Lena yingxoxo kaSibongiseni Gasela ohlala endaweni yaseNanda, wazalelwa futhi wakhulela endaweni yaseMtubatuba, KwaZulu. Ngemuva kokuqeda isikole khona weza eThekwini ukuzofuna umsebenzi. Abantu bakwaGasela baziwa ngoMdunge, Chiliza njalonjalo. USibongiseni usitshele ngosiko lakubo kwaGasela okungenzeka ukuthi luyafana nokwalesinye isibongo. Imindeni inezinto noma amasiko abawalendayo ngokwenqubo yabo njengokuthi ezinye izibongo zifaka iziphandla, zigcabe ebusweni ezinye zibhoboze ezindlebeni njalo njalo. Kunenkolelo yokuthi kufanele usiko uligcine ngoba libalulekile, kuthiwa uma ungalenzanga usiko luyakhaleleka umuntu avelelwe ngamashwa noma agule.
KwaGasela khona usiko lakhona uma lenziwa lenziwa ngendlela ehlukile kakhulu. Uma umntwana ezokwenzelwa usiko kunezinto okufanele zibhekwe kuqala njengesimo sezulu. Kufanele amafu abe luhlaza njengesibhakabhaka acwebe kungabi khona ngisho elilodwa elimhlophe. Kuthi ngezikhathi zasekuseni kakhulu zango 3, iyathathwa ingane ingeniswe esibayeni kanye nabantu abadala bakhona. Umama wengane uma engashadile akuvumelekile ukuthi angene esibayeni kodwa uma ngabe eshadile kuvumelekile ukuthi angene esibayeni. Uma engashadanga ingane ilethwa ubaba wayo noma ogogo.
Uma ingane isingenisiwe esibayeni iyathathwa yilowo osuke ezokwenza isiko igcatshwe ucikicane wangasesandleni sesinxele kumenyezwe bebheke phezulu esibhakabhakeni sengathi bayacula bethi ‘Yadla indikinyana’. Ngemuva kwalokho umntwana bamgcoba ubulongwe benzela ukuthi angophi kakhulu njengoba bamsusa ilungu elilodwa emunweni wakhe. Kusetshenziswa ummese obukhali ukwenza lokhu. Abantu bakwaGasela banenkolelo yokuthi ngemuva kokwenziwa kwalelisiko labo imvula iyanetha okuchaza ukuthi umntwana wamukeliwe. Uma ngabe kwenzekile umntwana kanti akusiyena owakhona uyashona. Kuthiwa ngaphambi kokuthi umntwana enziwe lelisiko abantu abadala bayambuzisisa umama womntwana ukuthi uqinisekile ukuthi umntwana owakhona ngoba kuyenzeka abantu basulele abanye.
Kuthi ngezikhathi zasemini ngalo usuku lwesiko umntwana uyathathwa futhi eyongeniswa esibayeni agcatshwe ebusweni. Bazothi bangaqeda bese egcotshwa ubulongwe ebusweni ukuze igazi lingaphumi ebusweni. Kuphinde kwenziwe omunye umsebenzi wokumfaka isiphandla esandleni. Kuthiwa nakhona uma umntwana engenzelwanga isiko lakhona uyagula aze enzelwe futhi uma eqhubeka nokungenzelwa izinto zakhe ziyakhalaleka uma kwenzekile waze wabamdala uvamise ukuba namabhadi .
English Summary
One of the Gasela customs is to cut a part of the left little finger of an infant. This custom is performed by the elders of the family in the kraal early in the morning. It is important to do this custom when there are no clouds. They sing and make an incision on the little finger before cutting it. After cutting it they put cow dung on it to prevent bleeding. On the same day, at midday they return to the kraal to make incisions on the face of the child. It is important that the family prove that the child belongs to them before doing this custom because it might lead to death if the child does not belong to the clan.
By: Nqobile Mdabe