WSU SOCIAL WORK LECTURER DELVES RETHINKING SOCIAL WORK IN ABAKHWETHA JOURNEYS

As traditional initiation continues to mark the transition into manhood for many Xhosa boys, questions are being asked about the kind of men society is shaping.

Walter Sisulu University’s Luvo Kasa is reshaping how social work engages with traditional male initiation (ulwaluko) in the Eastern Cape.

His PhD research, conducted in the OR Tambo, Amathole, and Alfred Nzo districts, argues for a decolonised, culturally grounded approach to social work, one that prioritises the psychological and emotional wellbeing of abaKhwetha (initiates).

His study challenges the Eurocentric foundations of social work, which often fail to connect with the lived realities of communities engaged in initiation.

Although the Customary Initiation Act 12 of 2021 refers to psychosocial readiness, Kasa argues that it is unclear who is responsible for assessing this.

“It cannot be a medical practitioner,” he explains. “It should be a social worker—trained and culturally informed—who understands the complexities initiates face.”

Too often, departments apply the Act without considering who within the Department of Social Development is best suited to play this role. “At an imbizo, I found the representative was a researcher, not a social worker. That limits the value we can offer,” says Kasa.

To address this gap, Kasa proposes three frameworks for a decolonised model of practice: Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS), Afrocentricity, and Ubuntu.

IKS offers cultural insights into who may speak or act in certain rites. Afrocentricity promotes community-based care, rather than the individualistic models common in Western practice. Ubuntu encourages empathy, mutual respect, and collective wellbeing.

“Social work in its current form doesn’t prioritise interconnectedness,” he says. “A decolonised model would position social workers to collaborate meaningfully with families, communities, and cultural leaders.”

Kasa believes that reimagining social work in this way not only protects initiates from harm but strengthens the profession’s relevance in African contexts. His work contributes to the growing call for socially responsive, culturally attuned service delivery in marginalised communities.

This, in line with Goal 10 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals: Reduced Inequalities which promotes the inclusion and empowerment of culturally marginalised communities by recognising and integrating Indigenous Knowledge Systems, Afrocentric values, and Ubuntu into mainstream social work.

By Ongezwa Sigodi