Chapter 10 - The Initiation School

I was surprised one day when my paternal grandfather's second wife came to fetch me.  She took me to the initiation school for women.  I was both curious and excited because I always wanted to discover the secrets of the initiation school.  No one, except the initiates and the instructors, was supposed to know what happened at the initiation school.  Should any initiate disclose any secret information, she would be summoned to the chief to give account.  There were rumours that said that if you told others about what happened at the initiation school, you would become insane or even die.

The initiation school was held at the local herdsman's home at a mountainous area and accepted about thirty girls at any time.  Our uniform was animal skin.  We had to wear animal skin every day.  As a result, our waist started to itch because we became infested with lice.

The first person to undertake any task at the school was the headman's daughter. She was supposed to go first so that she can test the safety of...


To learn more on what the headman's daughter underwent at the initiation school; buy the book at: https://www.amazon.com/Memories-Life-Alexandra-Township-Know/dp/1483693805 (Amazon) or http://www.takealot.com/the-memories-of-my-life-in-alexandra-township-i-know/PLID36786983 (Takealot).

Chapter 9 - In and Out of the Rural Area

Living in the rural areas was difficult at that time. The transport system was appalling. We used cattle-drawn wagons to go to town. Our village was surrounded by mountains, hills, and rivers.

When I first left Alexandra for Pietersburg with my uncle, we used a train. We boarded a bus to Johannesburg Park station. When we got there, my uncle did not buy me a ticket. I was still very young. The train examiner came and asked me to touch my left ear over the head with my right finger. If my hand did not reach my left ear, then I wouldn't have to pay.

During school holidays, I used to travel to Alexandra with my uncle. My uncle used to hide me under the bed in the train so that I wouldn't have to pay. When the train examiner came in to check the tickets, I would lay still and only come out after he left.

When I arrived in Pietersburg, the guy called Monnana would give me a ride to my grandmother's house on his bicycle. The road was terrible. It had a lot of stones and potholes. The journey was unpleasant.

My grandmother would be very happy to see me and would slaughter a ....


To read more on Rose's welcoming ceremony; buy the book at: https://www.amazon.com/Memories-Life-Alexandra-Township-Know/dp/1483693805 (Amazon) or http://www.takealot.com/the-memories-of-my-life-in-alexandra-township-i-know/PLID36786983 (Takealot).

Chapter 8 - Minor Ailments

Sometime later whilst living with my grandparents, I developed an infection in my left eye. It started itching and was painful and sticky in the morning. The eye was lachrymating and very sensitive to light. Gradually my eye was getting smaller and smaller.

My friend Masali was asked to look into my eye to see if there was any foreign body. She saw white spot on my cornea. My grandmother checked my eye also but saw nothing. Masali was called. She was asked to prick her right index finger and squeeze the blood into my eye. This was according to our custom because she was the first one to see white spot on my cornea. After a few days, there was still no improvement.

I then decided to write a letter to Mom informing her of my situation. She quickly informed my uncle, Mr Phineas Maponya. He was a teacher at a nearby village called Laaste Hoop.  He took me to a doctor in Pietersburg in his car. The doctor gave me an injection, medication, and eye drops. The infection was gone within a few days. It was a real miracle especially considering my friend's blood. I thank God and my uncle's swift action. If it was not for them, I would have lost my vision.

My brother Johannes developed a skin infection. He had sores all over his body. As a result, he could not ...

My younger brother, Johannes "Mokolobetsi"
 Rakoma, who once developed a skin infection.

To find out more about Johannes' condition; buy the book at: https://www.amazon.com/Memories-Life-Alexandra-Township-Know/dp/1483693805 (Amazon) or http://www.takealot.com/the-memories-of-my-life-in-alexandra-township-i-know/PLID36786983 (Takea

Chapter 7 - Life Experience in the Rural Areas

I had a friend called Masali. She was very fond of me. We did a lot of things together. There was a game we enjoyed playing together. The game was called kgwele. The game was more like hockey. We played it in veld using round wood and a wooden stick.

