"Umona usuka esweni"- Narratives of Umona in Eskhawini & KwaMashu, Kwa-Zulu Natal.

Abstract

This thesis explores umona as a socially rooted force shaping relationships, fuelling conflict, and influencing religious and communal life. Rooted in social proximity, umona reveals itself among close kin such as, friends and community members. It is driven by economic disparities and personal achievements. Scholars highlight jealousy in African contexts as intertwined with social responsibilities, power struggles, and spiritual anxieties, making it essential to understanding community dynamics. Within religious spaces, umona operates inconsistently. Churches deny its presence, yet Christian principles themselves enable its growth. Through narratives from religious and community leaders, this study reveals umona as an internal dynamic shaping church relations, accusations, and spiritual struggles. This research asks: How do community leaders in KwaMashu and Eskhawini understand, narrate, and respond to conflicts of umona? Using ethnographic methods, interviews, discourse analysis, and participant observation, I examine how umona is expressed in spaces where social mobility, religion, and tradition intersect. Findings suggest that umona, while disruptive, can be managed through collective resolution. Community leaders, including pastors and traditional healers, intervene through dialogue, rituals, and local intervention. By framing umona as a social phenomenon, this thesis contributes to anthropological debates on emotion, spirituality, and conflict resolution in South Africa.