By Thomas Sibanda
The last stage was the father being given a piece of the umbilical cord, which he took to a place near the homestead and buried, offering thanks to the ancestors, and asking them to protect the new baby.
Read the first instalment:https://cite.org.zw/precolonial-ndebele-childbirth-rituals-and-customs/
The father had the final say on the child’s name after discussions within the family. It must be noted that each clan has its rituals concerning the disposal of the umbilical cord. For example, in the Moyo clan, the umbilical cord is disposed of by the mother of the child.
The umbilical cord is mixed with various crop seeds like maize, pumpkins, ground nuts, sorghum, and many other domestic crop seeds. After mixing it, the mother scatters the mixture in the fields and then uses a hoe to mix it with soil and cover it as if planting.
