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Flora Fadzai Sibanda, Chronicle Reporter
FOR most African families, once a baby is born, the elders look forward to the day the stump of the baby’s umbilical cord falls off as they believe that’s when the baby’s life really begins.
Because of the different myths associated with the umbilical cord, paternal elders use different methods of disposing of the umbilical stump depending on their culture.
They do this in a secluded area where they are sure no one will be able to retrieve the sacred cord.
Some families have however adopted the Western way of keeping the cords preserved at a hospital as it is believed they carry stem cells which can cure a number of diseases.
The umbilical cords are believed to be powerful in the African setup and can’t be discarded haphazardly as it is believed they have the power to determine the future of a child.
In some clans, the umbilical cord is buried in front of a door where most people stop when entering the homestead.
This, according to families, is done at night, preferably around midnight when most people are sleeping and no one is able to identify where the cord is buried.
Others say they discard it along a path that most people use. The umbilical stump is not just thrown away but is left to fall from the baby’s carrier that the father will be holding. Once it has fallen, the father is not supposed to look back as that’s believed to be a bad omen that would invite witches to come and find it.
Some families discard the umbilical cord stumps in water bodies, which has resulted in generations believing that they shouldn’t eat meat from animals that reside in water bodies as that is considered “eating” your umbilical cord.
With some tribes, the umbilical cord is kept for some time and later burnt by the family and the ashes are smeared the child’s head, an act that’s believed to strengthen the child.
For some, the sacred cord is placed in a fire where no one is be able to see it until it burns to ashes.
Some loosely tie the cord to the grandmother’s skirt from where it will fall on its own.
A Saturday Chronicle news crew took to the streets and spoke to residents who explained how they dispose of the stumps in their families.
Thubelihle Dlamini (28) said she is Xhosa and in her clan, the umbilical cord is sacred and shouldn’t be handled by everyone.
She said the old women in the family are entrusted to properly discard it and when doing so, they’re expected to carefully guard it and make sure no one with sinister motives gets hold of it.
“In our clan, inimba (umbilical cord) is given to the oldest person in the family who puts it near a fire tripod where it will burn to ashes. This is done in the kitchen that’s used by everyone and it’s very important that the inimba is guarded until it has become ash so that no one with bad intentions gets hold of it,” said Dlamini.
Martin Tshuma (60) from Kezi said in his family, discarding the umbilical cord is the father’s responsibility.
He said the father wakes up at midnight and digs a hole in front of the home where the cord is buried.
“Inkaba (umbilical cord) is very sacred in our family so we bury it at the doorstep of our rural home. It’s believed that it will strengthen the child and attract good luck to the child whenever he steps on it. Now that people are living in other countries, if they can’t come back with inkaba, they just discard it in a river although that’s not our culture,” said Tshuma.
The news crew also met Brandon Nyakadumba (40) who said in his clan, the cord is burnt and the ash is used to make some special ointment that is smeared on the child’s body as a way of strengthening them.
“The umbilical cord is very important in our clan. Once someone gets hold of it, they can easily harm you. Because of its power, it’s burnt to ashes and the ashes are mixed with petroleum jelly which is used to smear the child’s head. This act is believed to be a strengthening mechanism as it ensures that the baby is safe at all times,” he said.
Dennis Ngwenya said his Kalanga kith and kin throw the umbilical cord in a flowing river.
He said this is why the Ngwenya clan doesn’t eat fish because it is believed they’ll be eating their umbilical cords.
“This is done by the father or grandmother of the child. The water has to be flowing so that it can be washed away,” said Ngwenya.
Renowned historian and culturist Pathisa Nyathi said the disposal of the umbilical cord varies from one clan to the other.
He said people should try by all means to follow the traditional ways used by their forefathers to discard the umbilical cord because if not disposed of correctly, it can affect the child’s life in the future.
“Inkaba yakho nguwe (your umbilical cord is your life) so if it gets in the wrong hands or if it’s not disposed of properly, a lot of things could go wrong in your life. Most people have abandoned their cultures, which is very bad because this is something that has a great impact on people’s lives,” said Nyathi. — @flora_sibanda
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