Umbondo

Ngokwesiko lamaZulu intombazane uma isiganile noma ilotsholiwe, ihambisa umbondo kubo kamkhwenyana. Umbondo ukudla okunhlobonhlobo okuthwalwa amantombazane aphelezela umakoti uma eya emzini noma lapho eganele khona. Intombazane uma kade izocelwa iyaye ihambise umbondo obizwa ngokuthi ingqiba zinyawo zabakhongi, ngokwesiko uma kade kufike abakhongi bezocela isihlobo esihle intombazane leyo ekuziwe ngayo ibizwa ngomakoti ngoba isiganile. Umakoti uphathisa abakhongi izimpahla noma abuye abalandele nazo izimpahla okuba ukudla okudliwa kubo kamkhwenyana, kubizwa ngokuthi ingqiba zinyawo zabakhongi.

Kuqhutshekwe nokulobola umakoti ahambise ubhasikidi emzini. Ubhasikidi noma umbondo omncane. Umakoti uthenga indishi elingene athenge yonke inhlobo yokudla kwasekhishini, izinto zokwenza itiye ezimnandi, lokhu-ke ukuphatha mhla evakashele emzini okokuqala uyaye acele amantombazane ambalwa ukuba ampheleze. Umakoti uyaye acele umakotshana, umakotshana intombazane esencane ephelezela umakoti uma eya emzini, uyamlekelela emsebenzini uyamthuma ukuthatha izinto azidingayo ngoba umakoti kukhona lapho engangeni khona.

Contents

1 Umbondo omkhulu
2 Izinkuni
3 Ngelanga lombondo
4 English Summary

Umbondo omkhulu
Umakoti uhambisa ukudla okuningi okunhlobonhlobo sibala amafutha okupheka, impuphu, ushukela, amathanga, utshwala besizulu, amakhekhe, amatiye, izithelo, imifino, amazambane, ukudla kwesintu okunjengamadumbe, ubhatata, ummbila, kanye nezitsha zokudla azophakela kuzo abantu basemzini, emandulo kwakuba izinkezo, izinkamba, imbenge, kanye nemishanelo ngokuqhubeka kwesikhathi izinto zajika manje sekwenziwa ngendlela yesimanje.

Izinkuni
Uhambisa igoqo lezinkuni, kudala waye hamba uma izinsuku sezisondele aye emzini ayotheza, lapho ucela odadewabo nezihlobo zakhe ukuba zimlekelele, zifika lapho izintombi zitheze inqwaba yezinkuni ziyibeke egcekeni bese zakha igoqo, ezinye izinyanda bafika nazo ngelanga lombondo.

Ngelanga lombondo
Umakoti ugqoka isidwaba ayehloniphiswe ngaso abakhongi bakhe ukutshengisa isigaba asengene kuso. Izintombi zihlobe ngokwesintu zihlabelele zisine ingoma zithwala umbondo emakhanda zingene zishaye ukele kukikize omama bejabulela ukungena kukamakoti ekhaya nombondo. Umama noma umamezala walapho kuyiswe khona umbondo uyakuhlukanisa ukudla aphe omakhalwane nezihlobo babonge bajabule.

English Summary
Umbondo is one of the stages of lobola or marriage procedure performed by the bride. Normally, after the first delegation visits her home to ask for her hand in marriage, she gives the delegation the gifts or she takes them herself to her in-laws. And when she visits her in-laws after these negotiations she takes gifts, in a form of a basket or a metal basin where she put some basic things of making tea, biscuits and dishes to make tea with. She is accompanied by girls and one of them will stay behind as her maid. The maid’s role is to help bride and run errands for her, because there are places that she cannot access in the homestead.

Towards the big day, the bride takes a lot of different food to the groom’s family, e.g. rice, mielie meal, samp, cooking oil, traditional food etc. These are the gifts for the mother-in-law that she shares between her family and neighbours. During this day she brings a pile of woods that she have been collecting with the help of her sister. In the olden days, a bride arrived at the groom’s home a few days before the day of the ceremony to collect the pile of wood.

