Isikweletu Senyoka - By Samukelisiwe Zwane

Written By: Samukelisiwe Zwane

Category: Short story

Competition: Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026

In the captivating short story "Isikweletu Senyoka," Samukelisiwe Zwane crafts a haunting narrative that draws readers into a world of mystery and the supernatural. This entry, part of the Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026, exemplifies the rich storytelling tradition found within South African literature. With its intriguing plot and vivid setting, the story invites readers to explore themes of legacy, choice, and the unseen costs of wealth.

About the Work

"Isikweletu Senyoka" weaves a tale that is both eerie and compelling, enveloping the reader in a world where the past lingers ominously. Samukelisiwe Zwane utilizes atmospheric imagery and a suspenseful tone to explore themes of inheritance and responsibility. The narrative unfolds with a captivating blend of mystery and introspection, as the protagonist confronts the unsettling legacy left by her father.

Isikweletu Senyoka

Original Submission by Samukelisiwe Zwane

ISIKWELETU SENYOKA

I-penthouse kaNomcebo Dlamini eSandton yayithule ngo-11:47 ebusuku. Izibani zedolobha ngaphandle zazenza ingilazi yakhe yewayini ibenyezele ngokubomvu, kodwa yena wayengasabheki ngaphandle.

Izimonyo zakhe ebusweni zazisabalele, izicathulo zakhe ezinezithende ezinde wayesezilahle ndawana thize eduze komnyango, kanti izwi likayise lalisalokhu lizwakala ekhanda lakhe.

Ngesikhathi eshona, uyise wayemshiyele izinto ezintathu kuphela: Inkampani ebiza u-R50 million, i-penthouse, kanye nenombolo yocingo ayengafanele neze ukuyisebenzisa. Lenombolo wayeseyigcine amasonto amathathu engayishayeli, kodwa ngobunye ubusuku, lenombolo engaziwa yamshayela yona.

“Sawubona, ungubani oshayela ngalesi sikhathi?” kwabuza uNomcebo, izwi lakhe lixegaxegile ngenxa yewayini.

“Ingabe ngikhuluma noNomcebo Dlamini?” kwabuza izwi lenyanga, liphansi futhi lijulile, sengathi liphuma emgodini.

“Ungubani? Uyithole kanjani inombolo yami?” Wahlala waqonda uNomcebo, uvalo luqala ukumgena.

“Yimi lowo owayondla inyoka kayihlo ngesikhathi usasesikoleni samabanga aphansi.”

UNomcebo wama, ingilazi isesandleni.

“Angazi ukuthi ukhuluma ngani. Ubaba wayengenayo inyoka.”

Inyanga yahleka kancane.

“Wayenayo, kodwa wayengeke akwazi ukukubonisa yona. Inyoka eyayimlethela ingcebo. Inyoka eyayidinga ukuthula kwakhe.”

UNomcebo wabeka ingilazi phansi, utshwala bachitheka kancane.

“Ufunani? Imali?”

“Angifuni imali yakho. Ngifuna ukukuxwayisa.”

“Ungixwayisa ngani?”

“Uyihlo akasekho manje. Isikweletu sesingesakho. Inyoka ayifi nendoda. Iyahlala ilinde.”

UNomcebo wasukuma waqala ukuhamba ehla enyuka endlini.

“Umbhedo lowo! Ubaba wayengusomabhizinisi, hhayi…”

“Wayeyindoda eyakhetha imali esikhundleni sothando. Inyoka yakuqinisekisa lokho. Njalo ngenyanga wayekushiya eze kule ndlu. Wayengafikeli umsebenzi. Wayefikela inyoka.”

UNomcebo wayeka ukuhamba.

“Yiphi indlu?”

“Indlu ongayazi ukuthi ikhona. 79 Oliver Tambo Road, eMnambithi.”

“Ulazi kanjani ikheli lebhizinisi likababa?”

“Akulona ikheli lebhizinisi. Yizulu. Futhi ukhiye usezandleni zakho.”

“Yimuphi lowo Khiye? Anginawo mina.”

“Bheka ohlwini lwezikhiye zikayihlo. Lowo wethusi, ongenalo igama noma ilebula.”

