Injabulo inse nocwephe lensipho yokugeza lona olushelela ezandleni, olungabambeki. Uma kuzalwa umuntu, abantu bayaphuphuma injabulo, ngoba ukufika komuntu emhlabeni kuyabungazwa. Nokho ke, injabulo akusiyona into yaphakade, njengoba ukufa kungazibekile phansi, kugadla kuphindelela, okuyiyonanto eqophisana nenjabulo. Ukufa akusabi nsizwa, akusabi ntombi, akusabi saguga akusabintsha, akusabi Makhosi ezizwe akusabi bafokazane, ngoba kuwathathile amaqhawe adume ngemisebenzi yawo kwaZulu, okubalwa namakhosi nezinduna zesizwe. Uma kushoniwe ngokwesintu kuyazilwa, kodwa ke akuzilelwa wonke umuntu futhi kuya ngokuthi umuntu udlule kanjani emhlabeni, uma kungakathunwa noma ingakatshalwa inkosi, awathintwa nhlobo amageja emasimini, akulinywa.
Zintathu izinhlobo zokufa ngokuhlukana kwazo, kukhona ukudlula emhlabeni ngokuzuma, okuyikhona okuthusayo. Lokhu kubalwa kukho ukusala empini zibambene, ukwemuka nomfula uyotheza ilala, ukugwiliza, ukushawa umphezulu uma liduma, ukusha nendlu, kanye nokufa engozini yemoto njalonjalo. Umuntu odlule emhlabeni ngokuzuma akakhalelwa noma akalilelwa futhi akazilelwa. Kepha kuthathwa izimpahla zakhe kanye nemvunulo yakhe iyiswe eduze nala akadlulela khona emhlabeni ukuze afihlwe nayo, okuthi incwaba lakhe liba seduze nala akashone khona. Nokho ke, sekwashintsha manje, njengoba sekuthunwa nasemakhaya kanye nase mathuneni esilungu. Njengoba sike sasho, umuntu ohambe ngokuzuma akazilelwa nhlobo, inhloso yalokho ukuvimba umkhokha omubi ukuthi ungaphinde ugadle ekhaya, kodwa okwenziwayo ukuthi wenzelwa ihlambo nokubuyiswa ekhaya.
Okwesibili ukufa okulandelayo ukugula. Uma umuntu egula noma inkosi idunguzela, kwenziwa konke okusemandleni ukuthi asinde, uyaye ayiswe kwizangoma kanye nabalaphayo izinyanga ukuthi atholelwe usizo, nezibhedlela njengoba sesiphila esikhathini samanje, ukuze kuzanywe ukuhlenga impilo yakhe. Uma imizamo yokumusindisa isishabalele, lo ogulayo uyaye azisholo yena ukuthi ukufa kumehlule.
Besisabale izinhlobo ezimbili zokufa kwezintathu ezikhona, okwesithathu kuba okubizwa ngokuthi ‘umuntu ugodukile’. Lokhu kujwayeleke kakhulu kubantu abadala ababehlala isikhathi eside. Uma umuntu egoduka, kuthiwa uyayibona indlela yakhe. Njengoba babezisholo bona emandulo ukuthi “sebeya kobab’omkhulu”. Uma eseshilo, ubehlatshelwa inkomo yokucela indlela, uma isihlatshiwe, bese kosiwa isibindi sayo anikwe sona, uma esesidlile kwanele, ngoba emva kokusidla kuba ukuhamba kwakhe emhlabeni eya kobandayo.
Sisekuyo nje le yefu elimnyama yokudlula kwabantu emhlabeni, kubalulekile ukuthi sikuveze nokuphathwa kwesidumbu somuntu osedlulile emhlabeni. Uma kushone ingane ekhaya, kuba buhlungu kodwa impilo isuke isaqhubeka noma kudlule emhlabeni umlobokazi, kodwa uma kudlule usokhaya kusuke kuphelile ngalowo muzi. Lana sigxila kakhulu kokwenziwa uma kufihlwa usokhaya noma kokwenziwa kuyo usokhaya kucishe kufane nokwenziwa kumlobokazi uma esedlulile emhlabeni.
Uma umnumzane esegula kakhulu uyahlaliswa okuthi uma esedlulile, kuqhume isililo. Kodwa ke yena akangcwatshwa ngesikhumba senkomo ehlatshelwe lokho, kodwa kuthathwa isiphuku sakhe asongwe ngaso. Incwaba likasokhaya liba ngaphandle, lapho kungcwatshwe khona abakulowo mkhaya. Kuwumthetho ongaphulwa nhlobo ukuthi amangcwaba omuzi abe ngezansi komuzi, awabi nhlobo ngenhla komuzi. Indoda ke iyazili ngesikhumba uma ishiywe ngunina wayo, umntwana wayo noma umkayo. Ukuzilela umuntu kuhlukana ngokobulili, ubudala kanye nesikhundla somuntu, njengenkosi nje ukwenza isibonelo. Abantu besifazane bazilelwa izinyanga eziyisithupha kanye nezingane.
Brief overview
The series of the following articles focus on the issue of death, the different forms of death as well as the burial of a man in his homestead and the mourning process that takes place after, which includes mourning clothes and also how the grave is made to suit the deceased’s wishes.