Ritual ceremonies to appease the ancestors are an integral part of African life. Of late, this practise has been taking a back seat, with many families having done away with it.

A well-known Limpopo traditional healer, Maine Vho Joyce Mainganye Nemaungani, is still sticking to her roots. At the weekend she held such a ceremony.

Nemaungani, of Maungani outside Thohoyandou, spoke highly of the annual ritual ceremony (muphaso) to appease the ancestors. The ceremony was held at her home from Friday to Sunday. Many traditional healers from around Vhembe came to support her during the family ceremony. The ceremony is held annually during Heritage Month.

About the ceremony, Nemaungani said things were not going well in families, government and other spheres of life, because people had forsaken their culture, opting for Western influences they were not even familiar with. She said there was confusion in the country with people no longer trusting each other and others plotting against each other, especially in political circles.

She said that the weather had changed drastically, with no more rain falling and mostly rural communities suffering as they could no longer till their fields. She further indicated that diseases were tearing communities apart, which was not the case in the past.

"There are so many unnecessary killings, too much hatred and other social ills. This has made the gods angry and they have turned against us. We have to turn things around, and the only way the gods could forgive us is by our submitting ourselves, swallowing our pride and reconnecting with them," said Nemaungani.

She added that the ritual, which involves the beating of drums, meditating and spilling of sorghum beer at a sacred place, was a way to reconnect with the ancestors, telling them of the challenges they were facing. "This is our heritage and we will never shy away from it, and if we all go back to our roots, everything will be well with us and there will be peace and stability everywhere," said Nemaungani.