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70-551: SS Mendi was a British 4,230  GRT passenger steamship that was built in 1905 and, as a troopship, sank after collision with great loss of life in 1917. Alexander Stephen and Sons of Linthouse in Glasgow , Scotland launched her on 18 June 1905 for the British and African Steam Navigation Company, which appointed group company Elder Dempster & Co to manage her on their Liverpool-West Africa trades. In 1916 during

140-694: A Bantu ethnic group native to South Africa . They are the second largest ethnic group in South Africa and are native speakers of the isiXhosa language . Presently, over nine million Xhosa-speaking people are distributed across Southern Africa, although their traditional homeland is primarily the Eastern Cape province of South Africa . Their language, isiXhosa, is one of South Africa's most populous languages. The pre-1994 apartheid system of Bantustan assigned them to have self-governing "homelands" (native reserves), namely; Transkei and Ciskei , both

210-474: A South African cultural group who emphasise traditional practices and customs inherited from their forefathers. Each person within the Xhosa culture has their place which is recognised by the entire community. Starting from birth, a Xhosa person goes through graduation stages which recognise their growth and assign them a recognised place in the community. Each stage is marked by a specific ritual aimed at introducing

280-417: A blemish may be slaughtered for others. Further customs include the emptying the main bedroom of the bereaving family, known as ' indlu enkulu '. This room is where most of the last respects will be paid by family and friends. The emptying of the room is done in order to create space for extended family members to be able to mourn in the main room. The first family members and/or neighbours to arrive arrange

350-466: A custom, but as a medical procedure to curb HIV infections. All these rituals are symbolic of one's development. Before each is performed, the individual spends time with community elders to prepare for the next stage. The elders' teachings are not written, but transmitted from generation to generation by oral tradition. The iziduko (clan) for instance—which matters most to the Xhosa identity (even more than names and surnames) are transferred from one to

420-408: A dangerously high speed in thick fog, and of having failed to ensure that his ship emitted the necessary fog sound signals." It suspended Stump's licence for a year. The reason for Stump's decision not to help Mendi ' s survivors has been a source of speculation. There is however no evidence of his state of mind or intention. Certainly Darro was vulnerable to attack by enemy submarines, both as

490-495: A goat or sheep or even a fowl is slaughtered. A cleansing ritual is done the day after the burial, in which the bereaved women of the family go to the nearest river to wash all the materials and blankets that were used by the deceased before death. Furthermore, the clothes of the deceased are removed from the house and the family members shave their hair. The shaving of hair is an indication that life continues to spring up even after death. The Xhosa settled on mountain slopes of

560-572: A large merchant ship and having sustained damage that put her out of action for up to three months. In 1945 Mendi ' s wreck was known to be 11.3 nautical miles (21 km) off Saint Catherine's Light , but it was not positively identified until 1974. The ship rests upright on the sea floor. She has started to break up, exposing her boilers. In 2006 the Commonwealth War Graves Commission launched an education resource called "Let us die like brothers" to highlight

630-406: A migration period of 12 years to ensure that ships were given reasonable economic safeguards, since port and other dues are charged according to ship's tonnage. Since 18 July 1994 the gross and net tonnages, dimensionless indices calculated from the total moulded volume of the ship and its cargo spaces by mathematical formulae , have been the only official measures of the ship's tonnage. However,

700-431: A new life, respectively. Xhosa people regard white as the colour of purity and mediation; white beads are still used as offerings to spirits or to the creator. Amagqirha/diviners use white beads when communicating with the ancestors . These diviners also carry with them beaded spears, which are associated with the ancestors that inspire the diviner; beaded horns; and calabashes, to hold medicinal products or snuff. "Amageza",

770-660: A part of the Eastern Cape Province where most Xhosa remain. A notable population also thrives in the Western Cape province of the country. Cape Town ( eKapa in Xhosa), East London ( eMonti ), and Gqeberha ( e-Bhayi ). As of 2003, the majority of Xhosa speakers, approximately 5.3 million, lived in the Eastern Cape, followed by the Western Cape (approximately 1 million), Gauteng (971,045),

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840-442: A sense of belonging and cultural identity and traditions hence people draw their cultural ways of living and meanings, as Xhosa people use them as social markers. Xhosa people believe that the beads also create a link between the living and the ancestors as diviners use them during rituals. Thus beads have some spiritual significance. Social identities/markers with regards to age, gender, grade, marital status, social rank or role and

