Umemulo usiko olwenzelwa intombazane uma iziphathe kahle ebuntombini bayo yangabaphoxa abazali bayo. Isikhathi esiningi lolusiko lwenziwa uma intombazane iziphathe kahle yaze yafika eminyakeni engamashumi amabili nanye – 21, ikakhulukazi lwenziwa amaZulu.
Lapha sibheka ukuthi uyini umemulo ngokubheka ukuthi ubani noma intombazane enjani eyenzelwa umemulo; ukuthi umemulo kungabe uyisiko yini futhi umzali ubona kanjani ukuthi eyiphi ingane ezinganeni ekufanele yenzelwe. Ziningi izincazelo abantu abanazo ngomemulo nalapha sibheka esizitshelwe izalukazi ezimbili ezikhonza ebandleni lakwaShembe.
Umemulo wenzelwa ingane yokuqala yentombazane ezelwe ekhaya. Ukwenzela ingane umemulo kuwusiko lwaKwaZulu kanye nebandla lasekuPhakameni liyawalandela amasiko futhi liyawagcina kakhulu. Kuthiwa uma kwenzekile intombazane endala ekhaya yadlula emhlabeni ingakokwenzelwa umemulo kufanele intombazane emlamayo yenzelwe ukumumela ngoba kuthi kuyakhaleleka.
Umemulo wentombi nto
Uma intombi intombi nto yenzelwa umemulo kuthi ngesikhathi izokwenzelwa umemulo kufanele iphume nezinye izintombi ezisagcwele ihambe iwoyiza ebuntombini bazo. Uma kuwoyizwa, intombi leyo uzowoyizela ezihlobeni zayo lapho isuke ibamema ukuthi bafike kumemulo wayo. Intombi le esuke yenzelwa umemulo isuke igcobe ibomvu ebusweni. Lapho usuke iwoyiza nomakotshana wayo.
Kuzothi ingaqeda ukuwoyiza kanye nezintombi lezo ebeziyiphelezela iyahamba iyolanda umkhonto komalume bayo. Kodwa uma kuwukuthi iyalotsholwa, izohamba iyolanda umkhonto wayo emzini. Kuzothi ingabuya komalume kuhlatshwe imbuzi yokuguqa. Lembuzi ihlatshwa ngoMsombuluko lapho intombi ayisezukuphuma endlini. Uma kukhona ekudingayo izolethelwa umakotshana wayo. Ngenkathi isuke ihlezi endlini isuke igcobe ibomvu.
Kuyothi ngosuku lweSabatha ntambama, seliphelile iSabatha bese kuhlatshwa inkomo. Kudliwe inyama yangaphakathi. Ekuseni izintombi ziyahamba ziyogeza ibomvu emfuleni esuke iligcobe ngesikhathi isuke igoyile. Zizothi zingabuya zihambe izintombi ziyogqoka imvunulo yazo. Nayo intombi leyo eyenzelwa umemulo iyavunula bese ifakwa nomhlwehlwe wayo izobe isihamba iyosina esigcawini.
Uma kwenzeka kanti kukhona intombi engaphelele yayikhishiswa inkomo kuqala kaZulu kanti ekuPhakameni, intombi ifakwa isiphandla sayo inkomo ehlatshiwe. Ziyahamba ziyogezwa emfuleni izintombi zibuye zifake iziphandla zazo. Uma intombi izazi ukuthi ayisiyona intombi ayiwufaki nhlobo umhlwehlwe. Ngoba uma umuntu efihlile kubonakala umhlwehlwe uyadabuka kanti kuqala kwakubonakala ngezalukazi zikhwifa phansi inyama. Zithi sawudla udoti ngoba bathi inyama iyazwakala.
Uma sekuyisikhathi sokusina esigcawini akufanele ime iqonde kumele igobe futhi ingababheki abantu. Kuthiwa isuke ihlonipha amadlozi akubo. Ngenkathi isisina imkhonto igwaza phansi eduze kwezihlobo zayo zakomalume. Uma kungabasemzini izogwaza phambi kwabo lapho kusuke kumele ukuthi bayikhunge. Uma imali bengenayo kumele bayihlome noma isipeletu. Ngenkathi kusinwa kusuke sekukhona izinsizwa sezizobheka ukuthi zingabathola yini abazozigana. EkuPhakameni kusuke kusho ukuthi intombi isingahlala esigcawini ikhethwe ngokwebandla ukuthi izogana bani. Umemulo uwusiko okumele umzali ayenzele ingane yakhe uma isikhulile ngoba uyakhalaleka ukuthi uma ungenziwanga.
