As the movie Inxeba (The Wound) stirs anger and inspires protest, South Africans question whether this rage, projected towards a film, is actually about protecting cultural values or whether a more insidious intent lies beneath the surface.
Barely a day into the release of the movie Inxeba (The Wound), cinemas across the Eastern Cape were forced to cancel screenings of the film and offer refunds to patrons who had bought tickets, as a result of protests, intimidation of employees and patrons, as well as damage to property.
Nu Metro has since cancelled all screenings countrywide, while Ster-Kinekor continues to show the film everywhere except the Eastern Cape.
But it seems there was always going to be controversy surrounding the movie given that when the trailer was released in 2017, it received widespread criticism over it “allegedly” revealing the secret and sacred traditions of the Xhosa initiation ceremony.
Ulwaluko, a rite of passage for boys to become men, is a tradition that not only armours Xhosa males with a sense of duty…
By Nkateko Mabasa
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