The name, UmPhafa, originates from the Zulu name for the buffalo thorn tree, Ziziphus mucronata, which grows prolifically on the property. It is also known in Zulu as umlahlankosi and in Afrikaans as the blinkblaar-wag-’n-bietjie.
The umphafa is a very important tree in Zulu culture, having many beliefs associated with it, as well as many practical uses. This is considered to be a magical tree by the Zulus, and many other African tribes, and is believed that grown near the home it will ward off evil spirits and lightning. If the branches are cut after the first summer rains it is believed that a drought will ensue, so the wood may only be cut at certain times of the year. |
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If a person dies away from home, the family will bring home the spirit of the deceased in a ceremony, known as ukubuyisa idlozi. A member of the family, usually the eldest son, will go to the place where the deceased died, carrying a branch of the umphafa tree, and will talk to the spirit, inviting it to come home. The spirit is believed to then enter the branch and be carried home.
If the messenger catches public transport he will pay for a seat for the deceased. The spirit is spoken to throughout the journey, but the messenger will talk to no-one else. People are very particular about bringing home the spirit of the homestead head because he is believed to be the one who looks after the village, in death as in life. An ukubuyisa ceremony is never held for a woman because only male ancestors are considered important. |
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In traditional medicine, the roots of the umphafa are baked, crushed and powdered and used as a remedy for pain. A paste made of the leaves, crushed and powdered and mixed with water, is used as a drawing poultice for boils and abscesses and septic swellings. It is also used for lumbago, dysentery, chest complaints and as a gargle for scarlet fever and measles.
The flexible branches of the umphafa are peeled of their bark and thorns and used for ox-whips, and the thick branches are used for fencing posts, roof struts, grain mortars and gates. The wood is also carved into bowls, spoons and yokes. The brown berries are edible and used in porridge-making, and are a good famine food.
King Shaka Zulu is reputed to have used the thorns of the umphafa, one of which points forward and one backwards, to remind his people to always look to the future, but to never forget their past. |
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