Imphilo yase Makhayeni yeBantfu bema Tswana

Kuhlala ngekweSintfu

©Dr Peter Magubane
Tswana initiates gathering to eat.

Kuhlala kwemaTswana akukavami eningizimu ye Afrika ngebukhulu belinani, umphumela, kumbe ngetincenye, tetindzawo letomekakhulu. Ngempela ekucaleni kwemnyaka lolishumi nemfica wamandvulo, kuhlala kwalamanye emaTswana, lebe akadze abuke tizatfu tekutilwelwa, bekamaningi kunase Dolobheni lase Kapa, lidolobha lelikhulu lemakholonisi eningizimu afrika yangaleso sikhatsi.

Ngaphambilini kwakungakajwayeleki kuwo onkhe emalunga etive kutsi anake kuhlala nesikhulu. Letinye tikhulu teta tatophatsa ekuhlani lokudvute, ngendzawo kanjalo nekwakhiwa kwendzawo yekuhlala kwentela inombolo lenkhulu yebantfu labaletfwa ngaphansi kwemphatfu yabo.

Lelikhaya, lelinemicimbi kanye netindlela tasemakhaya, yindzawo lencane yemmango, kuvame kutsi indvodza, nemkayo kanye nebantffwanababo, kepha kuvame kufaka emadvodzana lashadile, ngisho nemantfombatana, bophathini babo kanye nebantfwababo.

Emakhaya ngekwesintfu anayinye noma letiningi tindlu kanye netindlu takagogo ebaleni leligegeletwe ngufenisi wemhlanga noma wetigodvo, noma libondza lemhlaba. Lababili labashadile bavame kuhlala endlini yinye nebantfwana babo labancane. Bantfwana lesebakhulile bebulili bobubili bahlala endlini yinye, labadzala labangakashadi bebahlukaniswa ngebulili babo. Letindlu betisetjentiselwa kulala kanye nekugcina tintfo, kupheka kanye netintfo letinye betenteka ebaleni lelivulekile.

Ngeminyaka yekucala, emalunga elikhaya bekakha tindlu taw obese atentela kudla kwawo. Indzawo, imfuyo, kanye nendzawo yonkhe lebukwe yinhloko yelikhaya lobekababeka ngekutsi tetsenjwa takhe. Njengenhloko yelikhaya, abegadza kutfotjelwa, kusetjentwa, kanye nekuhlonishwa bafati bakhe kanye nebantfwana bakhe, abebuka tonkhe tintfo letisemtsetfweni nebangaphandle.

Umthandazo nekupheka, lobekwentiwa esikhundleni selikhaya kwentela emadloti, kwakukadze nako kungumsebenti wakhe, nomanje ngalenye indlela kwakukulungisa lusito kuletinye tihlobo letindzala kanye nemadvodzeni asendzaweni akuleminye imiti.

Translated by Phindile Malotana