IPioneer yamakhambi

Igama lesiZulu elithi “muthi“, okusho ukuthi umuthi ujwayelekile kubantu abaningi baseThekwini noma ngabe yiluphi ulimi lwabo lwasekhaya. Imithi yendabuko yase-Afrika ibonakala isebenza ngomlingo wayo ezinkulungwaneni zabantu abadlula ezitolo zomuthi eThekwini.

Okuqukethwe

1 Indawo
2 Umsuka
3 Imakethe ehlosiwe
4 Umuthi kanye nenhloso yawo

Indawo


Itholakala enkabeni yenye yezindawo zokuhweba ezimatasa kakhulu nezithandwa kakhulu, iCross Street, iCV Pillay’s isitolo esisodwa esinjalo. Lesi sitolo singumgede omncane ka-Aladdin, wonke ama-intshi agcwele imihlanganiso yemifino. Ngamunye unomsebenzi othile wokwelapha. Umnikazi wesitolo, uRajan Pillay unolwazi oluhlaba umxhwele ngemikhiqizo ayithengisayo futhi ukhuluma isiZulu esiqondile.

Umsuka

Uyachaza ukuthi yibhizinisi lomndeni, elasungulwa nguyisemkhulu ongasekho, uMnumzane CV Pillay, owaqala ukusebenza ngamakhambi emuva ngonyaka we-1907. UCV Pillay ekuqaleni wayesebenza eNewcastle, ngaphambi kokuthuthela eThekwini. Ngaleso sikhathi kwakukhona oyedwa kuphela umhwebi endaweni, uMnumzane Cele. Ezinsukwini zokuqala imithetho yayiqinile yayivimbela ukuthengiswa kwezinto ezithile.

Ngisho nanamuhla, kusho uRajan, kudingeka imvume yokuthengisa izitshalo ezithile nezikhumba zezilwane. Ngosuku lukaCV Pillay, wahamba waya eRichmond nasezindaweni ezikude zaseTranskei ukuqoqa amakhambi nezimpande kubantu basemakhaya. Ubaba kaRajan, uSunny Pillay, wayevame ukuhamba nobaba wakhe ongasekho okuya kulezi zindawo.

Amakhambi ayivelakancane, akhula kuphela ezindaweni ezimbalwa futhi asetshenziselwa izinhloso zokwelapha kuphela, athengwa masonto onke. Namuhla ibhizinisi liqhutshwa ngendlela efanayo nesizukulwane esisha sePillays. USunny Pillay osethathe umhlalaphansi manje useyilungu elibhalisiwe leNatal Herb Traders and Healers Association, eyasungulwa ngo-1976.

Imakethe ehlosiwe

Amakhambi athengwa ngabantu abavela kuzo zonke izizinda zempilo, abafuna ukwelapha ukugula, ukuqondiswa ngokomoya kanye nosizo ngezinkinga zansuku zonke. Amakhambi abizwa nge ‘sbunge ’asetshenziswa ngosomabhizinisi ukukhulisa impumelelo yamabhizinisi abo.

Umuthi kanye nenhloso yawo

I-‘Siefo sugela ’iyinhlanganisela yamakhambi asetshenziselwa ukulawula amazinga kashukela egazini nomfutho wegazi ophezulu. Umuthi okuthiwa ‘impepho’ usetshenziselwa ukuxhumana namadlozi. Kushiswa ekhaya emicimbini lapho kufunwa khona izeluleko kokhokho . Umuthi okuthiwa ‘Isbaha ‘utholakala kumagxolo esihlahla esibabayo, futhi usetshenziswa njengengxenye yenhlanganisela yokulawula umkhuhlane.

‘Ishoba lenkonkoni’ – umsila wenyathi – ithwalwa izangoma (izangoma zendabuko) futhi isetshenziswe ekwenzeni amasiko abo. Isigaxa esimhlophe sobumba, esibizwa ngokuthi ‘umcako’, sisetshenziswa ebusweni bezangoma eziqeqeshwayo. Izigubhu zesikhumba nazo ziyatholakala, ukuze zisetshenziswe emicimbini nasemasikweni.

Kuya ngohlobo lwenhlanganisela eyodwa edingekayo, noma inhloso ehlosiwe, umuntu angasebenzisa noma yini kusuka kumakhulu amabili kuya kwamakhulu wamarandi ngomuthi. URajan uthi amakhasimende aqhamuka kulo lonke idolobha, nasezindaweni ezikude zasemakhaya, ezovakashela isitolo sakhe. Amaphesenti amaningi amakhasimende akhe  abelaphi bendabuko kanye namalungu emiphakathi , athola amakhambi nezimpande ngenhloso yokwelapha.

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