910-427: A specific sequence of events and rituals which need to be performed in order to regard a funeral as dignified. Once the family has been notified that a member has died, the extended family comes together in preparation for the burial of the deceased. The " umkhapho " (to accompany) ritual is performed in order to accompany the spirit of the deceased to the land of the ancestors. The local male clan leader or his proxy

980-556: A traditional dress code informed by the individuals social standing portraying different stages of life. The 'red blanket people' (Xhosa people) have a custom of wearing red blankets dyed with red ochre, the intensity of the colour varying from tribe to tribe. Other clothing includes beadwork and printed fabrics. Although in general, Xhosa lifestyle has been adapted to Western traditions, the Xhosa people still wear traditional attire for special cultural activities. The various tribes have their own variations of traditional dress which includes

1050-493: A veil made of beads, is also part of their regalia, they use these beads by swaying them in someone's eyes so as to induce a trance-like state. Inkciyo is a beaded skirt that serves as a garment covering the pubic area. Among the Pondo people (Xhosa clan) the beads are turquoise and white in colour. This skirt is worn during a virginity testing ceremony among Xhosa people undergoing their rites of passage into womanhood. Impempe

1120-472: Is a wedding song called " Qongqothwane ", performed by Miriam Makeba as "Click Song #1". Besides Makeba, several modern groups record and perform in Xhosa. Missionaries introduced the Xhosa to Western choral singing. " Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika ", part of the National anthem of South Africa is a Xhosa hymn written in 1897 by Enoch Sontonga . The first newspapers , novels, and plays in Xhosa appeared in

1190-433: Is a whistle that has a necklace on it. The whistle symbolises one's introduction to adolescence. Xhosa beadwork and other cultural beadworks have cultural ties, but nowadays beads are also worn as fashion pieces, too, either as cultural appreciation or appropriation. The use of cultural beadworks as fashion pieces means that anyone can wear these pieces without having to belong to that cultural group. The Xhosa culture has

1260-405: Is dependent on numerous things such as her level of education, the wealth status of her family in comparison to that of the man's family, what the man stands to gain in the marriage and the overall desirability of the woman. The payment of the bride-price could be in either cattle or money depending on the family of the woman. The modern Xhosa families would rather prefer money as most are situated in

1330-730: Is not a measure of the ship's weight or displacement and should not be confused with terms such as deadweight tonnage or displacement . Gross register tonnage was defined by the Moorsom Commission in 1849. Gross and net register tonnages were replaced by gross tonnage and net tonnage , respectively, when the International Maritime Organization (IMO) adopted The International Convention on Tonnage Measurement of Ships on 23 June 1969. The new tonnage regulations entered into force for all new ships on 18 July 1982, but existing vessels were given

1400-405: Is the one who facilitates the process. The purpose of umkhapho is to keep the bonds between the deceased person and the bereaved alive so that the deceased may be able to return later and communicate as an ancestor. During this ritual, an animal such as a goat is slaughtered. A larger animal like a cow may also be slaughtered for an important person like a head of the family whilst a goat without

1470-878: The African National Congress (ANC), South Africa's ruling political party in the government . Xhosa is an agglutinative tonal language categorized under Bantu linguistic classification. While the Xhosas call their language "isiXhosa", it is usually referred to as "Xhosa" in English. Written Xhosa uses a Latin alphabet –based system. Xhosa is spoken by about 18% of the South African population, and has some mutual intelligibility with Zulu, especially Zulu spoken in urban areas. Many Xhosa speakers, particularly those living in urban areas, also speak Zulu and/or Afrikaans and/or English. The Xhosa are

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1540-545: The Eastern Cape , 87 from Natal , 27 from Northern Cape , 26 from the Orange Free State , 26 from Basutoland , eight from Bechuanaland ( Botswana ), five from Western Cape , one from Rhodesia and one from South West Africa . Most had never seen the sea before this voyage, and very few could swim. The officers and NCOs were white Southern Africans. At 5 am on 21 February 1917, in thick fog about 10 nautical miles (19 km) south of St. Catherine's Point on

1610-526: The Eastern Cape . According to oral tradition, the modern Xhosa Kingdom was founded somewhere before the 15th century by Tshawe (whom the royal clan of the Xhosas is named after) who overthrew his brother Cirha (assisted by his brother Jwarha) with the help of the amaNgwevu clan of the amaMpondomise Kingdom. Tshawe and his army then incorporated formerly independent Nguni clans into the Xhosa Kingdom. Khoekhoe tribes were incorporated, including

