Ntirho wa Masiku Hinkwawo
Khale, vutomi bya siku na siku emutini wa mu Zulu (umuzi) a byi landzelela maendlelo yokarhi lawa fanaka. Ku hambanyisiwa loku hambanyisekaka aku endliwa hikwalaho ka rimbewu, malembe na xiyimo. Vafana lavantsongo ava risa tihomu enhoveni; vanhwenyani, varivoxe kumbe nava mhani wa vona, avaya enanmbyeni kuya ka mati.
Leswi aswi endla leswaku vana va ma Zulu vava ekusuhi na ntumbuluko vahari vantsongo, laha vakumaka vutivi hi vuenti eka mbango lowu ava hanya eka wona. Endzhaku ka swakudya swani mixo, leswi aswi phameriwa rixile, vavasati ava kukula rivala, va hlantswa mapoto kutani va tirha mintirho yinwana yale kaya. Hi ximumu, loko dyambu rixa ringase hisa, vataya e masinwini kuya hlakula. Kutani majaha vata vuyisa tihomu leswaku tita sengiwa exivaleni.
Endzhaku ka kusengiwa, swakudya swosungula swa siku swa dyiwa. Ku sweka aswi endleriwa enzdilweni lowu tshiveriweke exitangeni hi poto lerikulu (ikhanzi). Kutani, kufikela sweswi, amasi (masi ya rivomba) akuri wona lawa aya dyiwa ngopfu: aya dyiwa yari woxe kumbe yakatsiwa na vuswa kumbe matsavu. Kufikela namuntlha, swakudya swa masiku hinkwawo, vuswa, byi endliwa eka muti wunwana na wunwana laha ku kadziwaka mavele hiku tirhisa maribye.
Vavanuna avanga hoxi xandla ngopfu eka mintirho yale kaya naswona ava heta nkarhi wotala swinene vari eka tinhlengeletano ta huvo ibandla (chief's court), ndzhawu leyi tekeriwaka enhlokweni yo hlanganela kona hixitalo yiva yiri e hansi ka mirhi emutini (umuzi), kumbe va endla ntirho wale kaya, kufana naku lulamisa xitlhangu kumbe ku tlhuvutsa dzovo. Vavasati, kufikela na sweswi, vaha luka switheve xakanwe naku endla vuhlalu, leswi vanga dyondzisiwa hi vamhani wa vona. Ku vumbiwa ka timbita i ntirho lowu lavaka vutshila swinene lowu kotiwaka hi vanhu vantsongo.
Mintirho hinkwayo yo vatla yi endliwa hi vavanuna, lava vangana vuswikoti byo vatla swilo swokarhi, kufana na minkombe, ndzelo na rileke ra masi, leswi vatliwaka kusuka eka mintsandza. Akahari na munhu loyi a endlaka swikhigelo hikuva masiku lawa kutirhisiwa swikhigelo leswi xaviwaka.
Ku endla swilo hi tinsimbi i ntirho lowu endliwaka hi vanhu lavangana ntokoto, hi xitalo wu endleriwa exihundleni naswona wu endliwa hi vavanuna ntsena endyangwini. Swilo leswi aswitala ku endliwa akuri swikomu leswaku vata rima hiswona masimu, ku endla tlharhi, tani hi xitlhavatlhavani xa nyimpi.
Kusukela kwalomuya kava 1830s, tinsimbi atikumeka ngopfu hikuva tixavisiwa hi valungu nama Portuguese. Vuhlalu, miceka, brass na swibalesa aswikumeka hikuva ku cincaniwa hi timhondzo ta ndlopfu, mintirho, madzovo kukatsa na tihomu. Leswi swiendle leswaku kuhatla kuhela vuswikoti byo n’okisa tinsimbhi, tani hileswi akuri na switirhisiwa swotala leswi aswita se swiendliwile naswona aswi kumeka hiku olova.
Translated by Ike Ngobeni