Ubumnandi nobuhlakani bokuqonda kanzulu ngamakhambi, ezokwelapha nokuwazi ngezobunyanga. Isintu sinendlela yaso ejulile yokuxhumana nokuqonda indlela indalo esebenza ngayo. Mina Mbusiswa Zuma, umzukulu wenyanga eyayidumile esigodini sakwaNyuswa yathuthela endaweni okuthiwa isePhatheni, ngaba nenhlanhla yokukhulela emndenini onaleligalelo empilweni yabantu. USitshifu lona kwakuyikhehla elimpofu elaliyinyanga eyayidumile ngempela. Kwakugcwala ekhaya abantu bezofuna usizo oluhlukene. Wayeke athi uma elapha abantu, nami ngibe nenhlanhla yokuba khona eduze.
Ukutshopa kwakuyindlela ayisebenzisa kakhulu kulabo ababenenkinga. Ezinye zezifo noma kokugula okwakulashwa ngalesitshopo kwakuba isibhobo, ukuvuvukala komzimba noma kwesitho esithize emzimbeni, kungaba izinyawo, izandla nokunye. Wayethi uma esekutshopile kuphume igazi afake amakhathakhatha akhe lapho kuphuma khona igazi. Isitshopo lesi kwakuwusiba lwengungumbane ayeluthola uma kade kuphunywe inqina kozingelwa kwabulawa ingungumbane. Uma uke wathola lomjovo wesintu, wawululama ngokushesha.
Izingane ke zesikole zase zizitholele iwashi lazo lapha kulenyanya ngoba kwakuthi njalo ekuseni ngesikhathi esithize avuke ashaye uphondo lwakhe lukhale kudume imihosha kunanele izintaba elufuthisa okwecilongo. Kwakuthi lapho izingane uma zingaluzwanga, zizoxakeka ngesikhathi sokuqala kwesikole ngoba amawashi kwakungeyona phela into yanoma ubani ngalesosikhathi. Ngaleyo ndlela kwasekuyindlela abakala ngayo isikhathi abanye. Angikaze ngiyithole kahle inqgikithi yokufuthwa kophondo ukuthi kwakwenzelwani.
Kukhona ke olunye uphondo olwalumnyama luhambisana nezinduku ezimbili ezibizwa ngabafana. Lona lwaluhlonywa phandle kanye nabafana kuvikwa izulu lingangeni ekhaya uma kuduma. Lalithi lingahloma, alulolonge aluthake uphondo bese ephumela emnyango, lapho seliyihlaba khona imvula, uyofike aluhlome egcekeni kanye nabafana, asuke athi ukuzungeza umuzi kancane amemeze elixosha ethi aliphindele lapho livela khona. Nebala kodlula imizuzu emibalwa linqamuke bese liyaphenya.
Lomkhuba wezulu kwakuvamile ukuthi abantu abathakathanayo noma bezwana amandla bethumelane ngezulu. Naye umkhulu wami lona wayekwazi ukuliphehla izulu kuthi yena nezinye izinsizwa ezizithembayo, benyukele entabeni beyozwana amandla ngalo izulu. Bayothumelelana ngezulu omunye emi kwelinye igquma nomunye emi nganeno lidume entabeni kube inqaba. Bothi lapho beqeda khona bese linqamuke.
Okungapheli kuyahlola, akukho qili lazikhotha emhlane, nomkhulu wami zaphuka ezakhe langa thize enye inyanga eyayifika endaweni izwa ngodumo lwakhe nokuqina kwakhe. Yathi iyamuzwa ngomuthi othile, wavele walifulathela elikaMthaniya. Nathi njengomndeni sesizwa ngamahebezi ngosizwile sebeveza ukuthi konakala kuphi.
English Summary
Sitshifu was my grandfather (Mbusiswa Zuma) who was a very powerful traditional healer and well known in his time. He had a porcupine feather which he used a needle to prick or inject those who were sick and heal them. The main ailment was the swelling of legs or any part of the body. He’d inject you and put on some powdery substance and you would definitely get better after having undergone that treatment.
He also used to use a horn to put some medication and when the thunderstorm – which was believed to have been sent by someone to come and destroy his house – he’d take the horn, together with two other sticks called lads or boys and put them outside. He’d walk around the house looking at the sky as the storm gathered and lighting flashed, he’d shout and tell the storm to go back where it comes from, it would subside and the next thing you would see was the sun coming out.
He also used to use the same thunderstorm to showcase his powers to other traditional healers. They would go up the mountains and strike each other with the lighting and to them, it was just another sporting event of proving who was more powerful than the other. Thereafter, they’d come down and shake hands acknowledging each other’s powers.
By: Mbusiswa Zuma