thumelewilson: The sweet revenge for Amakhosi

thumelewilson: The sweet revenge for Amakhosi: By: Wilson Mmako Yesterday in Polokwane, Peter Mokaba Stadium fans came in numbers between Chiefs and Platinum stars. The Naturena boys m...

Inter cultural marriages are acceptable.

In the times we are living in, inter cultural marriages are acceptable but still face a challenge from conservatives. The conservatives will ask, why inter cultural marriages are acceptable? Because they believe that if you marry someone you share common things like language and culture it is good. They forget that many people today are living in cosmopolitan places like urban and township areas than in the past. We can also not forget that our constitution promote freedom of association, it means people can choose friends or partners of their choice without hindrance. In the movie Fanie Fourie Lobola which features Fanie Fourie (Eduan van Jaarsveld) a farm boy and a typical Zulu, Dinky Magubane (Zethu Dlomo) this is a challenge. Although the movie can be described as romantic comedy but shows how challenging it can be to a couple of different culture. The theme of the movie is tastier and there is humour to show us that one should understand, respect and appreciate different cultures. The movie is great to watch but to understand its theme better, one needs to know what is lobola how its processes are handled. In most African cultures most men use cattle and money to pay lobola for a bride as a token of gesture to thank the bride’s family for their daughter. The main purpose of this is to unite the two families involved. This is conducted by both groom’s and bride’s families, the process can be complex and long. Although a marriage can unite or create a friendship of two families, it can also be difficult for it to do so between families of different cultural background. If the families involved learn about each other’s culture, it will be easier for their children to have a lasting marriage. There is one line couples are saying when they tie the knot, “Till death do us apart”, what does this mean when those who marry where race or culture seems to be a barrier? To a couple, it means no matter how challenging life it can be, they will stick together and be there for one another. It is a fact that when culture deny what is important to people but it should not forbid them to be happy. An example will be a person of colour marrying a white person that might be a problem to two families. To them this mean both they are going to lose some of our customs start their own standard of living. The world has changed a lot and in this millennium people should just accept that the lifestyles have changed. I believe that culture is what we learn and practice as people but when some among us appreciate other cultures or love them, that shouldn’t be an obstacle to associate with those people. The characters of Fanie and Dinky in this movie are well written in a sense that the movie does not shy away in addressing racial problems. When you look at it, it shows that he is a real Boere man, with no glue about lobola processes but he’s eager to pay it hence his attempt to negotiate his lobola. Uniformed Fanie wasn’t aware that negotiating your own lobola is an offence by culture. What is good about Fanie Fourie is that he is trying to do proper thing by paying lobola, besides having no clue on how to handle the process. This shows that his intention is good because he does not want to bridge rules of African culture. The fact that he listened when they advised him to send his uncles on his behalf is good, and he did as he was told. Today in this world we have to accept inter-racial marriages as they are common. This type of marriage needs people who are flexible or able to adapt not pessimists. Education, wealth and self selection can contribute to denial of these marriages, but it is a fact that love doesn’t have boundaries. I will always embrace the diversity of this country and the world.