Murundu

About the rite

Among the Vhavenda, Murundu, also rendered Muḽa in recent writing, is a boys’ initiation school that prepares participants for adult male responsibilities. Through instruction and communal experience with initiated elders, boys learn family obligations, respect for authority, self-control, and participation in community life. Completion signifies manhood as a social status that requires responsible conduct, not age alone.

A 2026 research synthesis cites 2023 ethnographic work in Vhembe District reporting that boys still attend these schools. The year 2023 identifies the ethnographic record, not the initiation date of each participant.