Cálculo de los refuerzos

The respondents explained that an uncircumcised person has no identity and has no social status, thus he cannot be aligned to any culture as he is cultureless, stateless and he is ‘neither here nor there’ and therefore, cannot enjoy the benefits of the Varemba culture. One ritual elder

130

(Vadzabhi) (aged 53), from Chitombogwizi Village in Bubi, referred to an uncircumcised person as, “mombe yamashanga” meaning “a wandering animal without an owner.” One village headman (aged 47) noted that traditional circumcision distinguishes one who is a Muremba from those who are not. From his findings about the Yao tribe, Daimon (2013) stated that, circumcision was taken as a form of identity that distinguished the Yao from the indigenous Ndebele and Shona people. The rite of initiation is a way of accepting individuals into the group and its activities. Loygren (2005) argues that, most men in Africa are circumcised as part of the religious and ethnic affiliation. The ritual links the individual to the community and from the community to the spiritual world. Daimon (2013) established that the Yao people viewed circumcision as a platform for cultural expression. The importance of identity among the Varemba people is equivalent to the significance given to it by the Yao tribe. These rites link the individual to community development. According to Melucci (1996), circumcision is a way of accepting members into the group before they participate in community collective action and contribute to the decision-making processes within the Yao community. Daimon (2013) stressed that, the significance of Yao identity is that of providing a collaborative effort against HIV and AIDS. Those who are not circumcised cannot take part in this collaborative work. Among the Varemba people, circumcision and initiation is a motivation towards conformity to their culture.

A person without identity cannot have access to the material aspects of the society.

The Zimbabwean youths today have multiple identities because of continuously drawing on the varied cross-cultural divide (Nyanga, 2011). Their life-styles, because of this exposure, are now divorced from the adult world they physically reside in. They are secluded and detached from the real Zimbabwean cultural society. However, through a commonly instituted identity, foreigners and their culture cannot easily enter into the territory of the tribe; their intention should be discerned first by going through the initiation ritual. Besides that, such individuals are treated as unimportant and more as outsiders in the Varemba culture. Only those who underwent the initiation ritual can enjoy the privileges. Social exclusion acted as a motivating factor for individuals to have no option but to join others going through the initiation. The Varemba culture makes it possible for an individual to realise the need for initiation.

131 6.5.3 Preventing Individuals from Becoming Outcasts

The respondents stated that it is imperative for one to go through the Varemba initiation to be considered part of the group. According to a participant named Mbokodho (recent initiate from Matibi, aged 15), the boys should go through initiation so that they would not become outcasts.

He notes that uncircumcised young men are looked down upon as useless; they are stigmatised and labelled cowards (makwara). The young men are blamed for being irresponsible and they are treated as suspects when anything goes wrong in the society. No one would want to be associated with such individuals whom the Varemba society views as pollutants and who have the potential to bring misfortune to others through contagious means. This treatment of boys who are not circumcised is also common among the Yao migrants in Zimbabwe who describe an uncircumcised Yao as a boy, a dog or an unclean thing (Funani, 1990). Similarly, Thandisizwe (2010)’s study of the Xhosa males in East London, South Africa, established that the uninitiated men are marginalized and referred to as dogs. Demeaning and trivial duties are reserved for people who are not initiated and who are not part of the social union.

Among the Varemba there are various uniting acts that fit Van Gennep’s (1960) classification of rites of incorporation, such as marriage ceremonies. The rites have a mutual transference of personality and there is the mechanics of being tied to one another and covered by the same

“veil”. The Yao initiates, after going through the initiation ritual are incorporated into the group to contribute to the society’s collaborative work (Daimon, 2013). The Ndembu initiates of Zambia become new creatures after the shedding of the past and are socially integrated into the tribe to enjoy its full privileges (Turner, 1969). This act creates a continuous social bond.

Similarly, the Varemba initiation rites leave ‘strangers’ at the periphery of social life and the individuals who go through the initiation ritual are knit together. The respondents stated that people who are not initiated are not allowed to marry because they are more like strangers. An uninitiated man is regarded as an outcast who cannot start a home and no woman would take an outcast for marriage. Women are therefore influential in the decision-making process of motivating men to be initiated. In Lagarde (2003)’s study of South Africa, men who reported partner request as the reason for being traditionally circumcised were 13.1%. On the other hand, Crowley, et al. (1990:19) observed that, “no self-respecting Xhosa girl would marry a Xhosa male unless he had submitted to the Umkhwetha (circumcision).” The impression given is that

132

any man who is circumcised goes through the initiation lessons that help them to develop maturity and to be able to be responsible towards their families when they get married. In the Varemba ritual, the initiation aspect is critical in providing moral lessons to the initiates.

Therefore, the Varemba circumcision and initiation is a rite of incorporation that takes those individuals who are outside the tribe’s sphere of influence and make them full members of the group. Among the Meru in Kenya and Bendel State in Nigeria and in rural Guinea-Bissau, male circumcision and initiation is considered essential for an individual to become a full member of the society (Grant, 2004; Niang and Boiro, 2007; Myers, 1985). The individual is first introduced to a limited group, then to other restricted groups and at the same time to the society. The individuals are separated from the outside world by performing prescribed rites. Rites of incorporation give emphasis on physical union that could be more permanent and long lasting (Van Gennep, 1960). The individuals who feel secluded by not being engaged in community activities would be encouraged to connect with others through the rite of initiation. This state of affairs would motivate the individuals to go through the initiation ritual because they are consistently reminded of their inferior status. The fear of rejection leads to a low self-esteem and such individuals strive to avoid potentially threatening situations by going through the initiation ritual (Link and Phelan, 2001). Labelling affects the individual psychologically and emotionally and this influences his decision to take action. The society around one is useful in shaping the decisions one makes in life. Therefore, individuals are placed under enormous pressure to go through the initiation to avoid victimisation and ridicule.