Umbondo

Umbondo kusuke kuyindlela yokukhombisa ukuthi bafikile abakhongi bavunywa lapho kade beyocela khona nokuthi bayabonga abomndeni wakubo ntombazane. Futhi bayafisa ukuthi baqhubeke benze nokunye. Kwezinye izindawo imibondo kuyenzeka ukuthi ibe mbili, kuba umbondo omncane nombondo omkhulu. Umbondo omncane uhanjiswa kubo kamkhwenyana, ngemuva kokuthi kade kufike abakhongi bezocela intombazane, uhanjiswa abakubo kantombazane. Umbondo omkhulu uhanjiswa ngemuva kokuthi abakhongi sebelethile izinto zikababa noma izinkomo lezi abezicelile ngesikhathi besafika okokuqala izibizo.

Umbondo omncane noma ingqibamasondo noma izinyawo zabakhongi
Umbondo omncane kuthiwa kugqitshwa izinyawo zabakhongi, kuhanjiswa utshwala lwesintu obugaywe kubo kantombazane, nokudla abakuvune emasimini njengamadumbe, obhatata, ummbila, amathanga, njalonjalo. Akubi izinto eziningi kodwa kumele kuhanjiswe kunjalo kumele bangene kubo kamfana bekuthwele emakhanda. Abasegcekeni bakikize ukuze nabaphansi babone noma bezwe ukuthi khona okwenzekayo kulowomuzi. Kubo kamfana basuke bazi ukuthi khona abezayo, bekuphekwa ukudla ngoba kunabantu abezayo, bekuphekwa isitambu nojeqe nenyama.

Bangene kukikizwe bathulwe utshwala ngemali abavumelene ngayo ukuthi imalini. Bathulwa yibo abantu basemzini njalo bese bekhonjiswa indlu abazohlala kuyo. Umakoti undlalelwa icansi ahlale kulo nomakhotshana wakhe, laba ahamba nabo bakhululeke bangahlala ezitulweni uma zikhona. Kudliwe, kusinwe, baphuze abaphuzayo bese kuyagodukwa. Abazali bentombazane bona abayi emzini noma abahambi nalabo abahambisa umbondo.

Umbondo wesibili noma umbondo omkhulu
Umbondo wesibili kuthiwa umbondo omkhulu. Abakamkhwenyane basuke kade sebebuyele isibili kubo kantombazane, basuke sebekade behambise izinto zikababa wentombazane akade ezibizile ngesikhathi befika okuqala besazocela. Izinto zikababa kantombazane singasho sithi imvubu, isiqgoko, ijazi, inqawe nembazo (kuyahluka ngokwezindawo okubizwayo). Bese abakantombazane behambisa umbondo omkhulu, lapho basuke behambisa ukudla okuningi notshwala kuyefana nokombondo omncane ukuthi kusuke sekukuningi kona umakoti athwale nobhasikidi kanjalo nomakhotshana. Ubhasikidi othwele umakoti kuba owomyeni wakhe kuthi othwele umakhotshana kuba okamkhongi omkhulu. Labobhasikidi bafakwa izinto ezimnandi kuya ngalowomndeni ukuthi uthanda ukwenzani.

Ngosuku lombondo abakubo kamkhwenyana bahlaba izimbuzi ezimbili indlakudla kamakoti neyokubonga umbondo. Kulena yendlakudla kamakoti, uthelwa ngenyongo yayo lembuzi abakubo kamkhwenyane, bamthela kuqala ekhanda nakuwo wonke amalunga omzimba. Kusuke kwenziwela ukuthi adle ngokukhululeka kungamgulisi. Kwenziwela nabaphansi ukuthi bamazi bamamukele ngoba usengumakoti lapha ekhaya. Bazolokhu bemnika kancane kancane ukudla okumele akudle kodwa kweminye imizi bamnika kanye nje yonke into.

Kuyalalwa uma kulwethwe umbondo omkhulu (kungahluka ngezindawo) ngoba ziningi izinto ezenziwayo njengezimbuzi ezihlatshwayo ngoba sekufike umakoti. Lena eqondene naye umakoti uyayinikwa ukuthi ayibambe yena bese kubakhona abazoyihlinza kulabo afike nabo. Kanjalo naleyo yokubonga umbondo, abasemzini bayamemezela ebandla ukuthi imbuzi yesibili eyokubonga umbondo bese becela abazoyihlinza kubo laba abafike nomakoti bazihlinzele bona, babanike amabhodwe okuyipheka babase bayipheke, kodwa futhi mabecela ukuphekelwa bayenzelwa. Ubusuku bonke kuyaculwa kusinwe kujatshulwe baze bahambe ngakusasa bonke abantu.

