Towards the cattle economy: understanding the different economic logic of stokvels at Esihlengeni in Vryheid, Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa

Abstract

This study explores the phenomenon of stokvels − membership-based savings schemes providing for the social and financial wellbeing of their members as well as entertainment (Lukhele, 1990). The purpose of the study is to identify the existence of a different kind of economy that is not informed by the capitalist logic. The study aims to examine the values that underpin stokvels and to locate them within a particular socio-cultural and historical context. This is a qualitative research study and my research approach included fieldwork, participant observation, in-depth interviews and the procedure of genealogy. The study, employing these methods, has enabled me to draw a connection between the Khumalo clan - the generation of Mzilikazi Khumalo who was a friend to King Shaka and is argued to have played a pivotal role in building what is known as the Zulu nation today – and my uncles. In the six months I spent at Esihlengeni, a small village in Vryheid, KwaZulu-Natal, I interviewed 27 people, attended two funerals, one family ritual and conducted two focus group discussions with stokvel women. I found that stokvels are not centred on an African epistemic framework as anticipated in the problem statement but are still within the capitalist logic of profit and thus do not draw from the community’s traditional values. While stokvels are informed by the dominant capitalist logic, the community of Esihlengeni still draws from their cosmological worldview that provides them with a different understanding of the economy that is centred on cattle – the means that allow them to perform rituals that guarantee protection and continuity of life - to make sense of their world. Their insistence on the importance of cattle in this community is their cry to be allowed to exist and be recognised as humans that can think for themselves. I conclude by arguing that to understand this community correctly, we need to take the ontological difference seriously that we cannot possibly have only one way of existing. The community of Esihlengeni thus provides us with the economic theory that is centred on life in its totality – that takes both the physical and metaphysical into consideration to ensure the continuity of life. As such, the community of Esihlengeni should be regarded as a gift to be appreciated.

Lolucwaningo luhlaziya isimo sezitokofela – uhlelo lokonga olunika abayingxenye yalo ukweseka kwezomphakathi, ezomnotho nezokuzijabulisa (Lukhele 1990). Ingqikimba yokwenza lolucwaningo ukubonisa ubukhona bomnnotho ohlukile, ongatshelwa wumnotho ogxile kwinzuzo, phecelezi ikhephithalizimu. Injongo yalolucwaningo ukuhlolisisa izimiso ezisekela amastokofela nokuwabeka endaweni ethize yezinhlalo zomphakathi-namasiko kanye nomlando. Lolucwaningo lugxile kwizizathu zokuba yingxenye kuloluhlelo, indlela yokuthola imininingwane ixhumanisa ukuchitha isikhathi nabantu, ukubamba ingxenye kwizinto abazenzayo, ukubabuza imibuzo ejulile, nokudweba imvelaphi yabo. Kulolucwaningo, ngokusebenzisa lezizindlela zokucwaninga, ngakwazi ukuxhumanisa isizwe sakwaKhumalo – inzalo yenkosi uMzilikazi Khumalo owaye umngani wenkosi uShaka futhi kuthiwa wabamba iqhaza eliqavile ekwakheni isizwe esaziwa njengamaZulu namhlanje – nomalume bami. Ezinyangeni eziyisithupha engazicitha eSihlengeni - isigodi esiseFilidili KwaZulu-Natali, ngaba nendabangxoxiswano nabantu amangamashumi amabili nesikhombisa, ngaya emingcwabeni emibili nasembenzini owodwa womndeni, ngase ngikhulumisana namaqoqo amabili omama besitokofela. Ngathola ukuthi izitokofela azizinzile kwinqubomigomo yesintu njengoba ngangisola esitatimendeni socwaningo, kodwa angaphakathi komnotho ogxile kwinzuzo, ikhephithalizimi, ngakhoke awasebenzisi imikhuba yesintu yalomphakathi. Noma amastokofela egxile kumnotho oqgamile ogxile kwinzuzo, lomphakathi waseSihlengeni usasebenzisa indlela yawo yokuphila eveza inqubomgomo ehlukile yomnotho ogxile ezinkomeni - eziyisisekelo sokwenza amasiko aqinekisa ukuvikeleka nenqubekela phambili yempilo – ukuqondisisa imvelo. Ukuphikelela kokubaluleka kwezinkomo kulomphakathi isikhalo sokuthi uvumeleke ukuba aphile futhi ubonwe njengabantu abakwaziyo ukuzicabangela. Ngiphetha ngokuthi ukuqondisisa lomphakathi kahle, kumele sithathe ukuhlukana kwezizwe okuyimvelo yempilo ngokuzimisela, ukuthi kungenzeke kube nendlela eyodwa yokuphila. Umphakathi waseSihlengeni ngakhoke usinika inqubomugomo yomnotho egxile empilweni ngokuphelela kwayo – uthatha okubonakalayo nokungabonakali ukuqiniseka kokuqhubekela phambili kwempilo. Kanjaloke, umphakathi waseSihlengeni kumele ubonakale njengesipho okumelwe sibungazwe.

