Abstract
The release of John Trengove’s film Inxeba stirred controversy, it thrust our attention to the
long-practised traditional male circumcision ritual within AmaXhosa, ulwaluko and fuelled the
interest in the discourse of traditional male circumcision. The fictional film shifted the
conversation around ulwaluko from whether it is right or wrong, whether it is beneficial or
detrimental, to what is it like for gay Xhosa men. It called for the investigation and critical
questioning of African traditions from different perspectives. This dissertation seeks to unpack
this discourse from a mental health perspective, and by looking at the role that ulwaluko has
on the construction of masculine identities and manhood for Xhosa gay men, while delving
into their lived experiences while undergoing ulwaluko. This study was an exploratory
qualitative study. The sample consisted of (n=6) that underwent ulwaluko in Eastern Cape
province in South Africa. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data on gay men’s
experiences of ulwaluko. All the interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed and analysed
using Braun and Clarke’s (2006) thematic analysis The study found four major themes
followed by subthemes i.e, Ulwaluko and the construction of masculinity, Ulwaluko and
mental health, there is no place for uncircumcised men in Xhosa culture and Gender is
perfomative. The study found that undergoing ulwaluko has both a positive and negative impact
on initiates’ mental health. Furthermore, undergoing the ritual allows for the unique
constructions of masculinity and manhood. Additionally, their lived experiences included the
performance of gender in a heteronormative, patriarchal space which only grants the status of
manhood and masculine identities to circumcised males. This study is a significant contribution
to understanding Xhosa masculinities in South Africa and the effect of the constructions of
masculinities on men’s mental health.
Keywords: Ulwaluko, mental health, masculinity, manhood, gay/queer.