Amakhosazane yizintombi zaseKuphakameni (Shembe)ezizigcinile ubuntombi bazo. Inkosazane iqala ukuba yinkosazane isencane lapho isuke isabizwa ngeSheshakungena futhi ingakathombi. Kunemikhosi yamakhosazane engahanjwa yiSheshakungena okuwumkhosi waseNkatheni nomkhosi waseZibukweni. Yomibili lemikhosi ihanjwa amakhosazane asemadala noma asethombile.
Imikhosi yamakhosazane
Umkhosi waseNkatheni uba njalo mhla ziyisikhombisa kuNtulikazi eBuhleni. Izintombi ziyahamba ziye eNtanda okuyindawo ekudebuduze naseBuhleni, leyondawo yanikezelwa kuMqali wendlela okungumholi wokuqala webandla, yabe seyiba indawo amakhosazane aya kuyona ukuyokha uthingo abuyele nalo eBuhleni ngakusasa. Umkhosi waseZibukweni wenziwa mhla zingamashumi amabili nanhlanu kuMandulo. Izintombi ziya eZibukweni zibuye sezigqoke imjafethe (umnazaretha omude ofakwa neribhini) seziyokhunga umntwana.
IsSheshakungena lona lihamba uSabatha sikole kanye nensimbi. Amasheshakungena ayafundiswa ngenkonzo yobuNazaretha, imithetho, amaculo, indlela yokuziphatha, imilando yenkonzo, imigidi kanye nemikhuleko. Kunemikhuleko eyenziwa amasSheshakungena uma kunenkonzo enkulu eMatabetulu, lomkhuleko wabantwana wenziwa ekuseni kanye nantambama lapho kuphuma khona amaSheshakungena ashaye insimbi, ajikeleze aze ayongena lapho enzela khona umkhuleko. Uma efika khona ayacula bese eyakhuleka, lowomkhuleko uyahlonishwa kakhulu amanye amalunga ebandla.
Ukungena ebukhosazaneni
Uma iSheshakungena seliphuma esigabeni leso selingena ebuntombini ilapho lisuke seliqala ukuthomba, lokho kusuke kuchaza ukuthi ngeke lisazibandakanya namaSheshakungena kodwa selizohamba imikhosi yamakhosazane amadala. Inkosazane uma isingena emikhosini yamakhosazane iqala ngokuya kobhabhadiswa ukuze iphelele ngokwenkonzo yobuNazaretha, ngalokho isuke seyikhululekile ukuthi isingavunula, igide njengawo wonke amakhosazane agidayo, inikele neminikelo yamakhosazane.
Inkosazane uma iziphathe kahle iba nenhlanhla yokukhethwa ithole umendo ngendlela yobuNazaretha ngoba isuke ibugcinile ubuntombi bayo, ithole isibusiso senansuka eluhlaza. Uma inkosazane ingene emshadweni ngenansuka eluhlaza lokho kusuke kukhombisa ukuthi iziphathe kahle yaze yashada iyintombi.
Uma inkosazane ihlulekile okanye iphule umthetho yaqoma yabe seyikhulelwa, kuye kudingeke ukuthi ihlawule. Kudingeka ikhiphe umgezo wezintombi, igeze iThempeli bese igeza isihlalo senkosi. Uma isibelethile iyalinda umntwana aze abe nezinyanga ezintathu bese iyahlambuluka iphindele enkonzweni. Uma isiphindela enkonzweni izobe isigqoka umnazaretha wodwa, inqwaze ekhanda bese ihlala ngemuva komama eThempeleni. Ayibe isazihamba izinkonzo zamakhosazane ngoba isingumama, isuke isifanelwe ukuhamba izinkonzo zomama.
English Summary
Maidens in the Nazareth Baptist Church are divided into two groups. The young maidens are called amaSheshakungena and the older ones are called amakhosazane. The young maidens attend Sabbath School in the church to learn about the church rules, songs, church history and prayers. Young maidens do prayers at eBuhleni everyday at six o’clock in the morning and in the evening.
When the young maidens come into puberty they graduate to the second stage. From then on they can participate in all the ceremonies that are done by the older maidens. They go to Entanda to fetch uthingo and take it to the main temple of eBuhleni. That ceremony only takes place on the 7th of July every year. There is also another ceremony that is called Ezibukweni which takes place on the 25th of September every year.
If the maiden keeps her virginity until she gets married she will receive a blue cloth as a present from her parents to cover her shoulders on her wedding day, it proves that she got married as a virgin. If she gets pregnant before marriage it means that she needs to pay damages, she must pay money to cleanse the maidens, cleanse the Temple and cleanse the leader of the church and she must also cleanse herself so that she will go back to church. After that she will not participate in any ceremonies but will be part of the older women.
By: Zanele Shange