1680-735: The First World War the UK Admiralty chartered her as a troopship . On 21 February 1917 a large cargo steamship, Darro , collided with her in the English Channel south of the Isle of Wight . Mendi sank, killing 646 people, mostly black South African troops, as well as white Southern African officers and NCOs, and crew. The new port admin building at the Port of Ngqura , South Africa, has been named eMendi in commemoration of

1750-579: The Free State (546,192), KwaZulu-Natal (219,826), North West (214,461), Mpumalanga (46,553), the Northern Cape (51,228), and Limpopo (14,225). There is a small but significant Xhosa-speaking ( Mfengu ) community in Zimbabwe, and their language, isiXhosa, is recognised as an official national language . This community is the remnant migrated from central Africa into South Africa upon

1820-522: The kraal , our voices are left with our bodies." The damaged Darro did not stay to assist, but Brisk lowered her boats, whose crews then rescued survivors. The investigation into the accident led to a formal hearing in summer 1917, held in Caxton Hall , Westminster. It opened on 24 July, sat for five days spread over the next fortnight, and concluded on 8 August. The court found Darro ' s Master , Henry W Stump, guilty of "having travelled at

1890-462: The 19th century, and Xhosa poetry is also gaining renown. Several films have been shot in the Xhosa language. U-Carmen eKhayelitsha is a modern remake of Bizet 's 1875 opera Carmen . It is shot entirely in Xhosa, and combines music from the original opera with traditional African music. It takes place in the Cape Town township of Khayelitsha . The movie Black Panther also features

1960-822: The Amatola and the Winterberg Mountains. Many streams drain into great rivers of this Xhosa territory, including the Kei and Fish Rivers. Rich soils and plentiful rainfall make the river basins good for farming and grazing making cattle important and the basis of wealth. Traditional foods include beef ( Inyama yenkomo ), mutton ( Inyama yegusha ), and goat meat ( Inyama yebhokwe ), sorghum , milk (often fermented , called " amasi "), pumpkins ( amathanga ), Mielie-meal (maize meal), samp ( umngqusho ), beans ( iimbotyi ), vegetables , like "rhabe" , wild spinach reminiscent of sorrel , " imvomvo " ,

2030-568: The Cape by Europeans in 1652, the native populations were gradually pushed eastwards until, in the 1700s, the borders of the Cape Colony had pushed populations far enough east (with relations between colonist and native significantly broken down) to create a critical mass of hostile population to resist the colonists in the Eastern Cape. This sparked off the Cape frontier wars , which represent some of

2100-626: The Inqua, the Giqwa, and the amaNgqosini (both Khoi and Sotho origin). Formerly independent clans (many of Khoekhoe origin) and chiefdoms in the region became tributary to the amaTshawe and spoke isiXhosa as their primary language. The Xhosa polity achieved political ascendancy over most of the Cape Khoe extending to the very fringes of the Cape Peninsula. With the settlement of

2170-656: The Isle of Wight, the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company cargo ship Darro accidentally rammed Mendi ' s starboard quarter, breaching her forward hold. Darro was an 11,484  GRT ship, almost three times the size of the Mendi , sailing in ballast to Argentina to load meat. Darro survived the collision but Mendi sank, killing 616 Southern Africans - 607 black troops, nine white officers & NCOs, and 30 crew. Some men were killed outright in

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2240-457: The Ngunis lived in for some time before continuing with their migration. Upon crossing mountains and rivers in South Africa, these farm-working agro-pastoralists brought their cattle and goats with them and absorbed the weaker San groups in the region. They also brought weapons, notably their assegais and their shields and would form groups or chiefdoms and kingdoms mainly in what is now

2310-799: The SS Mendi . Mendi had sailed from Cape Town carrying 823 men of the 5th Battalion the South African Native Labour Corps to serve in France . She called at Lagos in Nigeria , where a naval gun was mounted on her stern. She next called at Plymouth and then headed up the English Channel toward Le Havre in northern France, escorted by the Acorn -class destroyer HMS  Brisk . Mendi ' s complement

2380-767: The San were made out of ostrich egg shells which were chipped to small size, bored and polished and strung into sinews. Producing them took a long time, so they were scarce, highly priced, valued and in demand. It is recorded that it was only in the 1930s that the Portuguese introduced glass beads through trade. Adornments serve a particular purpose across different cultures as social markers . They are used to ascertain where one belongs to with regards to identity, history and geographical location. They reveal personal information with regards to age and gender and social class as some beads were meant to be worn by royalty. Beadwork creates

