All of us, at times in our lives, do things and say things we wish we had not. Shame or guilt can take over.
The concept of Sapubon (a Zulu word) is quite handy. For the Zulu community, no person is born evil. The community makes the person. Sometimes imbalances and crises can make an individual stray from their natural goodness. The community responds by conveying to the individual that they belong.
Human beings exist only if others see and accept them.
Nothing is more satisfying than being forgiven after a mistake. The person who thought they were in trouble because of their bad acts gets a second chance. The person is forgiven after a mistake and can leave the intervention feeling loved and accepted. There is an invitation to communicate and explore possibilities.
Sapubon, remind someone who commits an inappropriate or offensive act of their good deeds, virtues, successes, and great qualities. The purpose of the gatherings in the village centre is to remind the person of their innate goodness. The offender is shown how important they are to the rest of their community, which sees and accepts them. They are praised, given visibility so they can return to a path of harmony and joy. The community conveys to the individual that they belong and offers an opportunity to start over. ‘Sapu’ means to wipe, cleaning by rubbing with a cloth or similar. It can also refer to the action of using a broom to clean a surface.
