeni yesibili, ukuthwala kuchazwe njengenkambiso yesiko evumela ukubonakaliswa kwezindlela ezehlukene zokukhombisa amandla omuntu wesilisa. Ubudoda babantu besilisa enkambisweni yokuthwala ichazwa ngezindlela ezimbi. Okokuqala, ukuthwala kuchazwa njengenqubo evumela ukuthi kubonakale ubudoda obehlulekayo ukwamukela ukungavunywa lapho umuntu eshela. Ukuvela kwalezi zincazelo kusukela futhi kukhombisa izigameko ezifanayo ezehlela abantu abehlukene abathwalwayo, futhi kuveza kuphinde kukhombise indlela ‘umqondo wokuba nelungelo’ kanye ‘nobudoda obubi’ okusetshenziswa ngayo ukwakha nokusimamisa inkambiso yokuthwala. Umqondo wokuzinika ilungelo phezu komunye umuntu ubhekise kakhulu esimweni esiqondene neBergville nokujwayezwa kwamadoda umqondo wokuthwala njengendlela yokufinyelela kubantu besifazane. Lo mqondo “wobudoda obubi” wasetshenziswa ukwakha ukuthwala njengehawu lokufihla ukubukwa ngokuhleliwe kwamantombazane amancane njengezinto ezidalelwe ucansi. Endikimbeni yokugcina, ukuchazwa kocansi yilabo ababambe iqhaza kulolu cwaningo kukhombisa ukuthi lesi senzo uqobo lwaso siwubugebengu. Ezintweni ezibalwe njengamacala kube khona lapho abantu besifazane behlukunyezwa khona ngokomphefumulo nangokomzimba, abanye bayathunjwa ukuze bayodlwengulwa, futhi bancishwe ilungelo lemfundo. Enye ingxenye yilena ethi ukuthwala kufana nokuthunjwa, ngakho-ke umuntu ongumthumbi kufanele aboshwe. Endikimbeni ehlaziya amaqiniso asendabeni, ababambe iqhaza ocwaningweni basebenzise inkulumo ekhomba ubugebengu, umkhuba wokudlwengula, nenkulumo yezomthetho ukuchaza ukuthwala njengesinye sezimo zodlame olubhekiswa kwabesifazane nasezinganeni. Ukubuka ukuthwala njengobugebengu kusetshenziselwe ukuchaza izigameko zokuthumba nokuhlukumeza. Kanjalo futhi, umqondo womkhuba wokudlwengula usetshenziselwe ukukhombisa amaqiniso okuhlukunyezwa ngokobulili kwabesifane namantombazane okuvunywa yisimo. Inkulumo yezomthetho isetshenziselwe ukuchaza ukusetshenziswa kokuthwala njengendlela yangokwesiko yokuncisha amantombazane ilungelo lemfundo. Ingxenye ebalulekile kulabo ababambe iqhaza ocwaningweni lapho bechaza ukuthwala ukuthi iso umthetho obuka ngalo ukuthwala liyaphikisana neso lenqubo yendabuko. Ngenxa yalezi zinkinga, kucacile ukuthi umkhuba wokuthwala uyingozi empilweni yamadoda kanye nabesifazane uma kubhekwa ezemfundo, izifo ezithelelwana ngocansi nasekwakhiweni kobudlelwane obuhle. Imiqondo esetshenziwe ekuchazeni ukuthwala igxile futhi yabunjwa umlando wobudlelwanp kwezothando, isimo okwenzeka kuso, kanye nendlela abantu ababuka ngayo umhlaba. Indlela umphakathi obuka ngayo isimo somnotho nesokuhlalisana komphakathi okuqondene nobulili sekungenile enkambisweni yokuthwala yase iba nesandla esikhulu ekuguqukeni kwakho ukuthwala ekuhambeni kweminyaka. Ukuxhumana phakathi kwalezi zingxenye kwenyusela abantu ezingeni lokuba ngamashoshozela oguquko. Ngokusukela emqondweni othi abantu bakha amasiko ukuze abasebenzele, abantu banamandla okwakha kabusha amasiko abo ukuze babe nenhlalakahle. Ngokusukela kulo mcabango, lolu cwaningo luphakamisa ingxoxo emphakathini ezokwenza ukuba izakhamuzi zihlahle izindlela ezingelekela ekuxazululweni kwenkinga yokuhlukunyezwa kwabesifazane ngesiko lokuthwala.

