“Isihlahla Esiwusizo Kakhulu Kumuntu”
Ngumlobeli we-Phaphama! eKenya
KUBANTU abaningi isihlahla sikakhukhunathi siyisihlahla esibukeka sivilapha—wona kanye umfuziselo wokuphumula. Kodwa kubantu abahlala esiQhingini saseMombasa ngasogwini lwaseKenya, singaphezulu kakhulu kwalokho. Abanye babhekisela kulesihlahlakazi esimnene ngokuthi “isihlahla sokuphila.” Kulezakhamuzi zasogwini, lesihlahla sinekhono elimangalisayo lokunikeza hhayi nje ubuhle kuphela kodwa futhi nokulungiselela izidingo eziningi eziyisisekelo zokuphila komuntu.
Isihlahla sikakhukhunathi sinemisebenzi eminingi ezuzisayo. Khona-ke, akumangalisi ukuthi lesihlahla siye sabizwa ngokuthi “isihlahla senala,” “ibhodlela lobisi emnyango wesintu,” nokuthi “isihlahla somuntu esiwusizo kakhulu.” Ethi The Coconut Palm—A Monograph iyaphawula: “Mhlawumbe sinikeza imikhiqizo eminingi ewusizo kumuntu kunanoma yisiphi esinye isihlahla.”
Kwenziwe Ngokhukhunathi
Abantu basogwini lwaseKenya baye basebenzisa isihlahla sikakhukhunathi ngezindlela eziningana ezihlakaniphile. Ngokwesibonelo, cabanga ngoKadii, ongumama wekhaya wakulendawo. Ubehlala kulendawo eshisayo kusukela ebuntwaneni. Sabuza: “Ingabe ukhukhunathi ubulokhu unendima ebalulekile ngaso sonke isikhathi kwakho?”
UKadii uyaphendula: “Ngikhumbula ngokucacile ngisebenzisa ukhukhunathi ekhishini lasekhaya lapho ngiseyintombazane encane. Ngenxa yokuthi igobolondo liqine kakhulu futhi lihlala isikhathi eside, lalenza izinkomishi, izinkezo, nezindebe ezinhle. Amagobolondo amakhulu ayesetshenziselwa ukwenza izitsha nezinkezo zesobho. Ingxenye yemfundo yethu esikoleni kwakuwukufunda indlela yokuklama futhi senze lezizinto ukuze zisetshenziswe ekhaya.”
Umyeni kaKadii, uMbagah, naye owakhulela ogwini, unokuningi angakusho ngokusetshenziswa kwesihlahla sikakhukhunathi ngaphandle kwasekhishini. UMbagah uyakhumbula: “Njengomfana okhulayo, ngangibheka lesihlahla njengengxenye ebalulekile yokuphila.”
Ngokwesibonelo, ekhuluma ngokhuni lwesihlahla sikakhukhunathi, oluqinile, uthi: “Silusebenzisela ukwenza imishayo, izinsika, izigxobo, nezinye izinto zokwakha ezihlukahlukene.”
Kuthiwani ngamaqabunga alesihlahla? “Ezindaweni eziningi zasemaphandleni kunabesifazane abaziphilisa ngokuluka lamaqabunga ngesandla futhi bawenze izincezu ezinkulu ezinjengongcwecwe wokufulela,” kuchaza uMbagah. Ngisho nakuba indlu ingase ivulekele ngokuphelele elangeni elikhipha umkhovu etsheni, abaphakathi endlini bayophola futhi banethezeke. Uphahla lotshani alubavikeli nje kuphela elangeni kodwa futhi luvumela ukuba kungene nomoya ukuze upholise indlu. Kunzima ukucabanga ngophahla oluwusizo kunalolu. Amaqabunga esihlahla alukiwe asebenza kahle njengezindonga, uthango, neminyango.
“Masingawakhohlwa amagobolondo kakhukhunathi,” kunezela uMbagah ngokumomotheka kokuziqhenya. “Atholakala ngokubethelela ukhukhunathi esipikilini esicijile sokhuni noma sensimbi esifakwe enhlabathini. Sibamba ukhukhunathi ngezandla zombili, siwushayelele phansi esipikilini bese siyawusonta ukuze igobolondo lisuke kukhukhunathi odliwayo.” Leligobolondo likhipha i-fiber enhle enombala osagolide, engase isetshenziselwe ukwenza omata baphansi, nabokusula izinyawo, okhaphethi, amabhulashi, imishayelo, ngisho nokuhlohlwa komatilasi.