UNomcebo waqina. Wayewukhumbula kahle lowo khiye. Omncane, wethusi, ayengazi ukuthi uvulani. Wayewugcinile ebhokisini lakhe lobucwebe.

“Isisebenzi silindile. Inyoka nayo ilindile, futhi maduze izinto zakho zizoqala ukulimala. Inyoka ayabelani ngalokho okungokwayo.”

“Yini engeyenyoka?” kwabuza uNomcebo ehleba.

“Konke uyihlo akushiyela kona.”

Ucingo lwavaleka.

UNomcebo wagqolozela ucingo lwakhe, isandla siqhaqhazela. Wahamba waya ebhokisini lobucwebe walivula. Wawuthola ukhiye omncane wethusi.

Wayecabanga ukuthi uyise wayengusomabhizinisi nje owayekude naye. Wayengazi lutho ngenyoka noma ngenye indlu. Kodwa ilukuluku lamhlula. Wanquma ukuyofuna leyondlu. Wayithola eMnambithi. Kwakuyisithabathaba esikhulu esimhlophe esinezitezi ezimbili.

Ngo-2:17 ekuseni, amakhulu amakhandlela ayekhanyisa ukukhanya okusagolide phezu kwamamabula amhlophe. UNomcebo wayemi emnyango, ebambe ukhiye wethusi. Umoya wangaphakathi wamshaya, ubanda, womile, unuka ingcina endala nephunga lensimbi, sengathi yigazi elihlale emoyeni isikhathi eside.

Amakhandlela ayengewona awogesi. Kwakungamalangabi angempela, ebekwe ezitebhisini zamamabula, evutha ngaphandle komoya. Ukukhanya kwawo kwenza igolide elisezindongeni libukeke sengathi liyaphefumula. Indlu yayithule. Kunomsindo wengcina kuphela namanzi aconsa ndawana thize.

Incekukazi yayimi phambi kwakhe, inganyakazi, amehlo ebheke phansi, ibambe insimbi yekhandlela yegolide.

“Le… le yindlu kababa?” kwabuza uNomcebo eqalaza yonke indawo.

Incekukazi yakhothama kancane.

“Siyakwamukela ekhaya Nkosazana Dlamini.”

UNomcebo wahleka engakholwa.

“Ekhaya? Angikaze ngiyibone ledawo, futhi kungani kunegolide yonke indawo? Sisesigodlweni noma esontweni?”

“Uyihlo wayeyibiza ngokuthi ‘yiZulu.’ Wayethi uma engakwazi ukuba nomndeni, uzozakhela owakhe ngamamabula nokukhanya.”

“Kuyabanda. Amamabula ayabanda kakhulu.”

“Igolide alikufudumezi Nkosazana . Liyakhazimula kuphela.”

“Usho ukuthini?”

Incekukazi ayiphendulanga, yakhomba phezulu.

“Ukulindile esitezi sesibili, kodwa uqaphele Nkosazana, ugcwele ulaka.”

“Ubani ongilindile? Inyoka?”

Izwi lencekukazi lashintsha lehla, linokwesaba.

“Inyoka ayilindi Nkosazane, iyona enqumayo.”

UNomcebo walandela incekukazi ekhuphuka izitebhisi.

“Ubaba wayehlala yedwa lapha?”

“Sekuyiminyaka engu-15. Akukho zivakashi. Akukho Nkosikazi. Azikho izingane. Yimi kuphela, nguyena, kanye nenyoka.”

UNomcebo wama phambi komnyango omkhulu wegolide onezingxenye ezimbili.

“Kungani engangilethanga lapha?”

Incekukazi yabeka isandla emnyango omise okwenyoka.

“Ngoba inyoka ayabelani Nkosazana ” Yawuvula umnyango.

Ngaphakathi kwakukhona igumbi elikhulu elimhlophe, izindonga zegolide kanye nethangi elikhulu lengilazi elisuka phansi liye ophahleni. Ngaphakathi ethangini kwakukhona inyoka engamamitha amahlanu ubude, isonge phezu komqamelo wophahla olumhlophe oluhlotshiswe ngentambo yegolide. Yayinganyakazi. Yavele yagqolozela uNomcebo.

