Abstract:
Research has been conducted by Mönnig (1967), Lewis (1976) and the Worlddbook Encyclopaedia (2000) regarding the Bapedi traditional marriage system. However, although all three research projects focus on the Bapedi marriage system, none describes the stages of the marriage that are expected in the Sepedi marriage system. Nor do they mention the final stage of the system, known as ‘go beka’. The current study therefore focuses on this practice within the marriage system, with special reference to the Matlala tribe residing in the area of Moutse in the Limpopo Province, which is one of the provinces in South Africa. The research explores the conventions of the Matlala ethnic group, which is sub-divided into different small villages each falling under its own traditional leader. The analysis finds that the traditional marriage system of the Matlala tribe, unlike that of other ethnic groups, has stages within the marriage system that are different from the others including Bapedi tribes in general. The main difference in the traditional marriage system is founded on the fulfilment of the final stage called ‘go beka’ which, if not performed, would mean that the traditional marriage process is not yet complete. This process has not yet been explained in detail in the Sepedi literatures. That is why the present study maintains that, because the earlier research has not taken the ‘go beka’ stage into consideration in spite of the fact that this stage is significant in the traditional marriage process of the Bapedi, it is important to examine the practice. Therefore, the stage of ‘go beka’ has been elaborated on in detail in the research on the ‘Bapedi ba Matlala’ in Moutse. This thesis focuses on the differece between the marriage system itself and the final stage in the marriage system as well as other aspects connected with the Matlala traditional marriage system in general. In addition, this research describes how the stages of traditional marriage are given effect in the traditional marriage system of the Bapedi, with reference to the Matlala tribe of Moutse. The main aims of this thesis have been (a) to examine how, in general, the stages of marriage system are intertwined when compared with the main concept of the Sepedi marriage system, with special reference to that of the Matlala tribe in the area of Moutse; and (b) to analyse the usage of language, types of developmental incidents including (c) poems, traditional dances and songs used during these types of ceremonies.
