Live traditional hand piano (mbila) music, musangwe demonstrations, accompanied by simultaneous hand clapping, filled the air as the casket containing the remains of the esteemed mbila musician, Vho-Ratshalingwa Colbert Ndiitwani, was lowered to its final resting place.
Ndiitwani (72) of Vondwe village outside Thohoyandou was laid to rest on Saturday, 15 October. He was a popular figure during all musangwe tournaments, where he would be strumming his favourite instrument - much to the amusement of other participants. He passed away on 7 October.
Musangwe or bareknuckle fist fighters from all over Vhembe, relatives and friends gathered at his home to bid him a well-deserved final farewell. The late Ndiitwani's nephew, Mr Michael Ndiitwani, said his uncle was the best mbila player to have emerged in Vhembe in recent times and that no bareknuckle fistfight tournament would be complete without him playing for the fans and the fighters.
"We were not surprised to see his colleagues approaching us as a family, requesting that they have a part during his funeral. We could not refuse them as his mbila and musangwe had become part of his life. The fighters handled the item very well, with a mbila player and fighters demonstrating their skills. We are very humbled as a family. Their involvement soothed our hearts, and this memory we will keep and cherish forever," Ndiitwani said. He added that the family regretted that Colbert's music had not been recorded for future references.
Mr Fhatuwani Nethononda, who is the Vhembe traditional-boxing (musangwe) secretary, said they felt as an organisation that they should give Ndiitwani a send-off befitting his love of musangwe and the mbila instrument. "Ndiitwani worked tirelessly to bring the sport of musangwe to where it is today. His music and its melody was unique and inspired fighters, encouraging them to take part. His contribution is immense and could not be underplayed. This is to honour him and, as an organisation, we will always remember him," he said.
Ndiitwani is survived by his wife, nine children, ten grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.