Lokwentiwa Onkhemalanga
Ngaphambilini, imphilo ya wonkhe malanga ekhaya lemaZulu (umuti) yayilandzela sento lesifanako. Umehluko lomkhulu wawenteka ngendlela yebulili, umnyaka kanye nekuhlelwa. Labafana labancane bebanikwa umsebenti wekukhipha tinkhomo batiyise emadlelweni kutsi tiyokudla; lamantfombatana, kumbe awodvwana noma nabomake bawo, bekaya emifuleni ayokukha emanti.
Noma bantfwana bemaZulu bebajwayele intfo yendalo basesemnyakeno lophansi, kusisela lokushonako, kuvakala kanye nekuvelela kwendzawo lebebahlala kiyo. Ngemuva kwesidlo sasekuseni, lebesivame-kwenteka emkhatsini-wasekuseni, labesifazana bebatsanyela libala, bawashe emabhodo nekwenta leminye imissebenti yasendlini.
Ehlobo, ekucaleni kwelilanga ngesikhatsi kusepholile, bebaya emasimini kuyohlakula lokulinyiwe. Ekupheleni kwekusa bafana bekwelusa bebabuya netinkhomo, lebetisengelwa esibayeni. Ngemuva kwekusenga, sidlo sekucala sangalelo langa besidliwa. Kupheka bekwentelwa edladleni kuleyondlu ngelibhodo lelikhulu lekupheka (galaza).
Ngako, njengamanje, emasi kudla kwekhilimu noma tibhidvo. Kute kubengunamuhla, lokunye kudla, ummbila, usentiwa emakhaya lamanye ngekutsi kutulwe tinhlavu temmbila emkhatsini wematje lamabili. Emadvodza bekangangenelani nemisebenti yasetindlini noma emakhaya bekacitsa sikhatsi sawo sonkhe angenela imihlangano lebeyiba sebandla (endzaweni yesikhulu yemacala), indzawo lebeyatiwa kakhulu kwakusephasetihlahla ngaphandle kwemuti, noma bewenta leminye imisebenti, kufana nekulungisa emahawu awo noma ahwaye tikhumba.
Besifazane beba, lenamanje basa, condzene nekwakha-emamethi kanye nekwenta buhlalu, intfo lebayifundza kubomake babo. Kubumba lwati lolusetulu lolwentiwa ngulabambalwa. Imisebenti yekubata yentiwa ngemadvodza, lavame kwakha tintfo letitsite, kufana nemacephe, imigcwembe nemigcoma yekufaka lubisi, lekubatwa kutigodvo leticinile.
Babati abasavami kwenta intfo yekubeka tinhloko ngoba bantfu sebatsandza kusebentisa imicamelo. Kushisela kwakulwati lolukhweshile, ngekwesintfu lwalwentiwa ngasense futsi lwalukalelwe emalunga esilisa emndeni munye. Tintfo letingito lebetentiwa kwakumakhuba, kwentela kuhlakula emasimu, kanye nemikhwa yetikhali, silimato semphi.
Kusuka ngemnyaka wa, intfo lenkhulu yekubata kwakukutshintshiselana nemaNgisi kanye nemaPutukezi. Buhlalu, indvwangu, lithayela lelimtfubi nema musket bekushintjiselwana kwentela intfo lemhlophe yendlovu, umsebenti, tikhumba kanye netinkhomo. Lokukutsengisa kwakhokha kugcina noma kuhluleka kwelwati lwesintfu, ikakhulu ekushiseleni lokulula, kepha kungasiko mcoka, insimbi yacala yakhula ngekutfolakala kusuka kulabatsengisako.
Translated by Phindile Malotana