MF.MTHETHWA: Yebo D1aba. Kukhona insizwa yakwaNzuza kwaMaphumulo engumshumayeli kaMfundisi Dlamini..
MF.SHEZI: Ende nje eyihwanga efake isudu ensunjwana?
MF.MTHETHWA: Ibiyinde yona, ifake okumpungana, kodwa ingenalo ihwanga.
(Ntuli, 1988: 21)
MF.MTHETHWA: Yes Dlaba. There is a young man ofthe Nzuzas from Maphumulo district, who is Reverend Dlamini's preacher.
MF.SHEZI: A tall bearded one, wearing a brownish suit?
MF.MTHETHWA: He was tall too, wearing something greyish, but didn't have a beard.
It becomes apparent in this play that this man's beard signifies more than the characteristics of a grown up male. Ntuli has used it to symbolise the treacherous nature ofthis man who claims to be a preacher.
Physical features with symbolic meaning are also found in NginguMenziwa. Menziwa is able to recognise Sithole on a television programme by the scar on his forehead. As we all know, a scar is a permanent thing. The one on Sithole's forehead symbolises the permanent effects of what he did ten years ago when he rescued Menziwa from a car crash:
MENZIWA: ...Ngaphaphama ngabona ubuso bakho, urnfanekiso ongasoze waphela emqondweni wami. Ngabona lesi sibazi esisesiphongweni sakho...
(Ntuli, 1988:105)
MENZIWA: ... When I regained consciousness I saw your face, an image that will never be erased from my mind. I saw this scar on your forehead.
After being rescued from the accident scene, Menziwa recovered and mended his ways permanently, just like the scar on Sithole's forehead. He even mentions that he is no longer a criminal. The scar also symbolises that Sithole has not changed, even today he stillhelps people, just like he did to Menziwa ten years ago:
(Ntuli, 1988:106)
MENZIWA: ...What is important is that I heard about your activities to develop the nation. That is very rare...
InKuhle Kwethu, Ntuli uses Lizzy's skinny, thin legs to symbolise her loose morals:
MASffiIYA: Ngiyayibona nje imicondo yakhe eniyincoma ukumharnbisa kahle, ingabe khona ukuharnba lokhu ukujwayele
eharnba kuziphi izinkalo!
(Ntuli, 1983:89)
MASffiIYA: I don't mind the spindly legs that you laud for making her walk stylishly, although I wonder where she learnt to walk in that fashion.
In this case, legs are no longer the limbs for walking but have been used by Ntuli to symbolise immoral behaviour. Seemingly Lizzy has also used the same 'legs' to move to other places because at the end of the play Thembi reads a letter from Dabula:
THEMBI: (Ejunda} ULizzy ubone omunye usomabhizinisi.
Bazoshada ngoJulayi . (Ntuli, 1983:91)
THEMBI: (Reading) .. .Lizzy has seen another businessman.
Theywillget married in July...
The symbolic nature oflegs is also alluded to by Dabula's words as Thembi reads on:
THEMBI: (Ejunda} ... Kokunye sengiyoze ngibheke zona izintombi ezincane zaseMambatheni ezihamba kukhale ubunswinswinswi...
(Ntuli, 1983:91)
THEMBI: (Reading) Perhaps I will have to look at the MaMbatheni maidens who walk elegantly.
Dabula suggests that he will look for a lady with different legs now. This obviously refers to morals which are symbolised by the legs or the manner in which a person walks.
The way a character walks is also used symbolically in N ginguMenziwa ;
MENZIWA: ...Yebo khona ngisaqhuga...NezindlelazaIDi ezazimazombe ngaleziya zinkathi seziqondile (Ngokuhleka) noma ngingeyona ingelosi.
(Ntuli, 1988:106)
MENZIWA: ...Well, I stilllimp.... And my crooked ways have since straightened (Laughing) although I am not an angel.
Although Menziwa jokingly mentions that he is not an angel, we are tempted to conclude that the fact that he still limps is used by Ntuli to symbolise that Menziwa still has some behavioural patterns that can be traced back to his criminal past.
Anindication of this is the way he threatens Sithole and MaSokhulu on the phone and convincingly pretends to be a hardened criminal who has come to revenge past injustices.
In Umshumayeli, the trickster repeatedly refers to reverend Dlamini's umkhaba or potbelly until it gets symbolic significance:
INDODA: 0,Baba Mfundisi, uyaphila uD.D. lsiqala ukuba nOmkhaba into yakwabo. Sesaze savumelana ngokuthi sizode sigijima njalo ekuseni ngoba ukukhuluphala 10khu akukuhle:
kuvame ukukhuthaza isifo senhliziyo.
(Ntuli, 1988:17)
INDODA: Well, Baba Mfundisi, D.D. is fine. The chap is growing a potbelly now. We have even agreed to jog in the mornings because gaining weight is not good: it often encourages the heart desease.
Normally umkhaba signifies well-being and wealth but exposes one to diseases. Ntuli uses umkhaba in this play to symbolise vulnerability of reverend Dlamini as he is used by this trickster as the springboard to cheat on unsuspecting victims. This man has chosen D.D.'s potbelly as a key to Shezi's heart by showing how close he is to D.D.
MF.MTHETHWA: Usaphila kodwa uDlamini?
INDODA: Kahle kakhulu. Into nje uthanda ukuthela manje, insizwa isisho ngomkhatshana nje...Kodwa-ke okaMfundisi Dlamini umkhaba uzokwehIa ngoba sivame ukuvuka sigijime njalo ekuseni.
(Ntuli, 1988:22)
MF.MTHETHWA: Is Dlamini still fine?
INDODA Yes indeed. He is gaining weight now, the guy is sporting a small potbelly...But Dlamini's potbellywilldecrease because we often jog every morning.
The above examples have shown that Ntuli is a skillful playwright who does not merely consider physical features at face value, but goes beyond that and depicts symbolic attributes of the characters. This makes his play not only interesting to the listener but also rich in meaning that is conveyed symbolically.