ANCESTORS – Surnames (Sibongo) are the names of ancestors, the reason that you have a surname is a confirmation that ancestors do exist and that everyone has ancestors otherwise if you don’t have ancestors you would not be existing. There is a big difference between what Europeans call a surname and what we call Isibongo. But I will write as if its the same for people to understand. There is no need to believe in the existence of ancestors because the reason that you exist its because they are existing. You live because they have lived, you are what you are because of them. Ancestors are living within us through the life that they have imparted to us. There are four main ancestors that contributes to our existence and this are the very ancestors and their surnames that we must invoke, talk, appease and report to (Siphahle kubo, sibikele bona, sikhulume nawo). Their DNA is always with us and wherever we are they are there because they live in us through their DNA in us. We don’t believe in ancestors because we know them and some of them we have even spoken to and touched.
I don’t need to believe in my grandmother or grandfather because I know that she/he was and is existing through me if she or he was not I would not be here today. As I always say believing is for the ignorant and those who are not sure of what they follow, one must believe because of ignorance and being not sure of what they are following we are for knowledge not believing. It is those who want to deceive us who always come with the idea that we must believe because what they normally preach about does not exist and they know that they cannot prove the existence of what they preach about. It is very important for everyone to be sure of their four surnames and the DNA that controls our lives, they must not be hidden but told to anyone because sometimes they can cause so many troubles if they are hidden. The four surnames are the father’s surname, the grandmother’s surname on your fathers side, your mother’s surname and your grandmother’s surname on your mother side these surname are very important to anyone’s life and they compose the full DNA of one’s body and life.
If you can be studied well there are resemblance you will have similar to your grandfather or grandmother from either the mother side or father side. If they want to prove paternity for a child they can use samples from the grandfather or grandmother in the father side to prove especially if the father is late same in the mother side they can use samples from grandmother or grandfather in the mother side to prove if she is the real mother of the child.
A person does not invoke either the father or mother as ancestors but ancestors are grandfathers and grandmothers your parents are not your ancestors but your parents that’s why you don’t invoke (Phahla to them) you will invoke your grandfathers and grandmothers. As a person who follow this spirituality you need to make sure that your grandmothers and grandfathers were cleansed, exalted and made guardian angels (Bagezwa, bakhushulwa bentiwa emadloti, bangeniswa emndenini) so that when you invoke them you will be invoking a cleansed guardian angels (uyobe uphahla kumadlotii lageziwe lahlobile abuyiswa ekhaya) but I’m not saying you must not do the same to your father and mother, they must also not be neglected as they can report you to the grandfathers and grandmothers. I ask ladies to please reveal real surname for their kids even if they hate the fathers but surname is very important to the child because she or he needs to have four greatest surname pillars, some children can turn to be monsters just because of a surname and the need for fathers surnames rituals.
In my case my greatest four surnames are Silindza (Father) , Motsa (Mother), Khoza (Grandmother on father side) and Mhlanga (grandmother on mother side. I have DNA for this great surnames and that can be proven even scientifically. Now I’m not saying one can just invoke these surnames anyhow but there are procedure that must be followed especially in an issue of Kuphahla to this surnames. The surname of your mother, the surname of your grandmothers both on the side of your father and mother will always be greater than you and you are not allowed to phahla for someone bearing those surnames no matter what position you have in the family or community even if you are a king. Those three surnames remain greater than you even a newly born who is bearing that surname will always be greater than you in the spiritual world. Infact people of such surnames are the ones who have the right to invoke (bakuphahlele) ancestors for you not the other way around. This is a very important topic which needs to be fully understood especially these days where people are full of Western ideas .
And when they come to our spirituality they want to do as they used to do in religion thinking prayer and kuphahla is the same. I hope I will write more about it next time and get into details especially when writing about Inkosana and Gogo and those who have a right to invoke ancestors (Phahla for a home). Some people especially traditional healers think they have a right to invoke ancestors for anyone (Phahla for anyone). Being a Sangoma or traditional healer does not give you the right to invoke ancestors (Phahla for the family). One can be a traditional healer but ask someone who is not a traditional healer who has the right Phahla and phahla for the healer. African Spirituality is not like religion where everyone does as it seems good there is respect . I hope the ancestors will give me time to write more about this topic.Konakele Ma Afrika kufanele tibuye emasisweni sibuyise konkhe lokusilahleke. Siyinduna Mapopo Rampane.
