African Funeral Ceremonies as African Humanism in Action

From arranging the 'coming out' of a new-born baby and/or initiates, the sending out of bornmaditsela (marriage negotiators), and the eventual the marriage of a daughter, the programming of all events and so on, Africans have constantly displayed a heightened sensitivity towards cordial interactions, especially amongst themselves. It is at junctures such as funerals that the concept of African Humanism, which, by the way, is part of living, is made explicit. This paper focuses on the process Africans undertake from the time death is announced, through the night vigil, the population of the funeral day programme and the actualisation of the service to its completion. Beyond mere description, this article is focusing on the philosophical and the methodological issues that are taken into consideration during the process could be harnessed for modern day application.