Ukukhuliswa kwengane yentombazane neyomfana ekhaya kuhlukile kakhulu. Uma ingane yentombazane izelwe ekhaya iyabikwa empepheni, ikhule ibhekiwe amaqhikiza, ogogo, nabanye abantu besifazane basendaweni ngoba beyilungiselelwa ukuthi iyogana emzini yabantu kumele ke iziphathe kahle ngokwesimilo, nangenhlonipho ingabi uvanzi. Nasekhaya kubo bebeyenzela yonke imicimbi eqondene nayo ukuze kuvuleleke izinhlanhla zayo ingagugeli ekhaya.
Inhlanhla enkulu ebebeyicela njalo empepheni bekuba wumendo kumyeni onothile ukuze ingahlupheki ingane yabo. Nayo-ke bekumele izigcine kahle ubuntombi bayo ukuze ubaba wayo athole izinkomo eziphelele mhla kuthiwa igana. Uma intombi ilahlekelwe ubuntombi isasekhaya, kuyadingeka ukuthi ngelinye ilanga icele kubazali bayo uxolo bese yenze futhi uxolo nakubantu abangasekho ngembuzi noma ngezinkukhu, ukuze kuvuleleke inhlanhla. Iyaye ixhumane kakhulu nomama wayo ukulungiselela lomcimbi woxolo kubazali nasemadlozini.
Okwenziwa abazali bayo
Iqale yenzelwe isiphandla sembeleko, lapha isuke ibikwa emadlozini akubo ukuthi bayikhulise bayivikele bayiphe inhlanhla, ikhule kahle. Bayibheka ngeso lokhozi abadala ngoba uma seyihlosa , amabele abhulwa ngeduku ukuwabuyisela emuva. Ingene ebudaleni noma ithombe. Ngosuku lokuqala nje lokungena esikhathini kwayo intombazane, iyabika ekhaya ukuthi kwenzakalani kuyo bese kubikelwe nogogo bayo ingane, nabanye emndenini ukuze bakwazi ukuyinika indawo yayo ngoba yona kumele izithobe ngalesisikhathi.
Umama ubikela ubaba wayo bese ibizelwa endlini ilulekwe, bese kulungiswa indlu lapho ezogonqa khona, igcotshwe ibomvu umzimba wonke, ibomvu uphawu lokuphuma esigabeni sobungane nendlela yokuxhumaniswa nabangasekho ukuthi bayibone bayivikele. Ihlala lapho izinsuku eziyisikhombisa emgonqweni, iphuma ebusuku kuphela ukuthi ishaywe umoya. Emzimbeni wayo isuke ingagqokile kodwa imbethe ingubo yokulala, uma bephuma bayaphelezelana nalaba abayigongqisile. Isuke yenzelwa yonke into abakubo njengokudla. Igeza emfuleni ntambama sekungasekho bantu abangayibona, yona ngoba isuke isemgongqweni. Uyelulekwa achazelwe nangesigaba asengene kusona, atshelwe nangendlela yokuziphatha njengokusoma, ukuphendula izisheli njalonjalo.
Ngosuku Lomcimbi
Ngosuku lwesikhombisa iyaphuma ezintathakusa iye emfuleni kosusa ibomvu, uma sebephuma endlini baphuma ngamajubane beqe umlilo beqonde emfuleni bageze kuze kukhanye babuyele ekhaya kubo sekuhlatshiwe, ukugeza ibomvu kuwuphawu lokuthi usephumile ebunganeni usekwesinye isigaba manje. Baqale bahlale ngaphansi kwesihlahla esingaphandle komuzi balinde ukubizwa ukuthi bangene emagcekeni sebezogida. Bese kuyadliwa kubuswe lapha ekhaya. Lowomcimbi ubizwa ngokuthi umhlonyane wenzelwa umuntu wesifazane osayintombi nto. Ubaba wentombi owenzayo noma ubhuti wayo intombazane. Yenzelwa nembuzi, ishiselwe impepho kwaziswe idlozi ngento eyenzekayo egcekeni, ngoba kuzobe kukikizwa kumele bazike abangasekho.
English Summary
From an early age girls and boys are treated differently even the customs performed for each child is different. Girls are groomed for their own homes and when all the customs are done they don’t forget to ask for marriage luck from ancestors. Some parents try their best to do all the expected customs associated with a girl child. From the custom of slaughtering a goat to introduce the girl child to the ancestors, to when she reaches puberty another goat slaughtering and a big celebration after seven days. The last customary celebration is umemulo when she comes of age and a cow is slaughtered symbolising that she is a virgin and respected her parents.
However, when she falls pregnant before marriage a girl is expected to or can ask forgiveness from her parents and ancestors by slaughtering a goat. She mainly consults with her mother who then tells her husband about what their daughter is planning.
By: Nelisiwe Hlongwane