Ukuziphatha nokuphathwa kwabesifazane : endulo namanje

Abstract
Although females in the olden days were considered as minors people that had nothing or little to say, today their word is heard. Females listen and obey their nation's cultures. Cultures are taken as good behavioural patterns kept by everyone in that particular nation or tribe so that the whole nation is nurtured. These behavioural patterns though are not to be practised by females only. Most people, especially in the past, thought that leadership was meant for males only, but because of female's wisdom it all ended up clear that it is not like that. Mkabayi is one of the women who showed leadership signs. If it weren't for her the Zulu tribe would have vanished. After Mkabayi had displayed her leadership skills many other females showed that they have brilliant brains. Nandi, mother to Shaka; Mthaniya the one that helped Mkabayi in building the tribe; Winnie Madikizela-Mandela who has been the leader of the African National Congress Women's League; Patricia de Lille leader of the Independent Democrats; Sibusisiwe Ngubane also a leader of Inkatha Freedom Party Youth Brigade and many others. The beauty of the women can only be realised by her esteem. She tries by all means to keep her beauty because she knows that she is the flower of the earth. Beads are one of the things they use to beautify themselves. It is important for them to know their level and the way they wear their traditional attire in that particular level as they differ accordingly. The growing of the female is considered very much important than the males. It is because she is the favourite of everyone and therefore a woman needs caring. Because of her being there, her father automatically becomes a rich man as he will have a big kraal full of cattle. The woman (mother) is the one that brings all the joy and success by performing her duty as a woman to see that her daughter grows in a proper manner. The girl is taught many things that she can benefit from like taking care of the houses, handwork and many more. The research shows that females have great sympathy. They can be sympathetic in many ways. They are there when one needs help for example tending the sick, helping the poor, and giving help to other people with different conditions that need to be attended to. It is also noticed that even though they have sympathy, they also have grudges and think of bad doings. Though Mkabayi had sympathy for her father's tribe but she also had jealous about the kingdom of the Zulu nation. She arranged for Sojiyisa to be killed because she thought he was not supposed to take the reign since he was a Thonga. It also appears in the research that a woman is not only looked after whilst still young, but even when she has reached old age of being a grandparent. The old ladies have also a part to play in the vicinity. They are the ones who bring peace and harmony as they act like the mediators between the living and the dead. When the White people arrived they brought about education and teachings of scriptures and our females jumped into wearing dresses instead of their traditional attire. There are those who still wear traditional attire though, but are only a few. The majority puts on dresses made out of cloth material. Whilst looking at that we find that some women are now wearing pair of trousers as men. Some like it and others do not, because it lowers the female dignity of an African woman. This shows that our nation has no backbone and is easily influenced by other peoples’ cultures. People can adopt what they like from other cultures but should choose the cultures that will help in the upbringing of the strong nation. = Nakuba abantu besifazane ngesikbathi sakudala babethathwa njengabantwana, abantu abangenalizwi, kepha namuhla izwi labo liyahlonishwa. Abantu besifazane bayalalela bahloniphe imindeni yabo ikakhulukazi osobaba abayizinhloko zemizi. Bayawahlonipha kakhulu namasiko esizwe sabo. Amasiko ayimikhuba emihle egcinwa ngabantu ukuze kusimame isizwe sonke. Awabekelwe abesifazane bodwa nokho. Ubuholi bekwaziwa ukuthi bumiselwe abantu besilisa, kepha ngenxa yokuhlakanipha kwabesifazane kwagcina kuhlalukile ukuthi akunjalo. UMkabayi ungomunye wabesifazane owakukhombisa lokho. Ukuba akakhombisanga izimpawu zobuholi ngakube isizwe saphela nya. Emva kukaMkabayi baningi abesifazane abavela ukuthi banomqondo ophusile. Ukubala nje abambalwa singabala uNandi ongunina wenkosi uShaka, uMthaniya owayelekelelana noMkabayi bakha isizwe, Winnie Madikizela Mandela, obe ngumholi ephethe iqembu leAfrican National Congress Women's League, Patricia de Lille oziqambele iqembu lakhe kwezombusazwe iIndependent Democrats, uSibusisiwe Ngubane ohola Inkatha Freedom Party Youth Brigade nabanye abaningi. Ubuhle bowesifazane bubonakala ngokuzithanda kwakhe. Uzama ngayo yonke indlela ukutbi ahIale ebukeka ngoba uyazazi ukuthi uyimbali yezwe. Ubuhlalu yiyonanto abatbanda ukuzihlobisa ngayo. Kusemqoka ukuthi bazazi izigaba zabo nendlela abavunula ngayo kuleso naleso sigaba ngoba phe1a ziyehlukana. Ukukhula komuntu wesifazane kubukeka sengathi kuqashelwa kakhulu kunokwabesilisa. Phela owesifazane uligugu ngakho kumele aqashelwe. Ngobukbona bentombazane ekhaya uyise uyathokoza ngoba ugcina esengumnumzane omkhulu onesibaya esikhulu esiphuphuma imfuyo. Umama nguyena owenza konke kube impumelelo ngokukhulisa intombazane ngendlela eyiyo. Kumele unina amfundise izinto eziningi ezigcina sezilusizo kuye . njengokulungiswa kwamakhaya kanye nemisebenzi yezandla. Ocwaningweni kuvezwa ukuthi abesifazane bayakwazi ukuzwelana ngezindlela eziningi ezahlukene. Abamyekeleli umuntu uma elambile, egula, edinga usizo ngandlela thize ehluphekile njalo njalo. Kuyavela futhi ukuthi yize noma benozwelo bayaba nesihluku bacabange baze bafise okubi. UMkabayi noma wayesizwela isizwe sikayise kepha wagcina esenomona ngombuso waze wakha uzungu lokubulala uSojiyisa ngoba ethi uthatha ubukbosi kungafanele ngoba uyiThonga. Lapha ocwaningweni kuvezwa futhi ukuthi umuntu akaqashelwa ngoba esakhula nje kuphela kepha ngisho esemdala esegugile uyanakwa. Izalukazi nazo noma sezigugile zinendawo yazo ezimpilweni zomphakathi. Yizona ezenza imizi ime ngokuba abaxhumanisi phakathi kwabaphilayo nabangasekho. Kulesi sikhathi lapho sekwafika khona abamh10phe nemfundo kanye nenkolo sekwabenza abesifazane baguqula nendlela yokuvunula. Nakuba besekhona abavunula ngendlela yakudala yezidwaba nobuhlalu kepha abaningi sebagqoka izingubo ezenziwa ngezindwangu. Sisabuka lokho sebetholaka1a befaka namabhulukwe. Yize noma bekuthanda abanye, kepha abaningi abakuthandi ngoba isizwe sethu asisenamgogodla sithatheke kalula ngamasiko ezinye izizwe. Akushiwo nokho ukuthi bangenzi abakubona kwezinye izizwe kepha kumele bakhethe okuzoba amasiko amahle azokwakha isizwe esiqotho nesiqinile.
Description
Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree Master of Arts in the Department of African Languages in the Faculty of Arts at the University of Zululand, South Africa, 2004.
Keywords
Women in zulu culture, Hlonipha culture
Citation