Esikhathini esidlule, impilo yaseBasotho yansuku zonke yayilandela isimiso, ngokuhlukana okunzima kwemisebenzi esekelwe yobudala nobulili. Usuku lwaqala ekuphumeni kwelanga, lapho umndeni uvuka. Kusukela ummbila ushintsha indawo yokudla njengokwokudla okuyisisekelo, ukudla kwasekuseni kube yisidlo sommbila nobisi obilisiwe noma omuncu futhi, ngezikhathi ezithile, inyama.
Amalungu omndeni ayevame ukudla ndawonye endlini enkulu noma ekuseni, ekhanda. Lapho izivakashi zikhona, la madoda adle kuqala futhi abesifazane nabantwana badla izinsalela. Ngokomlando, amadoda aseSasotho adla ekhotla lapho abafazi babo babelindele khona.
Amadoda ahlangene ne-lekhotla ukuba ahlanganyele esilingo, noma ekusizeni ukuxazulula impikiswano eyayilethwe kumphathi noma ekhanda; noma baxoxa ngezinkinga zamanje. Labo abanama-avocation akhethekile, isibonelo, abagulisi bemithi, ababhuli nabakhakidi, bachitha isikhathi esithile benza imisebenzi yabo kanye nokuqoqa izithako nezinto zokusetshenziswa.
Isikhathi sabo esikhulu sasizinikele enhlalakahleni yemfuyo yabo; lapho izinkukhu ezikhishwe izinkomo zaziswa kusukela eYurophu amadoda ayenomthwalo wokulima, umsebenzi owawunomsebenzi wabesifazane abasebenzisa izinkuni nezinkumba, nakuba kwakungamadoda asusa izindawo ezintsha ezihlahleni ukuze zisebenzise njengamasimu.
Kulo lonke, isimiso samadoda sasinzima futhi singenasisindo ngaphandle kwezikhathi zezinkomo. Imisebenzi yabesifazane, eyahluka ngokuvumelana nenkathi nesimo, yayiyinkimbinkimbi ngaphezu kwamadoda. Bazama ukuhlanza ikhaya, bawapheka kwasekuseni, bathatha amanzi, bahluma futhi bavuna izitshalo. Lokhu kungabagcina emasimini kusukela ngaphambi kokushona kwelanga kuze kufike ilanga. Ukugaya ummbila kwakuvame ukwenziwa amadodakazi amadala.
Ngesikhathi sokuthula, abesifazane babevame ukulondoloza amakhaya abo, ukuvuselela izindonga nezindawo ngodaka, befaka imifula ephukile ezindaweni zokucima nokwenza ezinye izinto zasendlini. Yisiphi isikhathi esincane sokuzilibazisa ababevame ukuchitha ukuvakashela abangane nezihlobo.
Kusukela esemncane abantwana banikezwa imisebenzi ekhethekile yokwenza usuku ngalunye. Abafana badla izimbuzi zomndeni futhi, lapho bekhulile, izinkomo. Amantombazane asiza omama ngemisebenzi yasekhaya.
Translated by Nsika Khoza