UMZUKULU womsunguli weNkatha Freedom Party futhi obenguNdunankulu kaZulu, uDkt Mangosuthu Buthelezi, ushiya abantu bebambe ongezansi emasekisini omhlaba, ngekhono elingavamisile ebantwini abamnyama.
UNokulunga "Africa's Snake Woman" Buthelezi (34), odabuka eKatlehong, eKurhuleni, ugila izimanga ngokwazi ukugobisa nokujikisa umzimba wakhe uye nanoma yikuphi.
NgesiNgisi umuntu onaleli khono ubizwa nge-contortionist. UNokulunga uthe waqala ukuthola ukuthi unaleli khono eseneminyaka eyisikhombisa.
"Ikhono engaliphiwa nguMdali. Benginomzimba ongaqinile futhi ngikuthanda ukujikisa umzimba ngendlela yami engavamisile kusukela ngisemncane. Ngazi ngisemncane ukuthi yilokhu enginekhono lokukwenza futhi ngithanda ukukwenza,"kuchaza uNokulunga.
Yize kunjalo, uNokulunga uthe wayengazi ukuthi kukhona umuntu ongaphila ngaleli khono. Uthe unina owamenza wagcina esejabulisa abantu enxanxatheleni yezitolo kanti uzohlangana nomuntu oyi-acrobat.
Kusukela lapho uNokulunga akabange esabheka emuva. Yena nomlingani wakhe bagcina sebehambela izingxenye zeNingizimu Afrika, benza abadume ngakho.
Elanda uNokulunga, uthe kuthe eseCape Town, wahlangana nomthungathi wamakhono wase-USA, owamnxenxa ukuthi abe yingxenye ye-UniverSoul Circus phesheya kwezilwandle.
Eseneminyaka eyisishiyagalolunye, uNokulunga waya kogoba amadlangala e-USA, ebuya njalo ngonyaka ukuzopholisa ikhanda amasonto amathathu kuleli kwaze kwaba ubaneminyaka engu-16. Kwenzeka konke lokhu nje, uyafunda ngeposi.
Le ntokazi isuke lapho yalibangisa eGermany, lapho ifike yajoyina umdlalo obizwa nge-Afrika Afrika, nakhona ishiya izithameli zisahalela impinda.
UNokulunga wanandisa eParis, kwachazeka abahluleli kangangoba wagcina ehlabane ngendondo ye-bronze ngokulala isithathu.
Eseneminyaka ewu-19, wabamba iqhaza emdlalweni wabantu besifazane kuphela iCircus Princess, kunguyena kuphela owaseNingizimu Afrika.
Emuva kwalokho wakhethwa njengePrincess of All Circuses futhi waklonyeliswa ngendondo yegolide.
Eseneminyaka eku-20, uNokulunga wakhulelwa kodwa wangavumela isehlo ukuba simvimbe ukuqhubeka nokuba yi-contortionist.
"Ngabeletha indodakazi yami ngineminyaka ewu-24. Nganandisa emicimbini ngisakhulelwe kwaze kwaba ngiqeda izinyanga eziyisithupha, sengibona ukuthi isisu sesiqala ukubonakala. Emuva kokuba sengibelethile, ngabuyela ekunandiseni emuva kwenyanga. Ngaqhubeka nokunandisa nokuzungeza amazwe."
Uthe wake wazama ukukulaxaza ukuba yi-contortionist, ukuze athole umsebenzi wasehhovisi kodwa wavele wakhulelwa futhi. Uthe uthando lokunandisa lwavele lwadla amagalane.
"Indodana yami yayingakaqedi nenyanga izelwe ngesikhathi ngimenyelwa ukuyonandisa komunye umcimbi. (Ngabona lapho) ukuthi yinto engayiphiwa nguMdali nabakithi."
Intokazi idlulise umyalezo ebantwini ukuba bangaphonsi ithawula kwabakwenzayo, ngisho bahlangabezana naziphi izingqinambi empilweni.
Njengamanje uNokulunga unandisa eMcLaren Circus, eThekwini, uzogcina khona kusasa.
Uthe ukuze akwazi ukukhulisa izingane zakhe nokwenza lomsebenzi wasizwa wukwesekwa wumndeni. Uthe abantwana bakhe bayathanda ukumbukela enandisa emicimbini futhi nabo balubalubela ukuhamba ezinyathelweni zakhe.
Eqhuba uNokulunga uthe yize izingane zakhe zifisa ukunandisa emicimbini kodwa uhlale ezikhuthaza ukuba ziphothule izifundo zazo kuqala. Uma engekho esteji, usuke esebenza njenge-personal assistant ezinhlanganweni ezimbili ezingekho ngaphansi kukahulumeni.
Esephetha uthe usawujabule kakhulu umsebenzi wakhe futhi akakahleli ukuwushiya.