AmaMasai—Abantu Abahlukile Nabathakazelisayo

NGUMLOBELI WE-PHAPHAMA! EKENYA

KULESI SIGODI kwakuzwakala ingoma esholo phezulu yomfana ongumMasai (ongumMaasai), ithathwa umoya ogcwele umswakama wasekuseni. Njengoba ilanga lasekuseni liphakama, nezwi lomfana elimnandi liyaqina, njengenyoni eculayo elikhipha lonke izwi layo lapho ilanga liqala ukuphuma.

Ngalalela njengoba ukuphuma kwelanga kungibonisa umfana owelusayo ongumMasai emi phakathi kwezinkomo zikayise. Ebhince indwangu ebomvu emboza ingxenye yomzimba wakhe, wama ngomlenze owodwa njengonogolantethe, wancika ngomphini womkhonto wakhe futhi waculela umhlambi wakhe owanelisekile. Ake ngikutshele kabanzi ngalaba bantu abahlukile abangamaMasai.

Uyamukelwa Ezweni LamaMasai

AmaMasai, abantu abathakazelisayo abangabelusi, bahlala ezimfundeni ezingodedangendlale zaseGreat Rift Valley eMpumalanga Afrika. Njengoba eseKenya naseTanzania, amaMasai ayisizukulwane senkathi eyadlula, aphila ngendlela okhokho bawo ababephila ngayo emakhulwini eminyaka adlule. Njengoba engenandaba nokuhamba kwesikhathi, ukuphila kwawo kubuswa ukuphuma nokushona kwelanga nezinkathi zonyaka ezihlale zishintsha.

Amakhono amaMasai ahlanganisa ikhono lawo lokuphila ngaphansi kwezimo ezinzima nasendaweni enezingoxi yaseRift Valley. Njengoba egxala uma ehamba, ahamba amabanga amade efunela izinkomo zawo amadlelo aluhlaza nemithombo yamanzi. Elusa izinkomo zawo phakathi kwemihlambi yezinkonkoni, amadube, izindlulamithi nezinye izilwane zasemaqeleni ezisezweni lawo.

Abantu Abakhonze Izinkomo

AmaMasai akholelwa ukuthi zonke izinkomo ezisemhlabeni ngezawo. Le nkolelo isukela enganekwaneni ethi ekuqaleni uNkulunkulu wayenamadodana amathathu, ngayinye wayinika isipho esisodwa. Indodana yokuqala wayinika umcibisholo wokuzingela, eyesibili wayinika igeja lokulima, futhi indodana yesithathu yathola induku yokuqhuba izinkomo. Kuthiwa le ndodana yokugcina yaba uyise wesizwe samaMasai. Ngisho noma ezinye izizwe zinezinkomo, amaMasai akholelwa ukuthi lezi zilwane ngezawo ngempela.

Emphakathini wamaMasai, isikhundla nokubaluleka kwendoda kunqunywa ubukhulu bomhlambi wayo nobuningi bezingane zayo. Yebo, indoda enezinkomo ezingaphansi kwezingu-50 ibhekwa njengempofu. Ngosizo lwezingane zayo eziningi nabafazi, indoda engumMasai ithemba ukuthi ekugcineni iyoba nomhlambi omkhulu ongabalelwa ezinkomweni eziyinkulungwane.

Amalungu emikhaya yamaMasai ayazithanda izinkomo zakubo. Inkomo ngayinye inezwi elihlukile nesimo osazi kahle umkhaya. Izinkomo zivame ukubekwa uphawu lwemigqa emide emazombezombe nemidwebo eyinkimbinkimbi eklanyelwe ukuthuthukisa ubuhle bazo. Kuculwa izingoma ezichaza ubuhle bezinkomo ezithile emhlambini futhi ezibonisa ukuthi ziyathandwa. Izinkunzi ezinezimpondo ezinde ezigobile zithandwa ngokukhethekile, futhi inkonyane linakekelwa kahle njengengane encane.

Imizi yamaMasai ngokuvamile yakhiwa omame futhi yakhiwa ngamagatsha, ifulelwe ngotshani bese isindwa ngobulongwe. Le mizi engamaqhugwane yakhiwa izungeze igceke ukuze ivikele isibaya esingaphakathi kwayo, lapho kulala khona izinkomo ebusuku. Umuzi wonke ubiyelwa ngamagatsha anameva ahlabayo avikela kokubili amaMasai nemfuyo yawo ezimpisini, izingwe namabhubesi azulazulayo.

