Umkhuba noma lelisiko lokubaleka kwamakoti lwenziwa njengengxenye yesikhathi lapho sekuqomene ababili, intombi isuke iyoziveza kubo kwensizwa leyo okugcina kuholela emalobolweni. Uma intombazane ikhetha ukubaleka, ihambisana nomngani wayo omkhulu, izonyonyoba iyongena egcekeni lakubo kansizwa lena athandana nayo. Lapho igqoke isidwaba, lesi asithathe kubo emagcekeni kayise. Bafika lapha ngesikhathi lapho ilanga liyozilahla kunina, lapho abantu sebengenile nasemagumbini abo. Iyothi lapho ingena emagcekeni akubo kasoka, igudle ingxenye yangakwesokudla legceke belibangise egumbini lendlunkulu lapho intombi eqomile iyofika igoye khona.
Nalabo bashadikazi bayongena ke lapho kunentokazi le eqomile kulowomuzi bafike bakhombise ngokwesiko ukuthi uma intombi isishadile iyohlala lapho nayo kanjalo. Kothi lapho zonke izintokazi nabashadikazi sebehleli lapho elawini, kuyobe sekungena enye yezinsizwa bese ifike ibuza ukuthi ukhwela ngobani? Lapho ke intokazi iyosho igama lesoka layo leyo okuyinsizwa yalapha kulomuzi.
Lapho ke insizwa iyowahola amantombazane ihambe nawo, bese ke intombi leyo iyobe isikhonjiswa igumbi thizeni ukuba iyongena kulona. Lapho ezinye izintombi ezihamba nayo zizonqaba zize ziphiwe isibizo esiyisipho sembuzi kanye nemadlana ephuma kubaba womfana. Imbuzi leyo ibizwa ngomngenisandlini noma umhlaliso. Kothi uma isingenile ke bese yenqaba ukuhlala phansi ngoba ifuna isipho phambi kokuba ihlale phansi. Iyothi ingasithola isipho leso bese iyahlala phansi. Kothi lapho sekulethwa ukudla khona, iphinde ikunqabe baze bayinike isipho esiyimbuzi ebizwa ngokuthi indlakudla ukumenza ukube akhululeke adle. Zonke lezizipho ziba izipho zalabo abaphahle intombi njengoba ize lapha kubo kasoka layo. Lezi zipho zikhombisa ubudlelwane obuhle kanye nempatho anayo umlisa lona intombi esuke ize kubo.
Lena yezimbuzi ezintathu ezibaliwe kwenzeka uma umndeni wakubo kamfana umi kahle, kodwa uma bengekho kahle, imbuzi eyodwa yanele, ukweleka zonke lezi ezinye. Imbuzi ebizwa ngokuthi imvuma iyahlatshwa kubo kansizwa ukukhombisa ukwamukelwa kwentombazane ngosuku lokubaleka. Kweminye imizi noma izigodi, lokhu kuhlatshwa kwembuzi kuyaye kwenziwe phambi kokuba ivakashele kubo kasoka. Lokhu kuba yinto yentsha kuphela esuke ikhona lapho kuhlatshwe khona lembuzi. Izintokazi ziletha umqombothi kulomkhosi wedili lokuhlatshwa kwalembuzi. Kothi lapho intombi uma isisemagcekeni akubo kansizwa ngosuku lokubaleka, izinhloko zegceke zihlangane nebandla ukubazisa ukuthi icala lisemagcekeni. Emva kwalokho ke intombi isiphindele kubo, abakhongi bakhethwa ukwenza amalungiselelo elobolo. Abakhongi bese beyathunywa ke kubo kantombi nelobolo lelo ekuba khona izinkomo zekhethelo ubaba womfana azikhiphile ukukhombisa abakhongi njengelobola.
English Summary
When a girl resorts to ukubaleka she is accompanied by her best friend. She wears a leather skirt stolen from her father’s kraal. They arrive after sunset when people are in their huts. On entering the kraal they walk up the right side of the kraal of the main house where she tips a dish carried for this purpose and then remains silent. Marriage parties would also enter the main house as a sign that the bride would like to be placed there when married. Everybody knows the meaning of the visit and they are asked who is the boyfriend or partner.
The girls would be shown a hut to enter but they refuse until given a present of a goat or some money by the boy’s father. This goat is called umngenisandlini (‘enter the hut’) and then the girl would refuse to sit on the mat until another gift of value is given to her, again she will not touch food until a gift of a goat would be given to her. This goat is called indlakudla, often given a day after her arrival to ‘open her mouth to eat’. All these gifts become the girl’s companion gifts. It is important to note that only in wealthy families that more than one goat would be given as a gift, in some only one goat can be given for all of the above.
By: Mbusiswa Jerry Zuma
Reference: The Social System of the Zulus by Eileen Jensen Krige