Amalungiselelo omemulo
Intombazane ihlala endlini isonto lonke phambi kosuku lomemulo, isizathu ukuthi kumele amadlozi ayibone ingane leyo ezobe ikhuliswa okanye ibongwa. Kuyaye kudingeke izimpelesi ezizoyimisa ngosuku lomcimbi nazo ezingakabi nazo izingane. Phakathi nesonto intombazane ezobe yemula iyaye ihambe nezimpelesi zayo bewoyiza emphakathini nakomakhelwane, lapho omakhelwane kumele bakhiphe abanakho okuyizipho nabo basuke beyibongela. Intombazane iphinde iye komalume ukuyolanda umkhonto.
Usuku lomemulo
Ilapho khona kuwusuku lomcimbi amantombazane ahamba izintathakusa eyogeza emfuleni, abuye ngezikhathi zasemini esevunule ngezingubo zesintu. Lolu kusuke kuwusuku olukhulu kusuke kuhlatshwe inkomo, kuculwa amaculo esintu kuphinde kusinwe. Umuntu owemulayo usuke echonywa imali ekhanda izivakashi ezisuke zithamele umcimbi ngalolosuku kuphinde kubekhona nezipho eziningi.
English Summary
Traditionally umemulo is centred around the idea that a girl has maintained her virginity until she’s ready to find a long-term partner, although supposedly in some contemporary circles women are taking part in the ceremony much older, and after they have lost their virginity. Also more and more young girls are shying away from the umemulo ceremony because it is considered embarrassing in modern society. Even in rural villages, girls have begun to rebel against the idea. Some believe that without this important rite, girls are more likely to engage in sex at a young age, falling pregnant out of wedlock, and contracting sexually transmitted diseases.
The umemulo ceremony is a coming of age ritual that’s performed when a woman reaches a marriageable age, normally 21 or older, and is presented as a virgin to the community by her family as a public announcement of the young girl’s readiness to be courted and enter into a marriage that is blessed by her parents. But while the ceremony only take place when a girl is a young adult, the preparation for the ceremony starts many years before when a girl has her first period. From that day onwards, she is sat down and taught about being a Zulu girl, woman and mother. In some villages in KwaZulu-Natal, girls attend virginity testing every month until the age of 21, or until they get married. These classes are not only about virginity testing, but also offer lessons on life and the challenges that they will go through as women. Here, a girl is taught respect for herself and to not allow anyone to treat her otherwise.
Preparations
Before the umemulo ceremony the girl, who is referred to as a bride, traditionally spends at least a week indoors and no one must see her, not even her mother and father. The only visitors are girls from surrounding areas, her ‘bridesmaids’, who come during the night to dance with her. The family buy a cow for the bride and present it to her on the eve of the ceremony, when she is allowed outside to welcome her cow, but only after covering herself with a blanket. After welcoming the cow the girls sing and return to the room. Spirits are very high as potential husbands and the family boys slaughter the cow. Every single part of the cow has a part to play in the ceremony, with the cow fat being used to wrap around the bride on the day of the ceremony. This fat must not break as this is seen as a sign that the girl is no longer a virgin.
On the eve of the ceremony, all the girls must sleep by the river. They leave the bride’s home in the middle of the night in song, completely naked and only covered by a blanket as they head to the river. They spend the night by the river, sitting around a fire and singing and dancing. In the early hours of the morning the bride is taken away and tested to confirm whether or not she is still a virgin. Once the test is finished, the older women sing and shout as confirmation that the ceremony can continue as planned.
The day of the event
The girls then bathe in the river and wait until the father of the bride calls for them. The girls are all dressed in traditional Zulu attire and the bride is presented with a spear(umkhonto), a symbol of her victory and strength. When she gets to the front of her home she will throw the spear down and wherever it lands her father, or head of the home, will run shouting words of praise and dancing to show his gratitude and pride. After the girls have cleansed themselves the girl’s family and the rest of the community will join in the festivities. When guests arrive the young woman points the spear at guests and they pin gifts of money to the garment on her head.
Slaughtering of a cow takes place, and they go to the open space (esigcawini) for cultural dance (ukusina) and music. In the open space, a girl with a spear will go around to people who are watching and do a selection by pointing a spear down in front of a chosen one. That particular person had to take the spear and dance (agiye) then put money (only paper money) on the head of the girl.
The money serves the practical purpose of assisting her financially in setting up a home, and secondly, it signifies the well wishes of the community for her future married life.
By: Nqobile Mdabe
Sources: Mrs. Veronica Mkhwanazi, Mrs. Mary Matenga