AmaMasai athembele empilweni nasemandleni emihlambi yawo ukuze aqhubeke ephila. Ubisi lwezinkomo lusetshenziselwa ukudla, futhi ubulongwe asinda ngabo ezindlini zawo. AmaMasai awavamile ukuhlaba izinkomo ukuze adle; kuvame ukuba nezimvu nezimbuzi ezimbalwa ezibekelwe ukudliwa. Kodwa uma inkomo ifile, izitho zayo zisetshenziswa zonke. Izimpondo kuthelwa kuzo okuthile; izinselo namathambo kwenziwa ngazo izinto zokuhlobisa; kanti izikhumba ziyashukwa ukuze kwenziwe izicathulo, izingubo, izembozo zemibhede nezindophi.

Bagqoka Imibalabala Futhi Bahlukile

AmaMasai mahle, made futhi mancane ngomzimba kanti anezici zomzimba ezinhle. Izingubo zawo zinemibalabala ngendlela emangalisayo. Imizimba yawo egobeka kalula ayibhincisa indwangu edaywe ngemibala egqamile ebomvu neluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka. Abesifazane bavame ukuhloba ngemigexo eyizingqwembe ezinkulu eziyisiyingi enobuhlalu nemichilo emibalabala eboshwa emakhanda. Izingalo namaqakala angase afakwe amasongo amakhulu ethusi. Kokubili abesilisa nabesifazane bavame ukuklakla izindlebe bafake iziqhaza ezisindayo ezinobuhlalu. Ngokuvamile kuxutshwa ibomvu namafutha enkomo bese ligcotshwa ngobuciko emzimbeni.

Ngobunye ubusuku, ngokukhanya komlilo obasiwe, ngibuka iqembu lamaMasai njengoba lihlangana ndawonye ukuze lisine. Njengoba emi enze isiyingi, asina ngesigqi. Njengoba isigqi sokusina siya siqina, imigexo enobuhlalu esezintanyeni zamantombazane iyakhenceza ilokhu ishaya emahlombe. Amaqhawe amaMasai abe esengena enkundleni ngokudedelana, agxume abheke phezulu emé aqonda. Ukusina kungaqhubeka kuze kube sebusuku kakhulu lapho bonke sebekhathele.

Ukuphila Komkhaya WamaMasai

Kulo lonke usuku olushisayo, ngihlezi nabesifazane abangamaMasai ngaphansi komthunzi wesihlahla somtholo, ngiyababuka bethungela ubuhlalu obuyinkimbinkimbi ezikhunjeni esezishukiwe. Njengoba bexoxa futhi behleka, abawanake nakuwanaka amahlokohloko acula phezu kwamakhanda abo, akha izidleke zawo ngezinti zotshani ezomile. Njengoba usuku luqhubeka, abesifazane bamatasa bakha amanzi futhi bayotheza, balungise imizi futhi banakekele nezingane zabo ezincane.

Lapho ilanga seliya ngomutsha wendoda, abelusi baqala ukubuyisa izinkomo. Izinkomo zishaya kancane zibheke ekhaya, zisusa ifu lothuli olubomvu olukhanyiswa imisebe yelanga ephuzi njengoba seliyozilahla kunina. Lapho abesifazane bebona uthuli olubomvu bekude, bavele bayeke lokho abakwenzayo bayolungiselela umhlambi ozayo.

Uma izinkomo sezingaphakathi esibayeni seziphephile, amadoda azulazula phakathi kwezinkomo zawo, ebamba izimpondo zezinkunzi futhi encoma ubuhle bazo. Umfana omncane ukhamela ubisi olufudumele lwemibele yenkomo emlonyeni wakhe futhi ngokushesha unina uyamthethisa. Amantombazane amancane, ehla enyuka esiphithiphithini sezinkomo, asenga izinkomo ngobuciko, agcwalisa amagula awo amade aze achichime.

Ebusuku sonke sotha imbuthuma sifudumale. Kunuka intuthu nenyama eyosiwe kanye nephunga lezinkomo zalo mhlambi oseduze. Umuntu omdala uhlala phansi axoxe izindaba zomlando wamaMasai kanye nezenzo zakudala zamaqhawe amaMasai. Uhlaba ikhefu kuphela uma kubhonga ibhubesi lé kude, futhi engenandaba uyaqhubeka eza nendaba yakhe enemininingwane eminingi ejabulisa izilaleli zakhe. Ekugcineni, bonke bayahamba ngamunye ngamunye baye emaqhugwaneni abo bayolala. Ngaphandle kwezinkomo ezilele eziphefumulela phansi, ebusuku kuthule, kumnyama kuleli thafa elisemajukujukwini.

Izingane ZamaMasai

Uma sekuphuma ilanga kuyachwaza kule ndawo. Izingane ezincane ezigqoke izigege nemigexo enobuhlalu kuphela, zidlala emoyeni wasekuseni opholile. Ukuhleka kwazo kuyawathokozisa amaMasai, azithandayo izingane zawo futhi ancike kuzo ngamathemba awo ekusasa nangokusinda kwawo.

