Ngibe nengxoxo noSizeni Shange ohlala endaweni yase-Inanda, Ohlange. Umama usixoxela ngendaba yokuthi uma indoda ingena unkosikazi kamfowabo kufanele ekugcineni itholeni uma sekuziwa ngezolobolo. Khumbula ukuthi phela umuntu uma engena unkosikazi kamfowabo usuke engamlobolanga, azikho izinkomo asuke ezikhiphile. Kusuke kuyinto ekusuke kuvumelene umndeni noma imindeni yabo bobabili ngayo.
Nokuthi uma indoda ifuna ukungena isuke yazi kahle ukuthi kuzoba khona izinto noma umfowabo esahamba emhlabeni ezizobizwa ngegama lakhe ngamafuphi izothola ifa. Noma angafike azale ingane nonkosikazi wengeno kodwa umthetho wesithu uthi zonke izingane kufanele azithathe njengezakhe nalezo zingane ekusuke kwengezika mfowabo. Ngoba phela vele babiza isibongo esisodwa bazalwa ndawonye.
Kodwa uma sekufika kulesi sigaba sokuthi kubekhona ingane yentombazane esifike esigabeni sokuthi iyagana, lezonkomo zamalobolo zizobiza umyeni wakhe lo owahamba owakhokha amalobolo ekhweni. Kuwumthetho wesintu ukuthi kube kanjalo. Ubaba lona wengeno kuthiwa uthola inkomo eyodwa eyinkunzi , zonke ezinye akanalo ilungelo lazo ukuthi angazibiza ngokuthi ezakhe. Noma ngabe kukhona izingane zakhe azizele lezozingane zithathwa njengokuthi ezikamfowabo . Konke okwenziwayo ekhaya kwenziwa ngendlela yomnikazi womuzi. Ngaphadle uma inkosikazi yalotsholwa ngokuphelele okwesibili ukuze akwazi ukuthi ambize ngegama lakhe, uma enze kanjalo yonke into izobiza yena ngoba usuke esefana nomuntu olobolile.
Nakhona ukungena umuntu kunezinkinga zakhona ngoba uma uthatha ubhekisisa kunabantu ababevele bangene omakoti babafowabo bengenzanga lutho njengokuxoxisana nomndeni. Leyento isuke iyicala ngoba kufuneka kube khona umndeni kubikwe yonke into kuvumelwane. Kwenziwe yonke into ngosiko ngoba uma kungenjalo uma umuntu esehambile emhlabeni uyafika ufune kuqalwe phansi angeniswe kahle ngembuzi. Noma esengasekho phele kuthiwa icala alipheli ube esecela mhlawumbe umfowabo osaphila ukuthi amenzele ukuze angene kahle emndenini wakubo.
Phela lento yokuthi inkomo yayiba yodwa ayitholayo ubaba lo osuke engene nkosikazi. Kwakuvikelwa ukuthi angathathi izinkomo zala kulendlu azisebenzise noma ikanjani. Njengokuthi nje athathe athi ufuna ukuthatha unkosikazi omunye acabange ukuthi uzothatha lezinkomo, cha kumele athathe kwezakhe. Lezozinkomo zithathwa njengokuthi kusuke kuzoba ezengane yomfana eyozisebenzisa uma isifuna ukuganwa nesintu siyasho ukuthi ayikho ezalela enye.
English Summary
Mama Sizeni Shange shared a very interesting story with us about the right of a man who takes over the wife of his late brother. This custom is still practised in some areas. It should involve the whole family so that there will be an agreement. In the olden days it was purely done so that the children will have a father figure who is also a family member and the children are used to him. In some instances lobola is not paid to the woman’s family but in rare cases a man will want to honour this tradition so that he can be free to call the house his as he would have paid lobola.
If we look at the man that does not pay lobola, he does not have any rights within that household for example, when there is a girl that is coming of age and there are people who are want to negotiate lobola. As much as he will be part of the process as the uncle that doesn’t give him any rights to the cattle for lobola. As a gesture the family can give him one bull and the rest goes to the wife’s children especially if there are boys. And also he does not have a say in other matters even when there are traditional ceremonies the family is going to follow the ways of the late husband.
By: Nqobile Mdabe