Vutomi byo Hlota
Eka minkarhi na tindzhawu to hambana hambana, vanhu lava vulavulaka ririmi ra San va hanyile hiti ndlela to hambana; rixaka ra Kalahari San ava fani ngopfu na lavan’wani hinkwavo varixaka ra San naswona, hambi kuri eka ntlawa wa Kalahari, mahanyelo ya hambana. Hambiswiritano, vulavisisi bya mintlawa ya Kalahari, xikombiso hiva Ju/'hoasi kukatsa na G/wi, swi hundzuka xikombiso xa kahle xa vutomi byo hlota. Ku aviwa ka mintirho exikarhi ka vavanuna na vavasati eka ikhonomi yale xikarhi.
Swakudya swa swibyariwa i swa masiku hinkwawo, naswona vavasati, na vahlengeleti nkulu, vana vutivi byo enta hi nhova: vativa na leswaku hikwihi kumbe hi nkarhi wihi laha kukumekaka makalavatla, mihlata, corms nati rhubeyila swikumekaka kona. Vavasati vatlhela vahlengeleta kumbe kukuma swihadyani leswintsongo swofana na minkolobyani, swinyenyani xikan’we na mimpfundla na timhunti.
Loko vahumile kuya hlota, vakota ku vona leswi swiharhi swifambisaka xiswona kutani va byela vahloti leswaku vata tiva koya hlotela kona. Vavanuna vanga hlengeleta swakudya navona, ngopfu ngopfu eka nguva leyi kunga hlotiweki ngopfu. Swakudya leswi hlengeletiweke swiphakeriwa exikarhi ka mindyangu ya vahlengeleti va swakudya leswi, loko swiharhi leswikulu leswi hlotiweke hi vavanuna swiavelaniwa exikarhi ka ntlawa.
Ndhuma leyi rixaka ra va San tani hi vativi nkulu vaku hlota hikokwalaho ka vuswikoti byo landzelela swiharhi na vurhonwani loko va hlota. Vahloti va San vakota ku landzelela mikondzo eka muxaka wun’wana na wun’wana wa misava, hambi loko valandzelela mhunti leyinga vaviseka hiku languta minkondzo yayona eka ntlhambi wa tona, kufikela loko yi huma entlhambini kutani yi fa.
Vahloti vatirhisa miseve leyingana phoyizeni (leyi kumekaka eka swifufunhunu na tinyoka) leyinga onheki nyama. Hambiswiritano, switeka nkarhi kuva phoyizeni yitirha, leswi pfumelelaka xiharhi kuva xitsutsuma eka loyi axi hlaselaka, nkarhi wunwana eka mpfhuka wo leha, leswi endlaka leswaku vutivi byo landzelerisa byiva bya nkoka.
Vuswikoti Byo Hlota Bya San
Miseve leyi tirhisiwaka hi va San i switirhisiwa swa vutlhari swa rifu. Namuntlha, tani hi minkarhi ya khale, ayiri na swiphemu swa mune. Leko tontswa akuva ku endliwe hi rhambu kumbe maribye yo tontswa kumbe swipikiri leswinga tontswisiwa; namuntlha swipikiri leswinga tontswisiwa kumbe tinsimbhi ta tirhisiwa.
Le mahlweni ka nseve lowu aku siyiwa xiphemu xopetseka laha ku endlaka onge i nkolo nyana. Leswi aswi endleriwa leswaku loko nseve wu copiwa laha wu fikaka kona wutlhava vufanele wutshama leswaku xiharhi xinga ringeti ku titshuva hi nsinya kutani nseve wu wela ehansi. Phoyizeni yiva yi totiwe emakumu ka nseve laha kunga tontswa naswona nhloko ya nseve lowu yyifanele kuva yitshama nyana eka miri wa xiharhi leswaku phoyizeni yita kota ku nghenelela.
Munhu loyi anga copa xiharhi lexi hi nseve hi yena akumaka matimba yaku avela swirho swa ntlawa nyama kuya hiku landzelela milawu leyi landzeleriwaka, a tiyisisa leswaku un’wana na un’wana u kuma xiphemu xokarhi. Ku avelana na ndzingano wa nyama exikarhi ka swirho swa ntlawa i swin’wana swankoka leswikumekaka eka vaaki va San. Hambi leswi mintlawa ya San ayingari na tihosi ta tipolotiki, vurhangeri abyi tekeriwa ngopfu enhlokweni kuya hi vukulu na vuswikoti.
Eka ndzhavuko wa rixaka ra San, vavanuna hivona vayaka vaya tshama na vatswari van sati eka vukati bya vona. Kuna milawu yotala ya nhlonipho leyi landzeleriwaka exikarhi ka vatekani xikan’we na vatswari va vona, kasi lava vanga vakulu ngopfu kufana na vakokwani na vatukulu vapfumeleriwa leswaku vanga vungunyana, laha vanga ti bulelaka vahlekelela.
Rixaka ra San ri tiveka ngopfu hiku tsakela naku khoma kahle vana. Hi ntolovelo, ntlawa wuta hambana wu endla miti leyintsongo hiti nguva (hixitalo loko mati na swakudya swiri swintsongo) laha vatlhelaka vahlangana endzhaku ka nkarhi. Ku nyikana tinyiko ximfumo, swivuriwa hxaro hiva Ju/'hoasi, i ndlela yin’wana yo hlayisa vuxaka lebyi fanaka exikarhi ka vanghana na maxaka nale handle ka ntlawa.
Leswi swi endla nseketelo lowukulu swinene xikan’we nakuva kukumeka switirhisiwa eka tindzhawu letikulu. Nkoka wa vuhosi bya San byi hlamuseriwa ngopfu eka vukhongeri lebyi vabyi tshembaka, leswi khorwiwaka na switori, xikan’we nale ka vutshila bya vona bya maribye.
Translated by Ike Ngobeni