2450-452: The Xhosa language. Beads are small round objects made of glass, wood, metal, nutshell, bone seed and the likes, which are then pierced for stringing. Before glass beads were introduced, people used natural materials to make beads. Xhosa people relied on the San to sell beads to them through trade or barter exchange. Xhosa people would give hemp to the San in exchange for beads. The beads made by

2520-446: The beads are representative of the stages of one's life. Motifs on the beads often used include trees, diamonds, quadrangles, chevrons, triangles, circles, parallel lines that form a pattern that is exclusive to certain age groups. Although the beadwork has some cultural significance with certain motifs having exclusive meanings, the creator of the beadwork has creative control and can create and draw meaning from individual preference. Thus

2590-440: The bride's family. To solidify their unity the family of the bride will head to the groom's household where the elders will address her with regards to how to carry herself and dress appropriately at her newly found household, this is called Ukuyalwa . Furthermore, a new name will also be given to her by the women of the groom's family and this name signifies the bond of the two families. Burial practices and customs include

2660-426: The celebrations would commence. These include slaughtering of the livestock as a grateful gesture to their ancestors as well as pouring a considerable amount of the alcoholic beverages on the ground of the bride's household to give thanks to their ancestors. The groom's family is then welcomed into the family and traditional beer, Umqombothi , will be prepared for the groom's family as a token of appreciation from

2730-487: The collision; others were trapped below decks. Many others gathered on Mendi ' s deck as she listed and sank. Oral history records that the men met their fate with great dignity. An interpreter, Isaac Williams Wauchope (also known as Isaac Wauchope Dyobha), who had previously served as a Minister in the Congregational Native Church of Fort Beaufort and Blinkwater , is reported to have calmed

2800-426: The corn was taken from the family food reserves as well as donated by family members and neighbours. In the 21st century, it is regarded as taboo to feed mourners with ' inkobe ' and, as a result of shame, funeral catering has become a lucrative business for the industry during burial events. On the day of burial, before extended family members disperse to their homes, the ukuxukuxa (cleansing) ritual occurs and

2870-426: The descendants of the amaMfengu are part of the Xhosa people and they speak isiXhosa and practice the Xhosa culture. Xhosa unity and ability to fight off colonial encroachment was to be weakened by the famines and political divisions that followed the cattle-killing movement of 1856–1858 . Historians now view this movement as a millennialist response, both directly to a lung disease spreading among Xhosa cattle at

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2940-522: The establishment of Rhodesia with Cecil Rhodes . Some archaeological evidence has been discovered that suggests that Xhosa-speaking people have lived in the Eastern Cape area since at least the 7th century . The modern Xhosa are Nguni people, a stock of Bantu The Xhosa people are descendants of the ancestors of Ngunis. Xhosa oral history also mentions a historical settlement called 'Eluhlangeni' believed to have been in East Africa in which

3010-516: The gross and net register tonnages are still widely used in describing older ships. Xhosa people Eastern Cape : 5,102,053 Western Cape : 2,326,704 Gauteng : 862,124 Free State : 320,645 KwaZulu-Natal : 405,140 North West : 225,023 Northern Cape : 101,062 Mpumalanga : 50,225 The Xhosa people , or Xhosa -speaking people ( / ˈ k ɔː s ə / KAW -sə , / ˈ k oʊ s ə / KOH -sə ; Xhosa pronunciation: [kǁʰɔ́ːsa] ) are

3080-404: The individual to their counterparts and also to their ancestors. Starting from imbeleko , a ritual performed to introduce a new born to the ancestors, to umphumo (the homecoming), from inkwenkwe (a boy) to indoda (a man). These rituals and ceremonies are sacrosanct to the identity and heritage of the Xhosa and other African descendants. Though some western scholars question

3150-450: The kraal, inkundla , of the woman's family. If the family does not possess a kraal they will simply be kept outside the household as they will not be allowed to enter the household without the acknowledgment and acceptance of the woman's family. It is here where the lobola ( dowry ) negotiations will begin. The family of the woman will give them a bride-price and a date for which they must return to pay that price. The bride-price

