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A cleansing ceremony was held in Alexandra to lay to rest the spirits of the many people who died in the township in the fight against apartheid.
IN the apartheid years, Alexandra was a battlefield; its residents often had violent clashes with state forces and many lives were lost. In memory of those who died, 12 cows, six sheep and a goat were slaughtered to honour their spirits on Friday, 8 May at the Altrek Sports Education Centre.
 A goat is slaughtered to appease the departedThe ceremony was organised by the Alex Centenary and Heritage Association (ACHA), and was one in a series of events taking place until May 2013 to celebrate 100 years since Joburg’s oldest township was founded.
Dignitaries, and current and former residents of Alexandra attended the ceremony. They included Joburg’s Speaker of council, Constance Bapela, who is from Alex; the deputy minister in the Presidency, Obed Bapela, who is also from Alex and is the chairperson of the ACHA; other government officials; and representatives from the Greater Alexandra Chamber of Commerce.
They joined a group of traditional healers who lead the ritual ceremony with a slaughtering of a goat and said prayers to the ancestors to allow the spirits of the dead to rest in peace. Before the slaughter, the group visited Freedom Park in Pretoria to ask for the names of those unsung martyrs to be engraved at the museum.
Freedom Park is the national memorial that narrates the story of South Africa’s pre-colonial, colonial, apartheid, and post-apartheid history and heritage. The names of those who died in eight conflicts in South Africa’s history are engraved on a memorial wall.
Speaking at the venue, Nau’d Phoka Moitsi, the secretary of the ACHA, said it was important to tell the history of Alexandra. “They played a critical role in building Alexandra to what it is today. We are saying our children should know about them, the county should recognise their contribution,” he explained.
“Alexandra was a theatre of liberation struggle. There were a lot of massacres that took place during the resistance against apartheid rule. We must also honour those who refused to give up their land by resisting forced removals.”
Moitsi is passionate about the achievements of the township. He pointed out that during apartheid, Alexandra was a home to diverse ethnic groups. “In total, Alex was home to at least 12 ethnic groups, including the Chinese, coloureds and Indians.”
The majority of its people were black, coming from Pedi, Basotho, Tswana, Zulu, Xhosa, Vhenda, Swati and Ndebele groups.
In recognition of the 12 groups, 12 cows were slaughtered; each group slaughtered its cow according to its respective cultural beliefs. “This is to recognise and honour the diversity of cultures of the people who made Alexandra.”
On Saturday, residents were invited to feast at the Alexandra Stadium, where traditional dance groups entertained the guests. On Sunday, an interdenominational centenary service was held at the stadium to observe the role played by churches in building Alexandra. Most of the schools have their history rooted in various churches.
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