Opinions
Category: Ancestral Stories
Share
Heeding the Ancestors’ Call, Part II
Musa Hlatshwayo continues his account of learning about sangoma Mehlwemamba Ntuli’s relationship with the ancestors.
‘Heeding the Ancestors’ Call, Part 1
Musa Hlatshwayo learns about sangoma Mehlwemamba Ntuli’s relationship with the ancestors.
Turning the Gaze: Displaying San Culture at !Khwa ttu
Bradley van Sitters ponders what it means for the San to take charge of the display of their cultures.
I think I’m angry with my ancestors
In this provocative piece, Mbongiseni Buthelezi wonders what to think of his ancestors – whoever they may be.
Becoming Worthy Ancestors: Archive, Public Deliberation and Identity in South Africa
Busi Mnguni reviews this collection of essays that deals with the repurcussions of what is included in or excluded from the archive.
Remembering Raw Family Life in Lwandle
Mbongiseni Buthelezi writes about a visit he and Jo-Anne Duggan made to the Lwandle Migrant Labour Museum.
An act against Forgetting: Celebrating Emancipation Day in Cape Town
Busi Mnguni writes, consciousness seemed to be the overarching theme of the Emancipation Day celebration which took place on 1 December in an inconspicuous church on Long Street, Cape Town.
‘Unpopular War: From Afkak to Bosbefok.: Voices of South African National Servicemen’
Busi Mnguni poses some tough questions about how we think about army conscription in the present, provoked by her reading of J. H. Thompson’s ‘Unpopular War: From Afkak to Bosbefok.’
‘Battle Scarred: The Hidden Costs of the Border War’
Nicola Lazenby reviews psychiatrist Anthony Feinstein’s narrative about treating soldiers.
‘On the Run from the Army: How one Man Evaded Conscription’
Mbongiseni Buthelezi sheds light on how one man escaped military service.
‘Troepie: From Call-up to Camps’
Megan Greenwood grapples with what former conscripts say about being in the army in Cameron Blake’s ‘Troepie: From Call-up to Camps’.
More Lives of Colour
A follow-up to Emile Maurice’s previous post which explores the family photo album as a rich resource for writing about the history, social life, culture, politics and outlook of communities
When Boxes and Suitcases Become Books
Xolelwa Kashe-Katiya describes how two people’s inherited archives journey from suitcases and boxes into books
Family History and Heritage Day in KwaZulu-Natal
Musa Hlatshwayo tells of two family history celebrations of different kinds on Heritage Day in KwaZulu-Natal.
In the Darkroom: Family Albums, Injury and Freedom
Siona O’Connell discusses her engagement with a photographic archive of District Six that she has convened from family and friends.
