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Zimbabwe Xhosa community rubbishes Inxeba

by Staff reporter
02 Mar 2018 at 05:52hrs | Views
TO hell with it!

The Xhosa community in Zimbabwe is not happy with the controversial South African feature film Inxeba; The Wound because the movie undermines their culture.

The local Xhosa community is  found in Mbembesi under Chief Ndodo. The current Chief Ndondo is Dumisani Basil Ndodo.

The film's storyline boarders around homosexuality brought forth by Nakhane Mahlakahlaka who plays Xolani and Bongile Matswai who stars as Vija, the two are caregivers (Ikhankatha) and are involved in a gay relationship while hiding it from other men who are in attendance of ukwaluka (circumcision).

In some scenes the two repeatedly involved in sexual intercourse with one of their acts leading to the revelation of their darkest secret as one of the boys undergoing the circumcision course, Kwanda — real name Niza Jay — who is also gay, catches them red handed in action.

In a true reflection of when the City Of Gold catches a cold, the City of Kings and its surrounding areas sneezes, the film is now a centre of discussion because South Africa and Zimbabwe share common traditions and values despite the Xhosa tribe.

"Ukwaluka is when boys are initiated to become men. What happens in the bush is not a matter of discussion for the public because what happens there should remain there. The fact that this movie exposes the ritual, we as the Xhosa community don't welcome it because it tarnishes our image," said one of the Xhosa elders, Reverend Eustice B Ginya from African Methodist Episcopal Church in Bulawayo.

The headquarters of Ster-Kinekor South Africa in Sandton launched the movie in its cinemas amid the controversy. Ster-Kinekor Zimbabwe will not be screening it anytime soon.

"The film is not on our broadcasting list for the coming nine weeks, however, if it is of public demand we might bring it as long the censorship board approves it since it is a No Under 18 film," said Ster- Kinekor's Bulawayo manager Simbisai Nyamuchitu.

Since the release of Grammy Award winning film Tsotsi in 2006, Inxeba has become the first South African piece to ever receive more international nominees and awards.

Inxeba has won more than 20 awards in international film ceremonies among them being African-American Film Critics Association Awards, Berlin Film Festival Awards and Los Angeles Out fest Awards.

It is nominated eight times at the much anticipated 2018 South Africa Film and Television awards (SAFTAs), breaking the record as the first film to list the number of nominations in the SAFTAs history.

Source - bmetro
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