uMbhalo

Unbhalo signifies the five important things/elements a human being needs to live

  • Brown (Ndzotho) – Land

  • Yellow (Sarulana) – Sun

  • Blue (Sinyana) – Water

  • Red (Bomvu) – Blood

  • Green (Hlaza) – Plantation

Umbhalo is worn vertically to show how life is created on earth. It shows the spiritually between the skies and the earth. For example, the process of water is from the sky to the ground, and also when water from the rivers and sea evaporates, it goes back to the sky and forms clouds which create the rain, which still comes back to the ground. That is the cycle of life; it is eternal and does not end.

The cycle of life dictates how the Ndzundza nation wears abogediana (neck bangles).

Ikosi Mapepeha II
King David Mabusa Mabhoko II

Married men wear only blue and white bangles to signify the strength of water (Water is life), the blue signifies water and white means water brings light to the nation. A nation without water is in darkness because it won’t be able to survive.

The King is the only person that adds the red bangle because he is the father of the nation. The red means we are all the children (subjects) of the King – Bloodlines.

Based on the 3 colours from the King, women use pink and powder blue.

  • The Pink (Zuba) is the combination of red and white

  • Powder Blue (Bukhobe) is the combination of Blue and White

This signifies that Women give birth to the nation