NGOLWESITHATHU olwedlule kufike eMlambomunye, umama nabafana ababili beqhamuka eMondlo, belayishe inkomo emotweni, eyisithole esibomvu. Uma bebuzwa esangweni, bathi bathunywe lapha khaya ukuba balethe le nkomo njengesipho sokuzobonga ngabenzelwe khona yithongo nesigodlo saseMlambomunye. Izingane zaseMlambomunye, ziqale zacabanga ukuthi badukile ezigcine zibiza umakhosi uMaThabethe ukuba zithole ukuthi uyabazi yini na?
Umakhosi naye ngokungaqondi ugcine ebiza mina, engifike ngabuza ukuthi ngakube beze lapha ekhaya yini na? Kanti umakhosi uMaThabethe ubese ebakhumbula ukuthi bake bafika laba bantu ngoba esebhekisisa umama abebehamba naye. Uma sebebuzwa, bathi bacela yonke inkulumo bayethulele ngaphakathi endumbeni.
Nebala inkomo ayithululwangwa ngaphambi kokuba kuqondakale ukuthi kwenzenjani. Umama useyachaza ukuthi wafika ngasekuqaleni konyaka esehambe kwaqothuka izinyawo esekhokhe esedelile, kangangokuba nemali yokuzogezwa eMlambomunye, wayiboleka kumngani wakhe owayelokhu amlekelela kukhona konke okwakwenzeka kuyena. Kodwa ufika nje eMlambomunye, umngani wayeseshilo ukuthi usemsiza okokugcina.
Kulapho avuke khona watshelwa ukuthi inkinga ayikho ezinganeni, azinalutho. Watshengiswa ithambo elalichithwa, nababekhuluma esigodlweni bathi nguyena owavala idlozi elalifuna ukumnikeza umsebenzi. Ngokulivala kulapho inhlupheko yaqala khona ezinganeni zakhe waze washiywa ngumyeni wakhe. Kulapho ayephuma engena, bengasho ukuthi bazomvulela idlozi alivala kodwa bathi unesilwane, abanye bathi uthakathiwe kwaze kwanukeka umfowabo okunguyena ayesehemba naye ngelanga lokulethwa kwenkomo.
Uma umama efika eMlambomunye, kwatholakala ukuthi ubalekele umsebenzi ayewunikezwe yisalukazi, ngakho amantombazane akhe amathathu, amambili aneziqu zasenyuvesi ayengasebenzi, engagani, eyodwa yakhuleliswa kodwa yaphikwa, kungenxa yakhe ngokungamukeli umsebenzi walesi salukazi.
Abafana bakhe bobabili babengasebenzi futhi kungenzeki lutho. Kunezingane ezazingamawele ezaphuphuma ngenyanga yesithupha, nobaba wasekhaya washona ngendlela engaqondakali. Konke ekhaya bekumnyama kungenzeki lutho.
Akukho ayengasakwenzanga etshelwa khona yindodana yakhe ephakathi kwamantombazane eyase izinikele ukuba iyothwasa njengelokhu yayilokhu ibeleselwe yisangoma sasendaweni, ukuthi izinto zabo ukuze zilunge kuyofanele ukuba ithwase ngoba ingukhiye wekhaya.
Kwathi lapho isithi iyothenga izinto zokungena ephehlweni yagingqika nemoto. Uma isiya komunye wayitshela ukuthi kunoyise omncane obathakathayo, ongafuni basebenzise ithongo lasekhaya, okulapho kwaqala khona udweshu lokungezwani emndenini wonke.
Kuningi okwehlakalele lo mndeni, utshelwa izinto ezehlukene. Njengenhlalayenza endumbeni eMlambomunye, bangena imizuzu eyisithupha kuphela abatshelwa khona abazange bakukholwe, baphuma bezibuza ukuthi babuye bezokwenza lokhu okuthiwa abakwenze noma cha?
Bathi baphikisana baze bayongena ekhaya, okwathi kamuva indodakazi encane, yathi umama akenze uzokuzibuyela eyedwa. Kulapho umama abuyela kumngani wakhe owamboleka imali yokuba babuye.
Namhlanje-ke sebelethe inkomo abayithunywe yisalukazi esingumamezala sithi abalethe inkomo, okuyinto okwakubongwa ngayo emandulo uma usizakele, hhayi imali.
Bazobonga nje, kwathi kusasele izinsuku ezine begezile eMlambomunye, umfana owakhulelisa indodakazi yakhe umama, wathumela umyelezo wokuthi bazocela indodakazi. Omunye wabizwa emsebenzini okwase kuphele izinyanga ezine inhlolo-luvivinyo yenziwa, ukuba aqale emsebenzini.
Bafika bonke, sebeyasebenza. Amaphupho afika ubuthaphuthaphu, betshelwa ilowo nalowo ukuthi kufanele benzeni ukuze izinto zabo zilunge. Okukhulu okwabashiya beshaqekile, batshelwa nokuthi uyise washona kanjani, nokuthi umsebenzi umama angawuthathanga usuzothathwa ngubani. Bathi akekho oyomthwasisa, bayozithwasisela bona, futhi ngeke agane akakhohlwe ngoba bafuna ngalo bunyanga, bavuse babuyise izinto ezalahleka emandulo kulo mndeni.
Yethulwa inkomo esibayeni, kwaphahlwa, okwathi kusenzeka lokho, indodakazi okuyiyona abathi izothatha umsebenzi, yashayeka phansi kwakhuluma obathumile ukuthi bayabonga.
Bese behambe izigwadule, amahlathi nasezimvuleni bengasizakali kodwa bafika kumama bathi akavule umsakazo ngoLwesithathu kukhona azokuzwa. Uma esho yena umama, uthi wayengalaleli umsakazo ngaleso sikhathi ngoba engazi kukhulunywa ini. Wathi uma eselalela wezwa uhlelo i-Ngono Yomsamo, kanti ngalelo langa sizokube sikhuluma ngokuba nedlozi bese umsebenzi uwuvala kumbe uwenze okwakho njengalaba abayaye bathi “mina ngakuguqula ngakwenza okomthandazo”.
Emveni kokuba elalelile, uthi kwadlula izinsuku ezintathu kwafika sona futhi isalukazi sathi: “Uzwile mntanami, usuyongifica eMlambomunye,” kulapho athi noma exakekile kokwenzekayo wazitshela ukuthi akaye ayozwa. Yilapho athatha khona izingane zakhe ezine wahamba nazo, omunye engekho ngoba wayezokuya kunhlolo-sivivinyo.
Esekhuluma umama uthi wayengakholelwa ekutheni izingane uzizala, zingavalwa nguwena ngamacala akho, wayengizwa ngisho oKhozini ukuthi izingane azinalutho, abazali abangadedeli izingane ziyohlola zodwa ngoba kuzokufike kuthiwe azidle amagobongo.
Ezakhe zase ziwadle zonke, zinele ziwadle kube mnyama kunakuqala. Isipho-ke senkomo saqhamuka kanjalo ekhona njengamanje esibayeni eMlambomunye, nakhona osekubonakala sengathithi imithi.
Bhedlindaba “VVO” Ka Lu Phuzi Mkhize (PhD
Isigodlo saseMlambomunye : School of African Indigenous Science.
Gauteng: 010 007 5294/5
KZN: 087 11 00 555.