Ukusetshenziswa Kwesiduli Ekhaya | The Ulwazi Programme
UMama uBongi Mzimela ohlala endaweni yaseCongo, eNanda ongowokudabuka kwaZulu usichazela ngesiduli kanye nemisebenzi eyayenziwa ngaso ezikhathini zakudala okusaqhubeka nokwenziwa namanje yilabo abanalo ulwazi ngaso. Isiduli sitholakala kakhulu ezindaweni ezingamahlathi noma izintaba. Isiduli singasichaza njengenhlabathi eqoqekile yenziwa igqumana nje, sihlala isilwanakazana esaziwa ngokuthi umuhlwa.
Ezindaweni zasemakhaya njengoba sazi ukuthi izinto eziningi bayazenzela bona ngokusebenzisa imvelo, naso isiduli sidlala indima enkulu uma kwakhiwa indlu ngoba basisebenzisa ukuthi bakhuhle udonga lwendlu ngaso kwasakupenda, lokhu kuyayiqinisa indlu.
Sasiphinde sisebenze uma kukhona ingane ephethwe isimungumungane. Yayithathwa leyongane kuthiwa ayichamele phezu kwesiduli, bese siyathathwa kuleyondawo echanyeliwe kugcotshwe ingane emzimbeni. Babenenkolelo yokuthi lokhu kwakusilapha isimungumungwane. Okubalulekile lapha ukuthi kwakufanele kusetshenziswe umchamo waleyongane esuke yelashwa, hhayi owomunye umuntu.
Ekwaluseni nabafana babesisebenzisa kakhulu isiduli ukupheka inyama abasuke beyizingelile noma beyintshontshe emakhaya. Kuthiwa bafike bambe umgodi ngaphansi kwaso isiduli bese bethatha leyonyama abayiphethe bayichome endukwini bayifake ngaphakathi esidulini bayishiye ilale khona. Kwakuya ngokuthi bathanda ukuwubasela kuphi umlilo, babekwazi ukuthi bawubase emgodini abawumbile noma ngaphezu kwaso isiduli. Kwakuthi ngosuku olulandelayo bayifice isivuthiwe ngenxa yokufudumala kwaso isiduli. Babezibusa ngenyama yabo. Lomkhuba wagcina sewaziwa ngamantombazane ngoba ayesekwazi ukubona uma kukhona okuzodliwa ekwaluseni ngentuthu yomlilo, ahambe ayobheka ukuthi kudliwani. Uma kuyinkukhu ababazi ukuthi ithathwe ngokwebiwa babefuna ukuphiwa nabo ngoba uma bengatholi babezobikela abadala. Kuthiwa nezinsizwa zazithanda ukubungaza noma ukwenza okusamicimbi eduze nendawo enesiduli lapho zazifike ziphuze bese ziyadla inyama yazo ebeseziyithukusile noma eziyifihlile ngayizolo.
This article looks at mainly three traditional uses of an ant heap by Zulu people. As we well know that in the olden days they used natural resources for survival and ant heaps forms part of those things.
They used ant heap as a substitute for cement as they did not have access to it in those days. After building a house, women will look for an ant heap and collect it, they will mix it with water and plaster the outside of the house. This helped with strengthening the building and also for decoration reasons.
When a child suffers from measles it was used for treatment. They will take that sick child and make him/her urinate on the ant heap and they will use that part with urine to mix with sand and spread it over the child’s body.
Ants heaps are most popular with boys when herding cattle. Their activities included hunting, catching birds and sometimes stealing a live chicken from their parents’ coops. They would identify an ant heap that they will use and dig a hole under it where they would make fire and use a stick to put their chicken in and leave it overnight. Fire can also be made on top of the ant heap to make it warm.
Source: Mrs Bongi Mzimela
Animals, Imithi yesintu, Izilwane, traditional medicine
Ukusetshenziswa Kwenyongo Yesilwane Ngokwesiko