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South African Voices

South African Voices: Created in Olden Times (2006)

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South African artwork

DOCTORS IN XHOSA SOCIETY

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Date:    August 11, 1972
Time:    1:00 p.m.
Place:    In Masithathu Zenani's home, in Mboxo (Nkanga) Location, Gatyana District, the Transkei
The Performance:    Related in Xhosa
Audience:    Four women, three children
Narrative 2S-149
Tape 8, side 1

Something begins to be seen in the land of the Xhosa that has never been experienced before, something that is strange: it is a kind of doctor unlike any known in the past. This kind of doctor proceeds in a strange manner. He knows things not known by others, things that are not as they were at the beginning. The old traditional doctors have nothing to do with this; they do not know how it works. They keep at a distance, merely observing. The newer doctors dance to the beat of drums that are closed.

Nantsi enye imbali...apha ezweni lakwaXhosa eqalekayo ukuba ibonwe engazange yabonwa engaziwayo konke ingaziwa nemvelaphi yayo esamangalisileyo kuloo lonke eli lakwaXhosa...kukho ubugqira obukhoyo obungeyiyo laa mvela yaziwayo...obu bugqira buqhuba ngendlela exakileyo...obu bugqira bathi xa 'be buchaza bathi bubugqira bokuthwala kuyokufunwa kundawo enabant' abaziyo izinto ezazingazange zaziwa ezazingezizonto zamvela...le nto ke ekuthiwa kuginywa iyeza elingumthi elingumgubo othi wakuginywa kuphanjaniswe izandla kugalelwe lo mgubo ngemva ezandleni umntu awuthathe ngolwimi awuginye...ukuze lo mgubo uthi wakufika esiswini unyuke ngexesha uzokuma emqaleni...ufike apho umntu angazi yena kuthethe le nto ingulo mgubo...kodwa oku kuthetha kuthetha kwa ngomlomo wakhe athi i-sound[898] yokuthetha kwakhe ibe lolunye uhlobo...ithi le nto athethe ukuthetha okungesiso isiXhosa esifezekileyo...kodwa athethe into oya kuyiva kodwa ibe lulwimi lumbi kunolu lwesiXhosa...athi nxa ethetha aman' uthi yetsho phela[899] e--- we nina loo nto singayazi thina isithi le nto nxa ithetha e--- sisigogo sisigogo sam esi isitsho kuye loo mntu ize ke ikuye...le nto ke inguwo ummangaliso osiwumemeza ngokokuba ngoku ngunyaka wesine ikho le nto[900] ...loo nto ke imangalise ngoloo hlobo...ayikabi nabuchule iseyinto enje ngento enqazelekileyo...le nto ke umntu abe lilo igqira ngayo eligqira lale nto elingelilo eliya laziwayo...le nto ke inazo iingoma zayo ezixhentswayo zixhentswa ngolwazo uhlobo olukwalodwa nokuqhwatywa kukwakodwa nokuvunywa kukwakodwa kwakunye nokokuba njengoko ingamagqira noqesho lawo njengokuba engamagqira lulo lunye olungafaniyo nala wemvela...loo nto ke ikho ngezoo ndidi zayo ekuthi umntu kuthi ngenye imini kube 'kho utywala kuxhelwe kuthiwe kuyatshatiswa kuthiwe kutshatiswa amakhosi kanti le nto ingalaa makhosi ngulaa mgubo ub' ugalelwe ezandleni ngemva wawuze wawuginya waze wangumgubo othi unyuke...ukunyuka kwawo ize kuthetha wona phofu ethetha ngomlomo wakhe kodwa akazithetheli kuthetha wona uza 'ba[901] nguye umnt' o'se abe ngumntu ofeyintayo xa kwenzeka le nto abe ngumnt' ogqushalazayo nxa kwenzeka le nto egquma esithi hrm! hrm! hrm! hrm! hrm! hrmm! hrmm! he! hm! hm! yeeeeena phela![902] yabulisa...loo nto ke kuthiwe ngamakhosi ngegama ethiwa ngawo iqhube iqhube ke loo nto id' es'ke ke kwenziwe ezoo 'nto ke kuthiwa kutshatelwa wona...ithi loo nto ingawafuni amagqira lawa madala emvela wona izenzo zale nto akazazi emela phaya ajonge nje into enje lawo wona aqhwatyelwa ngamagubu acikiweyo iinkonkx' ezicikiweyo ezibethwayo kube ngunkonkonko apho...loo nto ke obu bugqira buthi ukuba umntu wabo uthe wahlutshwa yinto akhathazeke abe nokungathi uza kufa u--- unyuke lo mgubo esiswini abe ngumntu othwayiza nje kusithiwa kucaphuke loo mgubo wakhe aligqira ngawo...yinto ke leyo entsha yinto ke leyo eminyaka mithathu ingunyaka wesine lo ibonakala ingaziwayo ukuba yinto evela phi na isinge phi na ingaziwa nesiphelo sayo ukuba iya kugqibela ngokuba yintoni na kumntu wayo...loo nto ke ikho kakhulu igqithisile ukuba 'kho eso simanga sobo bugqira bugaywa ngoloo hlobo...yinto ke leyo efana nokungathi iyiyo imbali kuba iyinto engaqhelwanga...ithi ke loo nto umntu wonke ogulayo othe waya kumntu onjalo ukuze loo mntu azenzele umnt' okwa njengaye agube loo nto ayifake kulowo a'b' emnyanga kuze kuthiwe ngabanyangwa bakhe beyinto enjalo e--- nogule elilo igqira ngendlela yemvela okokuba usiwe kumntu onjalo uza kuthi akufika kuye athi uthandiwe uthandiwe ngamakhosi le nto iyangena emntwini noba uyahamba kuthiwe imthandile ukuze asiwe ke lo mntu kubantu abanjalo...igama layo kuthiwa ngamakhosi kuthiwe ngabanye kukubizwa ngamadoda inazo iingoma zayo ezahlukileyo ezithi

ndoba yini mfan' 'asedingeni wandimemeza...[903]
hamba sahambe mfan' 'asedingeni wandimemeza...
wandibiz' uz' edingeni wandimemeza...

loo nto ke ayaziwa ke apha kwaXhosa iyinto abayenza bodwa abo bakuwo loo mbutho wabo uqhuba ngoloo hlobo...yahluka-hlukene ke yiyo indim' entsha...sisiqendu eso endikubalisela sana siyaphela kuloo ndawo.


Notes

[898] i-sound: she uses the English word "sound."

[899] yetshophela: cf. Zulu yebophela, "yes indeed."

[900] A brief pause.

[901] 'ba: kuba.

[902] Gruffly.

[903] She sings these words.

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