Nyakišišo ye e bolela ka ditokofele – dikema tša polokelo tša go thewa godimo ga boleloko go dira gore maloko a tšona a be le boiketlo go tša leago, matlotlo le boithabišo (Lukhele, 1990). Morero wa nyakišišo ye ke go hlaola go ba gona ga mehuta ya go fapana ya ekonomi yeo e sa huetšwego ke lotšiki ya bokepitale. Maikemišetšo a nyakišišo ke go lekola melawana yeo e thekgago ditokofele le go di bea ka gare ga maemo a itšeng a histori, a leago le a setšo. Ye ke nyakišišo ya khwalithethifi gomme sebopego sa nyakišišo ya ka se akaretša tlhohlomišo, temošo ya bakgathatema, dipoledišano tša go tsenelela le tshepedišo ya tšinealotši. Nyakišišo, ya go šomiša mekgwa ye, e nkgontšhitše go laetša kamano gare ga lešika la ga Khumalo ‒ moloko wa Mzilikazi Khumalo yoo a bego e le mogwera wa Kgošikgolo Shaka gape o dumelwa go ba a bapetše karolo ye bohlokwa kagong ya seo lehono se tsebjago bjalo ka setšhaba sa Mazulu ‒ le bomalome ba ka. Mo dikgweding tše tshela tše ke di feditšego Esihlengeni, motse wo monyane go la Vryheid, KwaZulu-Natal, ke boledišane le batho ba 27, ke tsenetše ditirelo tše pedi tša poloko, moetlo o tee wa lapa le go swara dipoledišano tše pedi tša go lebantšha sehlopha gotee le basadi ba setokofele. Ke hweditše gore ditokofele ga di latele foreimiweke ya epistemiki ya Afrika bjalo ka ge go letetšwe ka gare ga tlhalošo ya taba eupša di sa le ka gare ga lotšiki ya bokepitale ya poelo gomme ka go realo ga di latele ditumelo tša setšo tša setšhaba. Mola ditokofele di latela lotšiki ya bokepitale ye e bušago, setšhaba sa Esihlengeni se sa ntše se latela pono ya sona ya kosmolotši ya lefase yeo e ba fago kwešišo ye e fapanego ya ekonomi ya go thewa godimo ga dikgomo – mokgwa wo o ba dumelelago go phetha moetlo wa go tiišetša tšhireletšo le tšwelopele ya bophelo – go kwešiša lefase la bona. Phegelelo ya bona go bohlokwa bja dikgomo ka setšhabeng se ke sello sa bona sa gore ba dumelelwe go ba gona le go amogelwa bjalo ka batho bao ba kago inaganela. Ke fetša ka gore go kwešiša setšhaba se e le ka nnete, re nyaka go tšea kgopolo ya ontolotši bjalo ka ye bohlokwa ya gore re ka se kgonego ba fela le tsela e tee ya go phela. Setšhaba sa Esihlengeni ka go realo se re fa teori ya ekonomi yeo e theilwego godimo ga bophelo ka moka ga bjona – seo se akaretša bobedi fisikale le metafisikale go kgonthišiša tšwelopele ya bophelo. Bjalo, setšhaba sa Esihlengeni se swanela go tšewa bjalo ka mpho ye e amogelwago.

