Siya Kolisi participated in the Cape Town students support initiative

A family in Runner Wildt, Shayamoya village, Kokstad, claims that their home has turned into a place of fear, intimidation, and suffering after discovering that an initiation school was built on their property without their knowledge or consent.

The Mbobo family states that they have to endure unbearable living conditions, feeling like strangers and prisoners in their own home, because the disputed structure, presumably used for traditional initiation rites, is located in their garden. In the family's view, what should be a private family home has become a source of anxiety, with women in the house allegedly being subjected to insults, intimidation, and restrictions on freedom of movement.

The family asserts that this structure is used to house those undergoing traditional circumcision rites, citing songs and shouts coming from the area at night. Fikiswa Mbobo recounted that this bitter dispute began back in 2004 when initiates first appeared in the area, leading to a confrontation with the municipality, which reportedly insisted that the initiation school could not legally operate in a densely populated residential area.

Mbobo noted: 'We grow crops in our garden, but the initiation school was built when our fence was damaged, leaving the plot open after goats knocked it down. People also started walking through our residential area, using our yard as a passage.'

She suspects the situation worsened because she, her daughter, and sister are the only women living in the house. Mbobo accused her neighbor, whom she described as a prominent figure in traditional initiation practices, of constant intimidation and making their lives increasingly unbearable. She reported that the family was repeatedly insulted and threatened, especially because women are traditionally forbidden from approaching the initiation school. The consequences, she said, have been devastating, as they now have to restrict their movements around their own property due to the presence of the disputed structure.

In an attempt to restore some privacy and establish a boundary between their living area and the structure, the family eventually erected a fence around it. However, even this intervention, it is claimed, failed to restore their peace, as those occupying the building allegedly continue to throw insults at them. The family also stated that their neighbor tried to involve a local ward councilor in the dispute, claiming the councilor had given permission for the construction, despite the municipality previously stating that it was illegal and should be demolished.

Municipal representative Zolani Sikwayi confirmed that the municipality officially demanded the owner demolish the structure. Sikwayi stated: 'We wrote to the owner of the structure, ordering him to tear it down. If he does not comply with the requirements, we will be forced to take more decisive action.'

Nevertheless, Benny Khobo, chairman of the Traditional Initiation Oversight Committee in Kokstad, rejected the family's accusations, calling the matter a neighbourly dispute between people who were already in conflict. Khobo stated: 'This area is on the corner of the garden, and it is not an initiation school, as they claim. We have a designated hill where we conduct our traditional initiation rituals.'

He insisted that the man simply built a temporary shelter to house his sons while preparing for their subsequent departure to the hill, thereby challenging the family's claims about the building's purpose.

Ward councilor Zodidi Tshazi admitted to giving Elliot Keneve Dandlow permission to use the land for preparation for initiation ceremonies. However, she denied that the location was in the Mbobo family's garden or home. Tshazi explained: 'It is municipal land, and we do this regularly when the initiation season approaches. He is not the only person for whom we made such an agreement.' She added that she did not know about the nature of the relationship between the Mbobo family and their neighbor and could not explain what was happening inside the temporary structure. Tshazi emphasized that the municipality provided the land on a temporary basis to facilitate cooperation with community members in observing the traditional rite of initiation.

Elliot Keneve Dandlow could not be reached for comment.

Aside from the unrest unfolding in Kokstad, men observing the traditional initiation rite in Matathile also stopped the town by blocking roads in protest against what they described as government interference in the sacred cultural practice of circumcision. Protesters expressed deep dissatisfaction with how the government handles the initiation process, claiming that some ministers overseeing the regulation of this custom themselves did not undergo initiation in the same traditional manner as they did. They subsequently met with the Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane, who promised to give their complaints urgent attention and thoroughly investigate their concerns.

The film 'Rise: The Siya Kolisi story,' directed by Tebogo Malope, presents the powerful story of South Africa's first black rugby captain.

A cinematic work worthy of its place

Upon first viewing the documentary 'Rise,' the author admitted that he initially had doubts about the quality of local documentary production. He feared the film might resemble a music video by the group Die Antwoord, but the story does not offer a gentle introduction; instead, it honestly reflects the lives of many young people and men in South Africa.

The documentary begins with archival rugby footage shown on television, immediately placing Siya Kolisi's story within the context of South Africa's long and complex rugby history. Discussing with Bheki Dalla, a board member of African Film DAO, the analysis explored how the film's technical mastery enhances its emotional impact.

The film does not merely list Kolisi's hardships; it makes the viewer feel them. The audience experiences the weight of childhood poverty, the deep sorrow of losing his grandmother, who was the pillar of his world, as well as the heavy, silent burden of a teenager balancing between a privileged high school and a difficult life in a township.

For a long time, low budgets and limited resources set a low standard, forcing the local audience to accept works that represented only a fraction of what was possible. The film 'Rise' shatters this standard, proving that South African filmmakers are capable of conveying destructive, raw intimacy while offering a confident, first-class cinematic experience that garners international respect.

During an interview, the author noted one visual moment that surprised him and became an emotional anchor for the film: a shot with the inscription 'the only known footage of Kolisi at home,' accompanied by a recognizable royal symbol. There is very limited visual material from his early life. Viewers know what kind of man Kolisi became, but this candid statement on screen prompts viewers to reflect on the boy he once was. This single fragment is a symbolic representation of the distance between the boy in the image and the man holding the World Cup.

The film addresses the theme of Kolisi's father's absence, his imprisonment, and alcoholism. Dalla emphasized that these are authentic African stories, and the documentary perfectly balances these difficulties with the development of a deep sense of duty in Kolisi. Dalla also mentioned that the film sets a benchmark for broader local film and production companies, demonstrating this standard through Siya's survival in South Africa.

Dalla explained: 'We must ensure that the end audience does not receive a low-quality product.' Warning against a lack of strict quality control, Dalla stated that 'the South African film industry remains uncompetitive globally, serving merely as a service provider for international productions rather than telling our own stories with the ambition they deserve.'

In the township of Zweide, Gqeberha, sixteen-year-old Fakama gave birth to Siyamtandu 'Bear' Kolisi on June 16, 1991. On Youth Day in 1991, the Zweide community welcomed the Son of the Nation with hope.