Ukukhulisa ingane kuyinto yomphakathi—noma yimuphi umuntu omdala emphakathini angayiyala futhi ayishaye ingane engezwa. Izingane zifundiswa ukuba zihloniphe abantu abadala, futhi ziyashesha ukufunda izindlela zokuphila komkhaya wamaMasai. Uma zisencane zikhululekile, kodwa uma zikhula, amantombazane afundiswa ukunakekela imisebenzi yasendlini kanti abafana bafundiswa ukunakekela nokuvikela imfuyo. Abazali badlulisela ezinganeni zabo ulwazi lwamakhambi futhi bazifundise imikhuba namasiko amaMasai athinta zonke izici zokuphila kwamaMasai.

Ukukhulela Ebudaleni

Njengoba zikhula, izingane zifunda amasiko nemikhosi yokukhula kwazo zisuka ekubeni yizingane ziya ekubeni abantu abadala. Phakathi kwemikhuba efundwayo kukhona ephathelene nokugula, ishwa, umshado nokufa. AmaMasai akholelwa ukuthi uma ehluleka ukugcina le mikhosi azoqalekiswa.

Abazali abangamaMasai bangase bahlele ukugana kwendodakazi yabo lapho isewusana. Intombazane ithenjiswa indoda enezinkomo ezanele ukuba ikhiphe ilobolo elifunwa uyise. Ngokuvamile izogana indoda endala kakhulu kunayo, bese ihlala kanye nabanye abafazi kulo muzi.

Njengoba abafana bekhula emphakathini wamaMasai, bajwayelana kakhulu nabanye abafana abangangabo. Ubuhlobo obukhethekile ababujabulela nalabo ntanga bungahlala ukuphila kwabo konke. Ndawonye bazokhula besuka ekubeni abafana abangazi lutho baye ekubeni amaqhawe. Njengamaqhawe bazoba nomthwalo wemfanelo wokuvikela umuzi, balondoloze imithombo yamanzi yomphakathi, futhi bavikele imfuyo ezilwaneni zasendle nasekwebiweni. Njengoba edume ngesibindi, ngeke uwabone amaMasai ehamba evathazela engayiphethe imikhonto yawo ecijile.

Uma amaqhawe eseneminyaka ecela kwengu-30 ubudala, angena esigabeni sokugcina sokukhulela ekuvuthweni. Ngenjabulo enkulu nomkhosi, angeniswa ebudaleni; manje asezovunyelwa ukuba aganwe. Uma esenalesi sikhundla esihloniphekayo, azogxila ekuthatheni umakoti nasekwandiseni umhlambi wezinkomo futhi azolindeleka ukuba anikeze iseluleko, axazulule nezinkinga.

AmaMasai Nekusasa Lawo?

Namuhla imikhuba namasiko ayingqayizivele amaMasai sekuyashabalala. Kwezinye izindawo amaMasai awasakwazi ukuzulazula ngokukhululeka nezinkomo zawo afune amadlelo amasha. Izindawo ezingodedangendlale ezaziyizwe lawo manje seziyalungiswa ukuze kulondolozwe kuzo izilwane zasendle noma kwakhiwe izindlu futhi kulinywe ukuze kubhekanwe nenani labantu elandayo. Isomiso nezimo zomnotho ezinzima kuphoqelela amaMasai amaningi ukuba adayise izinkomo zawo ezithandekayo ukuze aphile. Njengoba ethuthela emadolobheni amakhulu, abhekana nezinkinga ezifanayo nalezo ezikhungethe lonke izwe lanamuhla eliwazungezile.

Namuhla inkonzo yoFakazi BakaJehova ifinyelela emiphakathini yamaMasai eMpumalanga Afrika. Kuye kwanyatheliswa amakhophi angaphezu kuka-6 000 encwajana ethi Jabulela Ukuphila Emhlabeni Phakade! ngolimi lwamaMasai. Ngakho amaMasai asizwa ukuba abone umehluko phakathi kwezinkolelo-ze ezingenasisekelo neqiniso leBhayibheli. Ngempela kuyajabulisa ukubona ukuthi uMdali wethu, uJehova uNkulunkulu, unike laba bantu abahlukile nabathakazelisayo ithuba lokubalwa phakathi ‘kwezizwe nezizwana nabantu nezilimi’ eziningi eziyosinda ekubhujisweni kwalesi simiso sezinto esibi.—IsAmbulo 7:9.

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Umuzi wesintu wamaMasai

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AmaMasai ahlangana ndawonye ukuzosina

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OFakazi ababili abangamaMasai