By: Nelisiwe Hlongwane

Igoqo – izinkuni ezihanjiswa ngumakoti emzini
Ngezikhathi zakudala abantu babesebenzisa kakhulu izinkuni ukubasa umlilo ababewusebenzisela ukupheka nokuzifudumeza (ukuwotha) ezikhathini zasebusika. Esikhathini sanamuhla zisekhona izindawo ezisasebenzisa izinkuni ukubasa kanti abanye bayazigcina benzela ukuthi uma kuphela ugesi bakwazi ukuqhubeka nempilo. Izinkuni azisetshenziswa ekhaya kuphela ngoba ziyingxenye ebalulekile futhi empilweni kamakoti oganayo ukwakha umuzi wakhe. Yingakho uma ehambisa umbondo umakoti emzini kufanele kube khona izinkuni azihambisayo ezibizwa ngegoqo.

Ukutheza ngeminye yemisebenzi eyenziwa ngamantombazane ekhaya kubalulekile ukuthi intombazane ikwazi ukutheza inkuni. Kodwa okubonakalayo esikhathini sanamuhla ukuthi abantu sebeqasha abanye ukubathezela ngenxa yentuthuko eseyabakhona iningi lamantombazane alikwazi ukutheza. Ukuhanjiswa kwegoqo kwakwenziwa uma intombazane isilotsholiwe, njengokuthi emzini uma befuna ukuyibona noma ngosuku lombondo. Kwakuyichilo ukuthi umuntu wesifazane aye emzini elingise izandla. Kwakufanele ngaphambi kokuthi ihambe iqale kotheza izinkuni ezohamba nazo. Sekuzothi ngesikhathi esihleliwe sokuhamba iphelezelwe ngumakotshana wayo, ngoba umakoti usuke engakavumeleki ukuthi ahambe egcekeni lasemzini nokungena ekhishini.

Uma esefika emzini umakoti babemkhombisa lapho ezobeka khona igoqo lakhe lezinkuni. Leyondawo useyobeka khona njalo izinkuni zakhe emzini futhi zizokwaziwa ukuthi ngezikabani lezonkuni. Lezozinkuni zikamakoti zazingathintwa muntu ngaphandle kwakhe. Lokho kwakwenzelwa ukuthi uma kunesimo esiphoqayo sokuthi umakoti aphindele kubo ashiye izinkuni zikhona emuva uma kwenzeka ebuya akwazi ukuthi apheke ngazo . Kungathi uma esebuya aqale phansi ahambe eyotheza. Kwakubalulekile ukuthi izinkuni zihlale zikhona, umakoti wayehamba ayotheza khona ezohlala enazo.

Isikhathi sanamuhla asifani nesakudala lapho umakoti noma abantu besifazane babengasebenzi, okwenza ukuthi babekwazi ukuthi bahlale izinsuku eziningi emzini uma bevakashile. Manje umakoti uyalihambisa igoqo lezinkuni ukuthi emzini babone ukuthi uyakwazi ukutheza bese ehlala izinsuku ezimbalwa abuyele emsebenzi. Kwakuthi uma esebuyela ekhaya umakoti kuqale amalungiselelo ombondo, kugaywe utshwala lwesintu. Lobotshwala buyothi bungabila bese kuphume umbondo umakoti esewuyisa emzini. Yilapho uma bevumelene kwenziwe udwendwe ngoba vele umakoti sebembonile ukuthi uyakwazi ukutheza.

Ukushintsha kwezikhathi nendlela yempilo kuningi okushintshile nasekwenzeni izinto. Njengoba sibekile lapha ngenhla ukuthi abanye abasazithezeli ngenxa yentuthuko nokuthi abasakwazi kwanhlobo. Kodwa kona ukuhanjiswa kwegoqo kwezinye izindawo kusabalulekile kakhulu uma kulotsholwa umakoti. Kubalulekile ukuthi siveze ukuthi akusiyo yonke imizi ekwenzayo lokhu. Kubaluleke kakhulu ukuthi izinto zesintu sizenze ngendlela ezazenziwa ngayo emandulo Kanye nokuthi uma umuntu kukhona lapho engaqondi khona abuze kwabadala noma kwabanolwazi ukuze izinto zakhe zimlungele.

By: Nqobile Mdabe
Source: Maneli Mkhize waseCongo, Inanda