“Awema!…” Kwamemeza uNomcebo ebona lenyoka esabekayo.

“Yilokho okuyifa lakho Nkosazana . Hhayi imali, hhayi indlu.” kwasho incekukazi ngezwi eliphansi.

UNomcebo wasondela ethangini.

“Pho kuyini?”

“Isizathu sokuthi uyihlo angaphinde akwange ngemuva kokuba ube neminyaka engu-15.”

UNomcebo waqina. Leyo yiminyaka uyise ayeka ngayo ukumvakashela masonto onke, waqala ukuza kanye ngenyanga.

“Wakhetha lokhu… esikhundleni sami?”

“Wenza umama wakho waba umhlatshelo wakhe wokuqala. Kodwa wakhetha lokhu ngenxa yakho Nkosazane. Imali onayo manje, impilo oyiphilayo, konke kuvela kulelo thangi.”

“Manje ngenzenjani mina?”

Incekukazi yahlehla.

“Manje kufanele ukhethe Nkosazana Dlamini. Imali noma ukufa. Inyoka ayilindi kuze kube phakade.”

Inyoka yakhipha ulimi.

UNomcebo wahlehla.

“Cha. Angikakulungeli lokhu.”

Wagijimela emotweni yakhe wahamba. Wabuyela eSandton wazama ukucwilisa leyonkumbulo nge-champagne, amaphathi namadoda amasha. Wayezitshela: “Bekuyiphupho nje. Ubaba wayengusomabhizinisi nje. Leya nyoka ayikho.”

Kodwa ekujuleni wayengakwazi ukulala. Wayelokhu ebona igolide nesithombe somuzi wegolide emaphushweni akhe. Wayelokhu ezwa ukuhishiza ngo-3 ekuseni. Wathi ese-penthouse yakhe yedwa ngobunye ubusuku, ngo-3 ekuseni, ephethe ingilazi yewayini, imicabango yakhwela yadilika ekhanda lakhe, wagcina ekhuluma yedwa

“Ngabaleka. Ngahamba. Ngayisusa nenombolo.”

Wezwa ukuhishiza kuvela ephaseji.

“Awuyena owangempela…” Wamemeza kuhle kohlanya.

Ucingo lwakhe lwakhala.

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“Hayibo! Ngiyalingwa…!”

Imali yakhe yaqala ukunyamalala. Isivumelwano esikhulu senkampani sawela phansi. Inkampani yakhe yalahlekelwa yikhasimende elikhulu. Ama-R3.2 million ayesebhange lakhe aqala ukunyamalala kancane kancane. Kwakungekho ncazelo.

Njalo lapho ezama ukukhohlwa ngendlu enezindonga zegolide, inyoka yayithatha ingxenye yalokho uyise ayemshiyele kona. Inkampani yakhe yayopha. Igama lakhe laqala ukubonakala ezindabeni. Imali uyise ayakha yayinyamalala ngenxa yesikweletu ayengakaze avume kube ngesakhe. Iminyaka wayephila ngalokho inyoka eyayondla ngakho uyise. Manje inyoka yayifuna inkokhelo.

“Lesi yisiphetho sentambo,” Kwasho uNomcebo endlini yakhe engenamuntu.

Wabeka ukhiye wethusi phezu kwetafula, waphuma. Akazange aphinde abheke emuva. Wavumela inyoka igcine lokho okwakungakaze kube ngokwakhe kwasekuqaleni.

About the Competition

The Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026, hosted by Hashtag Kalakar, is a prestigious platform celebrating diverse voices and innovative storytelling. This competition encourages writers from around the world to share their unique perspectives through poetry and creative writing. It serves as an inspiring venue for authors to showcase their talents and connect with a global audience.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Samukelisiwe Zwane for sharing "Isikweletu Senyoka" with us. This intriguing short story, part of the Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026, offers a profound exploration of themes that resonate deeply with readers. Thank you, Samukelisiwe, for your contribution to this international celebration of literature.

About Hashtag Kalakar

Hashtag Kalakar is a creative platform dedicated to providing artists, writers, singers and other creative talents with opportunities to showcase their work and reach wider audiences through competitions, features and creative initiatives.