Westernisation getting the better of our cultures?

Lobola



Negotiations

There is no doubt that our rainbow nation is being westernised on a daily biases, however the question is “how well can we adapt to these changes?” We look at culture as a mere example, focusing mainly on Lobola. For African cultures, ilobola is a vital part of the customs for families to enjoy and for the man to thank his future wife's parents for raising her from a girl into a woman.This is a custom by which a bridegroom's family makes a payment in cattle or cash to the brides family shortly before the marriage.

There are two sides to the lobola debate. Some say the practise must be abolished because the tradition has lost everything it is  meant to stand for,thanks to western influences:with time,life has become more expensive and love is now for those with "good credit".There is some sort of sensation that tradition has become about greed and not nourishing a relationship between families,as was the original intention. The custom now warrants the parents to expect so much on their “return on investment”.

Some say that we cannot abandon this custom because if we do, we lose everything that is African about us. These are the people who are fighting against what they view as the increasing Westernisation strangulation of African customs.

 

The coming of two families

The process of lobola has been followed for years and I don’t believe it should be changed in any way. Roots are roots. If we are to continue honouring the tradition of lobola as it ought to be, it should be practised with the original intention and all malicious activities that are being attached to it eliminated.

As in any other religion there’s the possibility of abusing the practise of lobola. So it remains a societal responsibility to guard against such tendencies, the only way to go forward is for families to sit down and educate the young one’s what lobola really is or attend lobola lessons.