Kudala kuthiwa bezandile izipoki, abantu bebezibona, noma besebekwazi ukubona noma ukuzwa izimpawu uma sebesendaweni enesipoki. Abantu abadala bathi lomuntu osuke esezopoka yingoba ebuyiswe ezulwini mhlawumbe usuke ehambe kabi emhlabeni, mhlawumbe ubenenhliziyo embi esalapha emhlabeni wase uMvelinqangi wamxosha. Okunye okushiwoyo ukuthi imbangela yokupoka yingoba bebesuke bengcwatshwe bephelele, kudala umuntu uma eshone namhlanje ngakusasa wayefihlwa. Ngaleyondlela babefihlwa bengahlanziwe uma bebulawe ngesikhathi noma ngengozi. Ziningi izindlela abantu abakholelwa ukuthi zingasetshenziswa ukuthi kuxoshwe ngazo isipoki. Abanye bebezixosha ngosawoti oyimatshe, abanye ngamafutha omhlaba uma bezohamba kuzoze kuhwalale bebewafaka esikhwameni, ukwenzela ukuthi uma sebefike endaweni enaso bawahlafune futhi bawahlikihle nasekhanda baze bakhulume bathi “hamba moya omubi”.
Kuthiwa kukhona isipoki esasikhona emhosheni thizeni kaMachanca, kuthiwa sasimandla kubantu besilisa laba ababedlula lapho bedakiwe. Kunenkolelo yokuthi kwakungesomuntu wesifazane, umuntu wesilisa wayesibuka bese kuba ukuthi usehlabene ngentombi ababevuma ukuthi basibonile bathi kwakubathatha isikhathi ukuthi babone ukuthi akusiyena umuntu ophilayo kodwa isipoki. Kuthiwa sasisihle, sibukeka futhi sigqoka kahle. Langa limbe insizwa eyayiziphuzele amanzi amponjwana yadlula ngalapho kukhona khona lesipoki sentokazi, yazithela kuso.
Insizwa yabona ukuthi ihlabene yangabe isapholisa maseko yashela baze bavumelana kwaba nokuyilangazelela lentombi kulensizwa yafisa nokuyivakashela endlini yalentombazane. Nangempela kuthiwa bahamba. Kuthiwa kwase kungathi izithandani ezikade zazana indlela ababenza ngayo. Bahamba baze bafika endlini yayo lentombazane eyabe ihlanzekile futhi ihlotshiswe ngokumhlophe kodwa ngaphakathi. Bazijabulisa njengezithandi .
Kuthiwa insizwa yaphaphama sekusile, ingasagqokile ilele ngesisu. Yavuka yaphuthuma izingubo zayo kwazise nabantu ababezihambela izindlela zabo base bebonakala beyibuka ukuthi beyenzani ehlathini ingagqokile. Nangampela igqoke insizwa ihambe ibuyele ekhaya kubo. Abantu abadala baziwa ngokuthi izinto bayazibona futhi bayazazi. Bayibona insizwa ukuthi kakhulu okwenzekile kuyona babona nezimpawu ezithile ezihlanganiswa nokulala nesipoki kodwa okwathi uma beyibuza yaphika yama entabeni.
Yagula lensizwa yonda emzimbeni, isihlale igodola futhi izwa nobuhlungu obukhulu uma ichama. Kwaze kwasuka umuntu womndeni owayihlalisa phansi wayibuzisisa ngosuku engabuyelanga ngalo ekhaya ukuthi kwenzekani? Yalisho iqiniso ngoba yayidinga usizo seyizame konke kodwa ingasizakali. Bayibonisa ngokuthi ayibuyele kuleyondawo eyahlangana khona nentokazi leyo futhi bayitshela neqiniso ukuthi yalala nesipoki, ifike khona ikhulume nayo ukuthi ayiphinde iyange khona kuzophela ukugula. Nangampela wabuyela kuso lesosipoki wasithethisa wasitshela ukuthi sewafa wena thatha lokhu kugula kwakhona ongishiye nakho kuthiwa kwaba ukukhihlika kwaso ilangabi elikhulu sanyamalala, wasinda sangasaphinde sabonwa.
Omunye umama owashona ngokuzikhunga endlini yakhe, yena kuthiwa njalo ntambama wayebuya. Ngokwesintu kunenkolelo yokuthi uma umuntu ezikhungile kufanele labo abazomfica baqale ngokumshaya noma bamthethise ngomkhuba omubi awenzile ngaphambi kokuthi bamethule. Kuthiwa lomama abomndeni abakwenzanga lokho, bamethula wase eyangcwatshwa. Ukushaya isidumbu kuthiwa kuyasiza nokuxosha umkhokha ekhaya. Lomama njalo wayebuya ntambama abuyele kwakhe. Kuzothi abasendlini izingane nendoda yakhe bezwe ngesifudumezi, kushwaqe izinwele ngaphambi futhi kokungena kwakuzwakala nangesishingishane somoya uma esangaphandle.
Umyeni wakhe waya kobika kubo kamfazi, bafika kwenzeka leyonto eshiwo ngumkhwenyana. Kwadingeka ukuthi bamthethise, okwenziwa umfowabo kamakoti nomyeni wakhe beshintshana. Ngemuva kwalokho akaphindanga wabuya. Esinye isipoki sike sidlale ngomuntu simhambise kuze kuse azibone esevuvukalelwe izinyawo.
English Summary
We are looking at two legends in our communities about ghosts. Whether you believe in them or not it’s your personal decision but these are common stories in rural areas. First one is about a ghost believed to be a young lady who targeted man. One night a drunken man met this beautiful woman and was attracted to her. They exchanged few words and agreed that they will go to the woman’s place for the night. As they left the spot where the woman was standing, they looked like old partners and when they reached her place it was beautiful and was decorated in white. What happened inside only God knows but the man woke up the next morning sleeping on the ground naked.
He noticed that people were already walking past him in different directions wondering what he was doing in the forest naked. It is said that he put on his clothes and quickly went home, remembering about a beautiful woman he met a night before. Old people at home saw signs that he was with a ghost but he denied everything. He started to get sick and tried everything to treat himself but nothing worked. Until one family member sat him down and made him to tell the truth. He was advised to return to the spot where he met the woman and speak to her. He did that and was healed, it is said that the woman disappeared from that confrontation.
Second story is about a woman who committed suicide. In a Zulu culture when someone commits suicide before they remove them, an adult person at home should talk to them (shout) and even hit the corpse. This is done to stop them from coming back as they have taken their life and also to stop attracting unpleasant consequences to the family. The woman was buried without doing this and she came back as a ghost. When she comes the family will experience heat and the back of their hair will stand. The husband ended up consulting with her family and they came to witness that and when they realised that it was the truth her older brother and husband shouted at her to tell her that she is no longer alive, she must go back to where she was buried and not to bother the family again.
Some people will use rough salt to chase away ghosts and others will use certain animal fat that they carry with them or smear over their heads and hands.
By: Nelisiwe Hlongwane