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to Desia Ramoroka 334 , her mother-in-law, Freda (Mmasimi) Ramoroka, was
excommunicated several times from church because after the early death of
her husband Bethuel, Mmasimi continued to bear children. However, as a
rehabilitation measure, after every excommunication, one is allowed to start
afresh in a “class”, after which one will be fully re-admitted. Another
“offence” which was punishable by excommunication was “go nyalwa ke
lapa” 335 .
According to this custom, if a family or couple do not have sons who would
marry brides who would sustain the blood-line of that family, a bride would
be “married” by that family. That bride would then have children with her
chosen man/men and those children would belong to that family which
“married” her. According to Blantina Setumu 336 , numerous members were
excommunicated from the Wesleyan church in Norma A because of their
practice of that custom.
The fact that most of these customs discussed above – if not all of them –
persited until today, indicate that it was difficult – if not impossible - for the
missionaries to uproot them. These customs were regarded by Black
communities as valuable without which there was no life at all. These
334 Interview, Desia Ramoroka, Leokaneng village, 28 December 2004.
335 Literally means, “to be married by a family/household”.
336 Interview, Blantina Setumu, Early Dawn village, 30 December 2004.
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