Reinstating Cultural Beliefs and Ubuntu in the AmaMpondo Communities in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa

This paper aims to resuscitate Black African ubuntu ethics, which characterised the socio-cultural group of amaMpondo in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. Ubuntu and cultural beliefs were inseparable and maintained as a heritage and pride, which was observed by children and transmitted orally by elders during the pre-colonial era. The political upheavals and the economic decline, which resulted in social unrest and industrial strikes in various sectors after the postcolonial period, resulted in the loss of jobs, corruption, crime, poverty, and the loss of the philosophy of ubuntu embedded in cultural beliefs. The ethnographic approach in qualitative research method was utilised to assess the individual experiences and social behaviours. The narrative analysis to describe and interpret in a story-like manner the social realities and cultural complexities was manipulated as explored by ethnomusicologists in the fieldwork. The researcher utilised semi-structured and open-ended questions to conduct observations, interviews, and focus group discussions. The findings of this study revealed that poverty and unemployment were the major causes of the decline of ubuntu among communities. The interlocutors indicated that the extreme poverty was caused by political tension, economic decline and cultural changes. They suggested that there should be a merging of cultures, focusing more on redressing the imbalances of the past, such as social justice, inclusivity and equity to restore ubuntu. In the same breath, this study will contribute to the promotion and encouragement of cultural beliefs that contributed to the values, such as social learning from elders, which developed self-identity and pride.