Where we come from has an influence on what we decide to be
Growing up in Cradock , I observed a few cultural differences between the rituals and habits my friends had and that we exercised as our house. Not fully understanding, and as any smart kid would do, I inquired from my elders. I was told that, though we speak isiXhosa, live like amaXhosa and generally look and act the same, we were not. We are in actual fact Mfengu, such a foreign concept and understanding to me. It took several years till my teens to fully grasp the fundamental difference. Mfengu people are closely related to the Zulu people, but now often considered to have assimilated to the Xhosa people whose language they now speak. Historically they achieved considerable renown for their military ability in the frontier wars. The term Mfengu, is derived from the word ukumfenguza , which means to beg or ask for a place to settle or wonder about seeking service. In the spirit of my ancestors, who went place to place trying to find value and a home, I believ