Ukushikila singakuyamanisa nemidlalo eyayenziwa uma kuhlangene izintombi nezinsizwa emicimbini ethize. Kodwa lona wawenziwa kakhulu uma kunomemulo wentombazane esuke isingena esigabeni sokukhula, lapho izinsizwa sezingaqala ziyishele intombi. Lapha izintombi zisuke zishikila, ukushikila ukuthi izintombi zihambe kwasa kuzigqaja noma ukuziqhenya. Lapha zisuke zivunele ziphelele zigqoke ngokwezigaba zazo emphakathini.
Kubalulekile ukuthi siveze ukuthi akusibona bonke abantu besilisa ababa yingxenye yalomdlalo ngoba lapha kusuke kuhlangene abantu abasebasha abangakaganwa. Uma izintombi seziqedile lowo omuliswayo usuke esezoshintsha nendlela agqoka ngayo, ekhanda ufaka ubuhlalu okuthiwa ucu. Bese zonke izimenywa zingene ngaphakathi komuzi onomcimbi sekuyobuswa.
Emicimbini efana nalena kwakubalulekile ukuthi izinsizwa nezintombi ngaphambi kokuthi kuyiwe emcimbini zibizwe ngokuhlukana ngabaziholayo zikhunjuzwe indlela yokuziphatha phakathi kwabantu. Abesilisa uma kwaziwa ukuthi sebebheke ukuthi baganwe babetshelwa nezimpawu ekufanele baziqaphele entombini njengokwakheka komzimba, yindlela eziphethe ngayo phakathi kwabantu, inhlonipho nesizotha.
Abazali babenendima enkulu kakhulu abayidlalayo ekukhetheni umakoti abamthandayo ngoba ngesinye isikhathi babemtshela ukuthi bafuna intombi yakwasibanibani, uma indodana ingalandelanga lomyalelo babengayisizi uma isilobola. Futhi ezindaweni zasemakhaya uma kuzoba nemicimbi efana nalena iyalungiselelwa kakhulu ngoba izinsizwa nezintombi zisebenzisa namakhambi esintu ukuzihlanza ngaphakathi ngoba befuna ukuba nogazi noma ukuthandeka.
Ukuqhubeka kokushikila izintombi uma sezingena esigcawini zisuke ziphethe inyama ngothi, leyonyama basuke bezoyinika noma iyiphi insizwa umuntu ayibuke wayithanda. Kulowo okhethiwe lokhu kuchaza ukuthi unenhlanhla futhi unogazi. Akusibo bonke ababenikezwa lenyama ngoba phela izintombi zazikhetha ezibathandayo. Futhi kwakwenzeka insizwa eyodwa inikwe izintombi eziningi inyama. Kwakufanele leyonsizwa iyidle yonke leyonyama ingaphi abanye ngoba kwakunenkolelo yokuthi usuke ezodlulisa inhlanhla yakhe.
Ngemuva kwalomcimbi wokushikila noma ukwemula kuzozwakala endaweni ukuthi isiqomile yamiselwa iduku intombi, ayimane iziqomele yona ingazange idlule kulesigaba, futhi umuntu akavele azisholo yena ukuthi usekulungele ukushikila – lokhu kwakubhekwa kakhulu yizalukazi namaqhikiza bese beyavuma ukuthi intombi isikulungele ukungena esigabeni esilandelayo. Isigaba esilandela lesi ukuthi intombi isizoya kogana lapho abadala sebeqala ukuthi bayibonise futhi bayilungiselele ukuthi ihambe iyokwakha umuzi wayo.
Ngemuva kwalokhu intombi iba nocu enikwa lona elenzelwe kubo noma amaqhikiza, ukwenzela ukuthi uma isithole isesheli yaneliseka ngaso bese isinika lona ucu. Nakhona lapho intombi ayimniki, iqale ibike ukuthi kukhona insizwa eshelayo. Lokhu kwakuwumsebenzi obalulekile weqhikiza ngoba lalikwazi ukuthi liyibonise intombi ukuthi ingaqoma noma cha. Futhi nensizwa kwakubalulekile ukuthi ixhumane nalo iqhikiza nokuzwa ukuthi kungase kuphumelele yini.
Nemithi yesintu yayiba nomthelela omkhulu ekuqonyweni kwezinsizwa ngoba abanye uma bebona ukuthi izinto azibahambeli kahle babeze basebenzise imithi ukuphonsa intombi leyo bese kuya nangokuthi ubani onomuthi onamandla nozothola intombi leyo. Kwakukhona izindlela ezisamdlalo ababezisebenza uma sebeqoma insizwa njengokuthi intombi ithi, “Ngicela ungikhelela igatsha eliphezulu kunawo wonke kulesihlahla.” Lokhu kwakuchaza ukuthi insizwa ayikhumule ucu olusekhanda lentombi kube ukuqonywa kwayo njalo. Noma intombi ithi, “Ngicela unginike iduku elinamachopho amahlanu”, lapho isuke icela isandla ngenjongo yokuxhawula ngoba isiphelelwe amazwi isiyamamukela. Lalingakhishwa izwi lokuthi “Ngiyakuthanda”.
English Summary
There are many indigenous games associated with traditional ceremonies. In this article Nelly looked at ukushikila, a traditional game performed during umemulo, the coming of age ceremony. During this ceremony young women will show off their bodies and traditional attire to young men. This was part of a game where young people would choose their partners and it was important that only single men were part of this game.
Also during this ceremony young women are given meat which they would take and put on a small stick where they dance with it while looking at who they are going to give meat to. Then they choose who they like amongst young men and give it to them. It happens that more than one girl will choose one man and he accepts all the meat given to him. It was not recommended to share the meat because they associated with luck and they believed that it will be like passing your luck to the next person if they shared.
After this performance the young woman who is coming of age is given ucu – traditional beads made only for dating purposes by her parents as a sign that she can have a boyfriend. She wears this on her head and gives it to her boyfriend when she finds one. This is followed by a traditional ceremony of ukumisa iduku – placing white cloth at the young man’s family yard – and it can be followed by umncamiso or marriage.
By: Nelisiwe Hlongwane