Ukuthwala sisenzo esitenxileyo senkcubeko esizidontsele umntsalane wokugxekwa nokuphononongwa luluntu, zizifundiswa kunye namajelo osasazo. Nangona inokuxhaswa kwaye iphikiswe ngaxeshanye, ukuthwala kuqulethe iindlela zokuxhatshazwa ezohlukeneyo ezineziphumo ezimbi kuninzi lwamantombazana asemancinci nakwabasetyhini. Ukuthwala kubonwa gabalala njengesenzo senkcubeko yantlandlolo apho intombazana okanye ibhinqa lixhwilwayo liyotshata kube kukho ubunzima phakathi kwamakhaya. Olu phando lujolise ekugocagoceni nzulu nasekuqondeni iindlela abenza ngayo abahlali bendawo ezithile e Bergiville kumbandela wenkcubeko yokuthwala. Oluphando lwancwangciswa ngendlela yentetho esemgangathweni. Ithiyori engakhethi cala, imbono yamabhinqa kunye nengcingane yobuntu isetyenzisiwe njengethiyori esisiseko. Uhlalutyo lwentetho lusetyenzisiwe ukuhlalutya iinkcukacha. Abathabathi nxaxheba abalithoba bafunyenwe ngendlela yokuba kungqalwe kubo ngokwenjongo, ukanti abanye bafunyenwe ngendlela yokuthunyelwa. Iindidi ezohlukeneyo zabathabathi-nxaxheba abalithoba ziquka: ipolisa, ummeli osemthethweni, oonontlalontle abathathu, umfundisi, utitshala, umfundi wezomthetho kunye nomqhubi wesithuthi sikawonke-wonke, ngabo abathabathe inxaxheba kolu phando. Imixholo emithathu edala ingxoxo yaye yachongwa: umxholo wokuqala ubugxile ekubeni amanye amalungu oluntu lwaseBergville azikhwebule ekwenzeni Ubuntu ngokuzibandakanya kwimiba enxulumene nenkcubeko yokuthwala. Oku kubonakalisa iindlela zokujongela phantsi iimbono nokugunyaziswa kokuthwala kuliyelenqe lokunciphisa isidima samabhinqa. Iintsapho zidlala indima ebalulekileyo ekunciphiseni ukugunyazisa, ekutshintsheni nasekuxhwilweni kwamabhinqa namantombazana amancinci egameni lokuthwala. Lo mba wokuthwala uvelise iintetho ezintathu eziphikisanayo: intetho yelobola, intetho ethi ‘umfazi makathobele’, nentetho ‘yomfazi owabalekayo’. Konke oku kuchasene nemiba engundoqo yokuthwala okusekwe ekwakhiweni kobudlelwane beentsapho.

Kumxholo wesibini, ukuthwala kwakhiwe njengenkqubo yenkcubeko evumela ukubonakaliswa kweentlobo ezahlukeneyo zobudoda bosolusapho. Ubudoda bosolusapho kwindlela yokuthwala bakhiwa ngeendlela/iintlandlo ezimbini ezahlukeneyo. Okokuqala, ukuthwala kwakhiwe njengendlela yokuvumela izenzo ezidibeneyo zolawulo. Okwesibini, ukuthwala kwakhiwa njengesenzo sokuba amadoda kungabilula ukuba kwaliwe uthando lwawo xa beqhasa. Imveliso yesi sakhiwo ivela, ibonakalisa amava ekwabelwana ngawo ngabantu buqu kunye nomxholo wokuthwala, kwaye ityhila ngakumbi indlela ‘intetho yelungelo’ kunye ‘nobudoda obuyityhefu’ ezisetyenziswa ngayo ukwakha nokugcina isenzo sokuthwala. Intetho yokubanegunya ithetha ikakhulu kwiinkcukacha zomxholo waseBergville kunye nentlalo yamadoda kumbono wokuthwala abawuthatha njengendlela elula yokufikelela kumabhinqa. Intetho ‘Indoda eyityhefu’ yayisetyenziselwa ukwakha ukuthwala njengekhaka lokufihla ukucingelwa ngokwesini kwamantombazana aselula. Kumxholo wokugqibela, abathabathi-nxaxheba baveza ukuba isenzo sokuthwala sisenzo esophula umthetho. Phakathi kwezinto ezikhankanyiweyo njengezingekho semthethweni kukuba abasetyhini baxhatshazwa ngokwasemoyeni nangokwasenyameni, abanye bayaxhwilwa emveni koko badlwengulwe, bavinjwa nelungelo lokufunda. Elinye icandelo lelokuba ukuthwala kufana nokuxhwila ngoko ke abantu abophula umthetho kufanele babanjwe. Kulo mxholo wengxoxo, abathathi-nxaxheba basebenzise intetho yolwaphulo-mthetho, inkcubeko yokudlwengula, kunye neengxoxo zomthetho ukubonakalisa ukuba ukuthwala sesinye sezenzo zobundlobongela esijoliswe kwabasetyhini nakubantwana. Intetho yokuthwala njengetyala lolwaphulo-mthetho yapapashwa ukuze inike ingxelo ngeziganeko zokuxhwilwa kunye nokuxhatshazwa ngokwemvakalelo. Ngokunjalo, intetho yenkcubeko yokudlwengula isetyenziswe ukuvakalisa iziganeko zokuxhatshazwa ngokwesondo okuvunyiweyo kwabasetyhini kunye namantombazana. Intetho yomthetho isetyenziswe ukuchaza ukusetyenziswa kokuthwala njengesixhobo senkcubeko esivalela amantombazana aselula ilungelo lokufunda. Owona mba ubalulekileyo odandalaziswe ngabathabathi-nxaxheba ngokuthwala kukuba ukuthwala kuyangqubana nendlela yayo yemveli. Ngenxa yale miba, kuye kwacaca ukuba isenzo sokuthwala sibeka emngciphekweni ubomi bamadoda kunye nabasetyhini kwicala lezemfundo, izifo ezosulela ngokwabelana ngesondo kunye nasekwakheni ubudlelwane obusempilweni. Iintetho ezenzelwe ukwakhiwa kokuthwala intsusa kunye nokubunjwa ikwimbali yothando, umxholo, kunye nendlela abantu ababona ngayo ngehlabathi. Ulwakhiwo lwesini ngokwezoqoqosho nangentlalo kunqongophalise ukuthwala kwaye oko kubenegalelo elikhulu ekwenzeni inguqu ekuhambeni kweminyaka. Unxulumano phakathi kwala macandelo luphakamisa abantu njenge arhente yezotshintsho. Ngokugxile kwingcinga yokuba abantu babanenkcubeko ukuze bazincede, abantu banamandla wokuyakha kwakhona inkcubeko besenzela impilo yabo. Kwesi sigaba, olu phando luphembelela iingxoxo zasekuhlaleni ukuze abahlali bamisele iindlela ezinokunceda ukuphathwa gadalala kwamabhinqa, kusetyenziswa inkcubeko yokuthwala.