The article explores tatodi (death reporting) amongst the Batswana tribe, Bangwaketse. The Bangwaketse cultural practice of tatodi, also prevalent in other indigenous cultures, promotes botho (ubuntu) in terms of socialisation, sense of belonging, unity and identity among the communities. This is demonstrated by the clear-cut roles that elders such as the Chief, uncles and aunts play in tatodi by observing certain cultural protocols. The current social ills that threaten unity in communities put the cultural practices such as tatodi under the spotlight of moral and educational campus. Hence, sustaining such cultural practices can help restore culturally instilled morals. Keywords: Tatodi, botho, masori, cultural practices, Bangwaketse.
In Bapedi society, music permeates every aspect of life. Religion is not excluded therefore there can be no authentic unity in Bapedi society without including some aspects of music and religion. The study is based on an investigation of communal music-making in the Bapedi people’s cultural context; the relationship between music and identity within their cultural context; the impact of music and religion on their morals and ethical value systems; and the relationship between music and religion as part of their social setting within their cultural context. The collection of data includes oral interviews, publications and records. Results demonstrated that music and religion which are linked with rituals, ceremonies and social functions, connect people in a deep and powerful way and have traditionally played a prominent role in promoting cohesion and unity in Bapedi society. The study has also revealed that music and religion have a positive influence on the moral life of Bapedi people. The exposition of the study has shown that in Bapedi society the association of music, religion and dance, is a common feature of musical performances. It is concluded that music and religion are the most compelling, the most powerful, and the most glorious manifestations of Bapedi cultural heritage. Also that music and religion enable Bapedi people to achieve stable and peaceful concomitance within their environment Keywords: Bapedi music, African spirituality, Bapedi people, Religious beliefs, Taboos.
Decolonisation is meant to reverse the onslaught of colonisation. The project of colonisation was executed with the sole aim of not only undermining the indigene, but to render illegitimate the indigenous epistemology and relegate native ontology into oblivion. The missionaries for instance were sent as if Africans had no religion. It has however remained a paradox that Africans seem to have embraced the religion of the missionaries and even adapted it to African epistemology. The article, following the analysis of Tribal Laws, exposes the scheme of western colonisers in painting a gloomy picture about the ways of Africans. The Tribal Laws that are analysed are presented by Credo Mutwa. These laws are read alongside Biblical laws that resonate with them. Whilst Mutwa constantly bemoans the misunderstanding between Christians and the indigenous based on the application of the Tribal Laws, the analysis clearly shows that there are striking similarities between the Biblical text and the Tribal Laws, but the westerners who were responsible for colonisation deliberately barbarised Tribal Laws. Keywords: African Traditional Religion, Tribal Laws, Biblical Laws.
The promotion of African value systems such as Ubuntu within South Africa’s higher education and universities in particular, has been founded on the philosophy of acknowledging that these value systems exist within an internationalising higher education that features African and non-African value systems and epistemologies. Such an approach further acknowledges the historically entrenched disadvantages that define the institutional identities of some South African universities, especially those located in former homelands. Some higher education institutions have engaged in initiatives aimed at adapting international values into local spaces and processes through programmes that have included sending out South African students and academics whilst at the same time playing host to them. For South African universities, the hope has been to promote and preserve the South African identity whilst embracing epistemologies from other countries in Africa and beyond. The advent of internationalisation, particularly in higher education has however been marred by contradictions as the embracing of other epistemologies, students and academics has resulted in mixed sentiments within the South African students, academics and communities in general. It is these contradictions and the associated paradoxes that this explores. Keywords: Ubuntu philosophy, indigenous values, African value systems, internationalising higher education, South African academic, non-South African academics.
This article focuses on the application of Ubuntu, an African philosophical thought, to innovate human resources practices at the Sunyani Technical University in Ghana. The human resources practices in this institution follow the Western approach which ignores African values as important factor in human resources development. In the competition for qualified academic staff, among institutions of higher learning, this University should innovate its human resource practices to retain its best academics. The objective of the study was to advocate for innovative human resources practice based on Ubuntu (humanness) to retain Academic staff at the Sunyani Technical University. The qualitative research method of interview was used in data collection from twenty-two (22) purposively selected participants comprising fifteen (15) academics, five (5) heads of departments and two (2) human resources practitioners. The study revealed that the use of Ubuntu in human resource practices and development of academic staff might improve teaching and research skills of academics, increase their commitment and job safety at the University. The study recommended that in this era of Africa’s rebirth, higher educational institutions should integrate African values into their human resources activities as a strategy to transform their practices to become more African and to retain Academic staff. Keywords: Innovating, Human Resource Development, retention, Africanisation, Ubuntu.
