IMALI - THE WORD AND IT'S DIFFERENT MEANINGS OVER TIME
Today, in the C21st century, we know Imali to mean CASH MONEY...
I also remember Imali to mean meat...
But in the days of the 7 Sovereign Kingdoms of eSwati - Africa's name 300 years ago, before colonization - Imali very simply meant your duty. And the duty of men who had been initiated was to jog, in a formation or in a spenza line (very tightly together, one behind the other to avoid being knocked over by a charging 🦁) with the intention of spenza-ring the perimeter of the Kazi or Territory or one's home village.
Imali could also happen Inkazi (the spaces between the Kazis or villages) in the second sphere of eSwati, known as Imali 2. Imali 2 Inkazi was frequented by so-called Bantus and regaled eSwati people, alike.
IMALI 1 - THE COASTLINES OF eSWATI, WHERE NGUNI HERDERS USUALLY TRAVELLED VIA, TO GET TO VENDA OR GOOD GRAZING. THEY ALSO HAD NGUNI PARADE AS WELL AS TABALAZA DELIVERY VIA THE BEACHES OF eSWATI
IMALI 2 - THE KAZIS OR TERRITORIES AND THE INKAZI SPACES INBETWEEN. THIS WAS THE SPACE FOR IMALYING FORMATIONS THAT WERE REGALED LIKE INKHATHA, THE MDUMBI AND THE MASINGA.
BETWEEN IMALI 2 AND IMALI 3 WAS A TALL MUD, GRASS AND STONE WALL THAT HAD KEPT MOST PREDATORS INSIDE IMALI 3. GRASS EATERS WERE ALLOWED IN IMALI 2.
IMALI 3, KNOWN AS NKULUKULU OR THE SERENGETI WAS THE DJANGO AND FULL OF ANIMALS OF ALL KINDS. ONLY THE BOBO LIVED IMALI 3 AND BUILT ELONGATED SQUARE PYRAMID-SHAPED HUTS MADE OF STICKS, MUD AND TWINE. MOST OF THE HOUSES THOUGH, HAD SEVERAL FLOORS, AS BOBO WAS A SANELE OR AN ANIMAL DOCTOR AND HE PUT HIS PATIENTS ON WHATEVER FLOOR SUITED THEIR NEED FOR A VISTA OR DARKNESS OR PRIVACY.
BANTUS: ALSO eSWATI PEOPLE
The word Bantu actually applies to eSwati people who have not yet been given a Territory by Nkosi baNkosi or the Kingdom King. One's formation or nomadic group of people had to come up with an Imali and a Tabalaza that was approved by the Kingdom King. Thereafter, the Nkosi baNkosi would give your formation a Territory, with grazing pasture nearby and water rights.
You then had the right to regale yourselves with animal skins and to have an inside and outside regalia by which you would be identified and recognized and given due respect and salutations.
So your Imali is your Duty and Tabalaza is the reward for your Duties perfomed.
Maybe when they Imali'd, they would hunt meat and so the word became synonomous with meat.
THE USE OF COWRY SHELLS IN HUNTING
To have the Nkosi gaNkosi's permission to hunt a grazing animal on Imali though, one would be given a certain amount of cowry shells, at a certain time and each time one brought a hunted animal home to Kazi, one would have to produce a cowry shell, which was worked onto a cloth that represented your family or inkandla's hunts. This was like a family banner that was displayed in the Lapa or Qwa Mashu meeting place, in one's Nkandla's sitting section.
Here is an example of the mudcloth in old Skool designs upon which the cowry shell would be worked. Mudcloth is a variety of Kitenda and has much cultural significance in Kazi. The bigger cowry shells were used sparingly and were for bigger game that one would use when an NkuluKulu animal had broken the perimeter wall.
Kitenda like the Kente on the left could also have been used. Right: the modern cowry shell mudcloth.
The NuuGuu, in the role of Kotla maker and animal skin sanitizer, dryer and keeper (in the Kotla) would prepare and dry your skins to keep as Kitenda when a girl in one's Nkandla's labola negotiation had been completed and a deal struck. An amount of animal skins corresponding to the labola payment had to be brought for the Umqobothi to be opened. This finalized the labola negotiation and the skins were used for the new couples life together, as blankets, as clothing, as baby blankets (goat skin) and for decorative and traditional purposes. Also, to regale the Lapa doorways and so on.
Next post, we'll talk about Tabalaza and the meaning$, significance and examples thereof.
