The Legacy of Inkaba, The Story of Barbara Lawrence-Strydom, the Aunty of Africa

In the first cycle of my life, the first seven years, as I reflect on my story, I met my mum at 8:30 pm on 10 November 1971, just five hours before my dad’s 21st birthday.

Now, I have completed another seven-year cycle, marked by the completion of my Inkaba tour—a profound spiritual journey into my roots. In Zulu culture, Inkaba refers to the umbilical cord, symbolising a deep connection to one’s origins and ancestral lineage. This journey has been about more than retracing my steps; it has been about reconnecting with where I come from and understanding the ties that bind me to my past.

Between these milestones lies a story of discovery, healing, and legacy, woven into the complex and often painful fabric of South Africa’s history. Each step has shaped me, grounding me in the strength of my ancestry while guiding me toward a deeper understanding of myself and my place in the world.

At each place I visited, I performed ceremonies to give thanks, cleanse myself, and heal from the hidden traumas I unknowingly inherited at birth. My arrival into this world in 1971, as the child of Zelda Lawrence (née Anderson) and Mitchell Lawrence, was shaped by the harsh realities of apartheid South Africa. My father, born in 1950, was the first official “coloured” member of his family, a legacy weighted with both complexity and consequence. My story begins.

I was the first on my father’s side to be born in a hospital called Addington Hospital, a place steeped in the shadows of segregation and systemic injustice. This is not just a story of beginnings; it is a testament to the legacy of Inkaba, the deep connection between personal history and national identity at the heart of South Africa.

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