3220-509: The longest military resistance to colonialism. The historical end result would be the containment of large portions of the Cape native population into native reserves in the Easternmost part of the Cape. However, these populations would also continually serve as labour inside the Cape Colony. These native reserves would be re-branded "homelands" in the 20th century and would only be fully dismantled in 1994, with populations moving back into

3290-429: The main bedroom to accommodate this seating arrangement by placing a traditional grass mat ( ukhukho ) or mattress on the floor. Mourners do not require an invitation to attend a funeral and everyone who can and would like to attend is welcome. This means that the bereaved family has to cater for an unknown number of mourners. Traditionally, mourners were fed with ' inkobe ', which is boiled dried corn and water, and

3360-422: The marriage as per tradition. Following Ukuthwala , the man will then be in discussion with his parents or relatives to inform them of his choice in bride. During this discussion the clan name, isiduko , of the woman would be revealed and researched. If it were found that the woman and the man share the same clan name they would not be allowed to proceed with the marriage as it is said that people with

3430-517: The meanings drawn from the beadwork are not rigidly set. Among the Thembu (a tribe in the Eastern Cape often erroneously referred to be a Xhosa tribe), after circumcision, the men wore, and still wear, skirts, turbans and a wide bead collar. A waistcoat, long necklaces, throat bands, armbands, leggings and belts are part of his regalia. The dominant colours in the beadwork are white and navy blue, with some yellow and green beads symbolising fertility and

3500-542: The names of two South African Navy ships: Monuments, ceremonies and other commemorations, such as artworks, in which the loss of men of the Mendi has been commemorated include: 50°28′0″N 1°33′0″W  /  50.46667°N 1.55000°W  / 50.46667; -1.55000 Cave dive sites: Gross register tonnage Net register tonnage subtracts the volume of spaces not available for carrying cargo, such as engine rooms, fuel tanks and crew quarters, from gross register tonnage. Gross register tonnage

3570-456: The other through oral tradition. Knowing your isiduko is vital to the Xhosas and it is considered a shame and uburhanuka (lack-of-identity) if one doesn't know one's clan. This is considered so important that when two strangers meet for the first time, the first identity that gets shared is isiduko . It is so important that two people with the same surname but different clan names are considered total strangers, but two people from

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3640-466: The panicked men by raising his arms aloft and crying out in a loud voice: "Be quiet and calm, my countrymen. What is happening now is what you came to do...you are going to die, but that is what you came to do. Brothers, we are drilling the death drill. I, a Xhosa , say you are my brothers... Swazis , Pondos , Basotho ...so let us die like brothers. We are the sons of Africa. Raise your war-cries, brothers, for though they made us leave our assegais in

3710-417: The practice has caused controversy, with over 825 circumcision- and initiation-related deaths since 1994, and the spread of sexually transmitted infections , including HIV , via the practice of circumcising initiates with the same blade. In March 2007, a controversial mini-series dealing with Xhosa circumcision and initiation rites debuted on South African Broadcasting Corporation . Titled Umthunzi Wentaba ,

3780-486: The relevance of these practices today, even urbanised Xhosa people do still follow them. The ulwaluko and intonjane are also traditions which separated this tribe from the rest of the Nguni tribes. These are performed to mark the transition from child to adulthood. Zulus once performed the ritual but King Shaka stopped it because of war in the 1810s. In 2009, it was reintroduced by King Goodwill Zwelithini Zulu, not as

3850-489: The role played by black Southern Africans during the First World War. In death they are afforded the same level of commemoration as all other Commonwealth war dead. In December 2006 English Heritage commissioned Wessex Archaeology to make an initial desk-based appraisal of the wreck. The project will identify a range of areas for potential future research and serve as the basis for a possible unintrusive survey of

3920-399: The same clan but with different surnames are regarded as close relatives. This forms the roots of ubuntu (human kindness) – a behaviour synonymous to this tribe as extending a helping hand to a complete stranger when in need. Ubuntu goes further than just helping one another – it is so deep that it even extends to looking after and reprimanding your neighbour's child when in the wrong. Hence

3990-428: The same clan name are of the same relation and cannot be wed. Once discussions with the family are complete and satisfactory information about the woman is acquired then the family of the man will proceed to appoint marriage negotiators. It is these very negotiators that will travel to the family of the woman to make known the man and his intentions. Once the negotiators reach the family of the woman they will be kept in

4060-458: The saying "it takes a village to raise a child". One traditional ritual that is still regularly practiced is the manhood ritual, a secret rite that marks the transition from boyhood to manhood, ulwaluko . After ritual circumcision , the initiates ( abakwetha ) live in isolation for up to several weeks, often in the mountains. During the process of healing they smear white clay on their bodies and observe numerous customs. In modern times

