Kulempelasonto ephelile ngike ngavakashela indawo yakwaNdelu, eMzumbe, lapho kwazalelwa khona ubaba wami.
Ngagcina ukuvakashela le ndawo ngonyaka ka-2010 ngenkathi sizongcwaba ubaba. Ngangineminyaka eyishumi nanhlanu kanti nangaleso sikhathi sizongcwaba sahlala usuku olulodwa. Bengiqala ukuthola ithuba lokubhekisisa le ndawo lapho kwakhula khona umzali wami.
Njengomuntu okhulele elokishini nasedolobheni, indawo yasemakhaya bengiyibuka njengendawo embi engahaleleki futhi ekude nempilo ephusile.
Kepha le micabango ekhombisa ukungazi ikhahlelekile emqondweni wami ngenkathi ngizinika ithuba lokufunda kabanzi ngalomphakathi waseMzumbe neminye efana nawo.
Indawo yaseMzumbe ivele yangichaza ngobuhle ekuqukethe yize ihlaselwe izingqinamba njengokusweleka ngengqalasizinda.
Nazi izifundo eziyisihlanu engiziqaphelile ngoMzumbe:
- Kuyatshalwa emakhaya futhi badla ukudla okunomsoco
Imindeni yasemakhaya idla ukudla kwasemhlabathini wendawo. Ngalokhu ngisho ukuthi ukudla okuningi okudliwa abantu bendawo akubekwa isikhathi eside kwizibandaqhwe kodwa kukhiwa emasimini omndeni kudliwe. Ukudla kwabo kunomsoco ngoba akugcwele ama-preservatives nama-colourants. Imizi eminingi itshalile kanti usiko lokugcina imfuyo lisekhona. Ukushintshisana ngezitshalo, imfuyo ukudla kanye nembewu kuvamile. Akufani nasemadolobheni lapho usaba khona ukuyocela ushukela kamakhelwane.
- Inhlonipho namasiko kusalandelwa
Abantu basekhaya bayakholelwa kakhulu emasikweni kanti inkonzo eyaqalwa ngu-Isaiah Shembe ivamile. Usiko oluhle kunawo wonke atholakala emakhaya ilelo lokuhlonipha. Ngenkathi sihamba emgwaqweni nezihlobo zami siyokha amanzi, abantu bebesibingelela futhi bekhombisa intokozo ngokubonana nathi. Abanye bebebuya basibuze namagama ethu. Kanjalo ngithole ukwazi ngabantu abaningi ababazi ubaba wami, bengithi thasi ngezindatshana abazikhumbula ngaye, okunginike intokozo enkulu enhliziyweni.
- Kuyaphileka nasemakhaya. Kahle futhi!
Emakhaya aseMzumbe kukhona ugesi, amanzi ompompi asegcekeni, izikole, ihholo lomphakathi, izitodlwana kanye nokunye. Yize kungafani nasemadolobheni, impilo iyaqhutshwa emakhaya kanti okuhle izinhlelo zikahulumeni zokuthuthukisa le ndawo kangconywana. Kulezi zinhlelo zinhle kubalwa ukwakhiwa kwemigwaqo, ukuthuthukiswa kwezikole kanye nokunye.
- Isimo sokwakhe-ka kwemindeni kusafana nasemakhaya
Okokuqala nje, indawo ebuswa ubuholi bendabuko. Abantu besilisa banegalelo elikhulu kunabesifazane ngezinqumo ezithinta umphakathi. Imindeni eminingi isaqhuba indlela yakudala lapho khona obaba beyizinhloko zasemakhaya. Yibona futhi abathatha izinqumo ngezindaba zemindeni yabo kanti yibona abajwayele ukusebenzela emadolobheni. Abantu besifazane bona bajwayele ukuhlala emakhaya, balime engadini, bakhulise nabantwana. Yize ngingakholelwa ekutheni umuntu wesilisa ungaphezu kowesifazane, ngiyakuqonda ukuthi kanginalungelo lokugxeka le simo senhlalo. Ngithe uma ngixoxa namalunga omphakathi ngalesimo sokuhlala, ngathola ukuthi cishe bonke bebevumelana ngokuthi silungile futhi kabazimisele nangokusishintsha.
- Umphakathi wangempela!
Izindawo zasemakhaya imiphakathi yangempela. Umakhelwane uyamazi omunye umakhelwane, izingane zisadlala emigwaqweni ngokuphepha. Uthi uma uhamba emigwaqweni uzwe imizwilili yamaphimbo odado, becula amaculo kasontos’kole, abanye bedlale olayo nomagolobha. Imiphakathi yasemakhaya ayikahlaselwa kakhulu isimo sentsha eqedwe izidakamizwa kepha amanye amalungu omphakathi aseyaqala ukwesaba, akhala ngokuthi lelidimoni lingase lihlasele uma amathuba omsebenzi eqhubeka nokwentuleka. Kucacile ukuthi lemiphakathi ingalahlekelwa intsha yakhona uma zingaveli izindlela zokugcina intsha yakulemiphakathi emihle kangaka.
*This article, written in IsiZulu, narrates my perceptions of Umzumbe, the birthplace of my father.