Ngudo iyi i tandula tshibveleli tsha zwiṱokofela − vhuraḓo ho ḓisendekaho nga zwikimu zwa u vhulunga u itela u dzudzanyea nga tshitshavha na lwa masheleni kha miraḓo khathihi na vhuḓimvumvusi (Lukhele, 1990). Ndivho ya ngudo ndi u topola u vha hone ha tshaka dzo fhambanaho dza ikonomi dzine dza sa ḓivhadzwe nga thevhekano ya pfuma. Ngudo yo pika u ṱola zwithu zwa ndeme zwo tikaho zwiṱokofela na u u wana vhukati hazwo nyimele ya matshilisano na mvelelo kathihi na ḓivhazwakale. Hei ndi ngudo ya ṱhoḓisiso ya ndeme na nyolo ya ṱhoḓisiso yanga yo katela mushumo wa nnḓa, u sedza vhadzheneli, inthaviwu dzo dzhenelelaho na kuitele kwa vhutumbukwa. Ngudo dzi shumisaho ngona idzi, dzo nkonisa u vhona vhuṱumani vhukati ha lushaka lwa ha Khumalo ‒ murafho wa ha Mzilikazi Khumalo we wa vha u khonani dza Khosi Shaka nahone hu pfi wo shela mulenzhe zwihulwane kha u fhaṱa zwi vhidzwaho uri lushaka lwa ha Zulu ṋamusi ‒ na vhomalume anga. Kha miṅwedzi ya rathi ye nda I fhedza ngei Esihlengeni, kuḓana ku re kha ḽa Vryheid, KwaZulu-Natal, ndo inthaviwa vhathu vha 27, nda dzhenela mbulungo mbili, nyitelatherelo nthihi ya muṱa na tshimbidza nyambedzano dza zwigwada zwo sedzaho mbili na vhafumakadzi vha zwiṱokofela. Ndo wana uri zwiṱokofela a zwo ngo ḓisendeka nga muhanga wa nḓivho ya Afrika sa zwe zwa lavhelelwa kha tshitatamende tsha thaidzo fhedzi hu kha ḓi vha nga ngomu ha thevhekano ya pfuma ya u bindula zwenezwo a zwo bvi kha zwithu zwa ndeme zwa sialala zwa tshitshavha. Musi zwiṱokofela zwi tshi ḓivhadzwa nga thevhekano thakhulwa ya pfuma, tshitshavha tsha Esihlengeni tshi kha ḓi dzhia u bva kha kuvhonele kwa mvelo kwa ḽifhasi ku vha ṋekedzaho kupfesesele kwo fhambanaho lwa ikonomi yo ḓisendekaho nga kholomo – nḓila ine ya vha tendela u shuma nyitelatherelo dzavho zwi themendelaho tsireledzo na u bvelaphanḓa ha vhutshilo – u itela u pfesesa ḽifhasi ḽavho. U omelela kha ndeme ya kholomo kha tshitshavha itshi sa tshililo tshavho tsha u tendelwa u vha hone na u dzhielwa nṱha sa vhathu vhane vha kona u ḓihumbulela. Ndi pendela nga u amba uri u itela u pfesesa tshoṱhe tshitshavha itshi ri tea u dzhia kuvhonele kwa zwa mvumbo ro khwaṱhisa uri ri sa tou vha na nḓila nthihi fhedzi ya u vha hone. Tshitshavha tsha Esihlengeni zwenezwo tshi ri fha thyori ya ikonomi yo ḓisendekaho nga vhutshilo ho fhelelaho – hezwo zwi dzhiela nṱha zwa muvhili na zwa khumbulelwa u khwaṱhisedza u bvelaphanḓa ha vhutshilo. Zwenezwo, tshitshavha tsha Esihlengeni tshi tea u dzhiiwa sa tshifhiwa tsho tewaho nga dzindivhuwo.