4130-422: The series was taken off the air after complaints by traditional leaders that the rites are secret and not to be revealed to non-initiates and women. In January 2014 the website ulwaluko.co.za was released by a Dutch medical doctor. It features a gallery of photographs of injured penises, which sparked outrage amongst traditional leaders in the Eastern Cape. The South African Film and Publication Board ruled that

4200-420: The spiritual state can be ascertained through Xhosa beadwork. Symbolic references are drawn from the beads through the colour, pattern, formation and motifs. However, it ought to be taken into cognisance that some of these messages are limited to a certain group or between two people. In Xhosa culture beads represent the organisational framework of the people and the rites of passage that people have gone through as

4270-404: The sweet sap of an aloe , or " ikhowa " , a mushroom that grows after summer rains. Traditional crafts include bead-work, weaving, woodwork and pottery. Traditional music features drums, rattles, whistles, flutes, mouth harps, and stringed-instruments and especially group singing accompanied by hand clapping. There are songs for various ritual occasions; one of the best-known Xhosa songs

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4340-407: The time, and less directly to the stress to Xhosa society caused by the continuing loss of their territory and autonomy. Some historians argue that this early absorption into the wage economy is the ultimate origin of the long history of trade union membership and political leadership among Xhosa people. That history manifests itself today in high degrees of Xhosa representation in the leadership of

4410-509: The upkeep of Xhosa traditional practices. These rituals have been practiced for decades by the Xhosa people and have been incorporated into modern day Xhosa marriages as well. The purpose of the practices is to bring together two different families and to give guidance to the newly wed couple throughout. To start off the procedures the male intending to marry goes through Ukuthwalwa which entails him choosing his future bride and making his intentions of marriage known, however this practice

4480-417: The urban cities where there would be no space nor permits for livestock. Upon return of the man's family on the given date, they will pay the bride-price and bring along gifts of offering such as livestock and alcoholic beverages, iswazi , to be drunk by the family of the bride. Once the lobola from the man's negotiators is accepted then they will be considered married by the Xhosa tradition and

4550-443: The village. This is reflected in the traditional greeting Inkaba yakho iphi ? , literally "where is your navel?" The answer "tells someone where you live, what your clan affiliation is, and what your social status is and contains a wealth of undisclosed cultural information. Most importantly, it determines where you belong". Xhosa marriage, umtshato , is one that is filled with a number of customs and rituals which relate to

4620-407: The website was "scientific with great educative value", addressing a "societal problem needing urgent intervention". Girls are also initiated into womanhood (Intonjane). They too are secluded, though for a shorter period. Female initiates are not circumcised . Other rites include the seclusion of mothers for ten days after giving birth, and the burial of the afterbirth and umbilical cord near

4690-593: The wider Cape. In the 19th century, the Xhosas fought and repulsed many tribes that were escaping the Zulus in the Colony of Natal , this was during the historical mfecane . Those who were accepted were assimilated into the Xhosa cultural way of life and followed Xhosa traditions. The Xhosas called these various tribes AmaMfengu , meaning wanderers, and were made up of clans such as the amaBhaca , amaBhele , amaHlubi , amaZizi and Rhadebe. To this day,

4760-596: The wreck itself in the near future. In 2017 the ship's bell was handed in anonymously to a BBC journalist. The Prime Minister, Theresa May returned the bell to South Africa while on an official visit there in August 2018. This event is commemorated by monuments in South Africa, Britain, France and the Netherlands, as well as in the name of the port admin building at the Port of Ngqura , the eMendi Admin Building and

4830-455: Was a mixture characteristic of many UK merchant ships at the time. Officers, stewards, cooks, signallers and gunners were British; firemen and other crew were West Africans , most of them from Sierra Leone . The South African Native Labour Corps men aboard her came from a range of social backgrounds, and from a number of different peoples spread over the South African provinces and neighbouring territories. 287 were from Transvaal , 139 from

4900-426: Was not done by all the tribes within the Xhosa people. In modern day, the man and woman would most likely have been in courtship or a relationship prior to Ukuthwalwa . Decades before Ukuthwalwa would entail legal bridal abduction, where the man could choose a woman of his liking to be his bride and go into negotiations with the family of the bride without her knowledge or consent. She would have to abide to

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