“Lumnandi Kunewayini”
Ukhukhunathi uyingxenye futhi ebalulekile yokudla futhi udliwa cishe kuzo zonke izigaba zokukhula kwawo. Ukhukhunathi ongakavuthwa (obizwa ngokuthi yi-dafu ngolimi lwendawo, isiKiswahili) unesiphuzo esihlanzekile, esinempilo, nesinomsoco esinambitheka kamnandi. Lesiphuzo singase siphuzelwe esitsheni saso esingokwemvelo ngokumane nje uvule imbobo kukhukhunathi—isiphuzo esifanele ngempela sokuqeda ukoma kwasendaweni esishayo! Kubikwa ukuthi umhloli wamazwe odumile uMarco Polo wathi ngalesiphuzo: “Loluketshezi luhlanzeke njengamanzi, lupholile futhi lunambitheka kangcono, futhi lumnandi kunewayini nanoma yisiphi esinye isiphuzo.”
Ngokuvamile izivakashi zizwakalisa umbono ofanayo lapho ziphuza lesiphuzo sakulendawo okokuqala ngqá. Futhi lapho loluketshezi seluphelile, ingxenye eqhephukile yegobolondo ingasetshenziselwa ukukhipha okungaphakathi okudliwayo okushubile. Lokhu kumnandi, kunoshukela, futhi kuyaqabula. Nakuba izibiliboco zikakhukhunathi ongakavuthwa ziyinto entsha kubantu abavakashayo, ezakhamuzini zasogwini lesiphuzo siyinsakavukela, futhi saziswa kakhulu lapho amanzi okuphuza engatholakali.
Indlela Yokupheka Ngokhukhunathi
Ingxenye eyigugu kakhulu kakhukhunathi ovuthiwe okudliwayo kwawo, noma isithelo. Singadlelwa egobolondweni, sikhuhlelwe ezidlweni ezihlukahlukene, noma sikhanywe ukuze kukhishwe ubisi lwaso oluyigugu.
UKadii uyakhumbula: “Njengentombazane esakhula, kwakufanele ngiqikelele ukuthi ngaso sonke isikhathi ubisi lukakhukhunathi lwalutholakala ukuze kuphekwe.” Ngokuvamile, ubisi lukakhukhunathi belunezelwa ukuze kwandiswe ukunambitheka kwenhlanzi, inkukhu, ubhontshisi, irayisi, amazambane, i-cassava, nesinkwa. Futhi lwenza u-curry unambitheke kamnandi kakhulu. Kodwa sifuna ukwazi ukuthi uKadii wayeluthola kanjani lolubisi.
“Sasisebenzisa i-mbuzi,” kuchaza uKadii. I-mbuzi igama elivamile lesiKiswahili elibhekisela esihlalweni esincane sokhuni esiphakeme ngamasentimitha angaba ngu-15 ukusuka enhlabathini. Sinensingo ecijise okwesaha, eklanyelwe ngokukhethekile ukugaya ukhukhunathi ngesandla. “Kwakusijabulisa thina zingane ukuhlala kuyi-mbuzi. Sasithatha ukhukhunathi osikwe phakathi futhi sikhuhle okungaphakathi ensingweni ecijile kuze kube yilapho ukhukhunathi ususuke wonke egobolondweni. Isinyathelo esilandelayo kwakuwukuthatha lokhukhunathi okhuhliwe bese siwufaka esisefweni eside esinjengesetho esasenziwe ngamaqabunga esihlahla. Khona-ke bese sikhama lolobisi lukakhukhunathi olwehla esiphundu.”
Ukhukhunathi uyisithelo ngempela, futhi ufana kakhulu nezinye izithelo zasezindaweni ezishisayo. Umuntu uqala ukuconsa amathe ngokucabanga nje ngesidlo sezithelo ezisanda kusikwa izingcezu ze-papaya, uphayini, umango, ubhanana, amawolintshi, nesithelo se-passion esivuvuzelwe ngokhukhunathi osanda kugaywa noma ngisho ukhilimu kakhukhunathi.
Isaga sasendulo sithi: “Otshala isihlahla sikakhukhunathi utshala . . . ukudla nesiphuzo, indawo yakhe yokuhlala nefa lezingane zakhe.” Ngakho lesihlahla sikakhukhunathi esibukeka sivilapha asivilaphi nakancane. Futhi nakuba kungase kuphikiswane ngokuthi siyisihlahla somuntu esiwusizo ngempela yini noma cha, ngokuqinisekile siwumthombo wenala kulelizwe lase-Afrika!