Every Cow Tells A Story
In Zimbabwe, every indigenous cow tells a story. Cattle have been a part of the socio-cultural life of Zimbabweans for millennia, as a means of trade, to pay lobola , to settle a debt ,to plough etc. Share your cow story and the memories you create with your a Tribe called Zimbabwe product and stand chance of winning a special gift.
Noelline Dube -Capetown
I met my husband ,Cephas ,in 1998 ,Bulawayo Zimbabwe. At the time he was still a student and our love life resembled that of teenagers in love, promising each other heaven on earth. I remember when he told me his father had a special cow he called uBhedi. UBhedi was a Nguni bull in his fathers herd. Cephas spoke of uBhedi like he was the village celebrity, telling me hilarious stories about uBhedi's mischief and hot temper.
When he proposed a few years later, he said to me,"Uyafuneka kithi sthandwa, inkomo zigcwele esibayeni sikababa zilindele ukuza ngakini" [translation -My love you are wanted by my family, my fathers kraal has many cows and they are all waiting to be delivered to your parents]
During my lobola ceremony I was told that uBhedi had been given to me as a gift. To see a live cow from the village at the gate of a suburban house in Bulawayo, now that was a memorable sight. Whenever I think of my traditional wedding ceremony that is the first thing that makes me smile. uBhedi live and mooing at my gate..
Thabani Ndlovu -Bulawayo
My wedding day was a memorable one, but it didn't come without its fair share of drama. Two days before the big day, the cow that had been selected to provide beef disappeared. The herd boy came home at sunset and simply said he could not find it ,it had just vanished. I suggested we choose another one since the wedding was only a few days away and my grandmother would not have it. She insisted that it be found. As a result we spent the entire day of my wedding eve searching for the lost cow. Needless to say I was a very tired groom the next day, but I did serve myself a bountiful share of beef at the wedding. After all I had trekked my feet off for it.
A. Mkhwananzi -Inyathi
Orange is a Nguni cow in my herd. We call her Orange because of the colour of her skin. She is a very aggressive cow, especially if you dare come close to her calf. She won’t let anyone milk her or touch her. One day she chased a man who had lead her calf into another pen, thus separating the two. She chased him until he sought refuge up a tree. A neighbour tried to rescue him and he received the same treatment. For one whole hour, they were stuck up the tree until another villager came to the rescue and released her calf from the pen. Hell hath no fury indeed.
