–– Paul Schlehlein

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Despite the influence of Christianity and Islam on the continent, Africans still attach tremendous honour to their ancestors. Ancestor worship is deeply engrained into the African belief system, its influence reaching the heights of political power. 

Ancestor Worship in Africa

For example, in the early days of Cyril Ramaphosa’s first term as president of South Africa, he focused on the country’s need for ancestral intervention. He called upon the leaders of his ANC political party to visit the graves of former presidents. They did this, he said, “to ask for a way forward.” 

For millennia, Africans have done this when faced with misfortune. “We go back to our ancestors to talk to them,” Ramaphosa said. So why did the ANC leaders visit the grave of former president Nelson Mandela? “To draw wisdom,” Ramaphosa said.