What started out as a conversation between three people on Facebook who happen to share the clan name Nozulu last year has led to the official establishment of Ilinge Lamanguni Group which seeks to bring unity among those who originate from this clan.
The group was established last year to learn how do Nozulu people perform their cultural rituals, traditional customs and differentiate themselves from other clans.
They said the importance of one learning their rituals helps to build a sense of pride and helps to understand part of your identity.
One of the founding members, Sizwe Shasha, said he had been talking to two women – one from Gqeberha, formerly known as Port Elizabeth, and another from eMonti in the Eastern Cape – when they discovered that they share the same clan name.
He said they were excited that a simple conversation had brought them together and immediately exchanged numbers and started a WhatsApp chat group.
From there, he said, a number of people across the country got excited about the initiative and joined the group.
Now they have branches across the country which are working to encourage other Nozulu people to join the group.
Khayelitsha is their biggest branch and their national office.
“If our children do not know their true identity, they might end up marrying people that they are culturally related to and we do not want that,“ said Mr Shasha.
Sharon Mdlalo, a member of the group, said some people came to the Western Cape looking for greener pastures but did not have any family members here. This group, she said, provided a kind of family support structure for those people.
Ms Mdlalo said they wanted to be there for each other during their difficult and exciting moments in their lives.
She said if one of the members loses a family member they put together money and give it to that member family as means of showing support.