Masali and I used to grind mealies on big rocks using small manageable rocks to grind with.  My hands used to get blisters initially, but I got used to it as time went on.  We also used wooden poles to grind mealies until finely ground into mealie meal. Picking wild fruits and vegetables was one of my favourite pastimes.

Our regular food was sour milk and porridge.  My mom used to send money so that my grandmother may buy this milk.  There was a farm nearby where this milk was sold. My brother used to go to buy from the farmer.

My grandmother was untidy; she would keep our food where cockroaches would get into our food. Before we ate, we had to first remove the cockroaches.

My grandparent's house was made up of...

To get more about the type of house they lived in; buy the book at: https://www.amazon.com/Memories-Life-Alexandra-Township-Know/dp/1483693805 (Amazon) or http://www.takealot.com/the-memories-of-my-life-in-alexandra-township-i-know/PLID36786983 (Takealot).

Rose and her paternal grandmother, Magdeline Rakoma, who used to be very strict.

Chapter 6 - Traditional Schooling

In 1955, my younger brother Johannes arrived from Alexandra to join us. He was only eight years old.  He arrived during winter. He had come to attend initiation school in the Lebopo or Lebombo Mountains.

While in initiation school, my brother got sick.  My maternal grandfather had to tell my parents, who were in Alexandra at the time, about my brother's condition.  Our tradition forbade us from visiting him.  My mom, worried, came to Pietersburg.

My paternal grandfather was against initiation school.  My brother's sickness only made his point strong.  He was an elder of a local church and a devoted Christian.  He was also a .......




To get more about the difficult grandfather; buy the book at: https://www.amazon.com/Memories-Life-Alexandra-Township-Know/dp/1483693805 (Amazon) or http://www.takealot.com/the-memories-of-my-life-in-alexandra-township-i-know/PLID36786983 (Takealot).

Chapter 5 - School Activities

We didn't have a watch or clock to guide us in terms of time. My brother and I depended on the sun to help us determine whether it was time to go to school or not.

In the morning, my brother would take a big stone, place it on the ground, and then mark where its shade was on the ground. If it happened that the next day the shade had moved beyond the previous day's mark, we knew we were late for school.

When we arrived at the school, the principal will be there, waiting to punish us with a cane for coming late. Corporal punishment was the order of the day. Mr Mashiane, the principal, used to keep a cane with him all the time.

During the athletic season, all the children had to run. The school principal ran after them with a sjambok. If you happened to be last, you would be beaten. When it came to running, I was hopeless.

Our everyday homework was to memorize poems word for word. The next day, each student will be required to recite it in front of other children. If you skip a word, you would be punished. My brother used to be punished in spite of trying to memorize every morning.

One day, upon arriving home from school, we found a snake ...

Snake on the ground...
Picture Credit: www.shutterstock.com

To find out what happened after they saw the snake in the house, read the book by buying it from: https://www.amazon.com/Memories-Life-Alexandra-Township-Know/dp/1483693805 (Amazon) or http://www.takealot.com/the-memories-of-my-life-in-alexandra-township-i-know/PLID36786983 (Takealot).


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Chapter 4 - Relocation to the Village

Following hospitalization, I was now free from screams and hallucinations.  My parents were still not satisfied. They consulted a traditional healer, who adviced them to move me from Alexandra to the village. According to her, the move would help me to be completely healed.

In 1953, I was sent to Ga-Molepo, Pietersburg, in the Sekuto rural area.  My grandmother and my grandfather welcomed me. My elder brother Job and my cousin Albert stayed with them also.

Albert was raised by my grandparents because his mother worked as a domestic worker in Pretoria. n His father was an Indian man, Tayob, from Marabastad, Pretoria.

My grandmother used to cut Albert's growing hair because children at school used to be astonished by his long black silky hair. We attended school at St Theresea.

In 1953, I did Standard 3, Grade 5. My class teacher was Mr Mashiane. We walked to school every morning. We went over the Sekuto Mountain. Albert was not happy to see me...



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