Mthethwa! Khubazi! Nyambose! Mbekane! Ndunakazi! Ndlovu! Madango! Xaba! Khayi! Jobe! Shangana. Dingiswayo. Mmbiya. Mlandela! Sitimela! Nina basezansi Nina basemaganwini Nina basemachibini.
Isizwe sakwaMthethwa esesibizwa ngoMthethwa sisukela kuKhubazi owazala uNyambose, uNyambose wazala uMthethwa/Mbekane okunguyena isizwe esagcina sibizwe ngaye. Wazala uNdlovu/Ndunakazi, uNdlovu wazala uMadango, uMadango wazala uXaba, uXaba wazala uKhayi, uKhayi wazala uJobe eNdlunkulu. UNomagaga kaKhayi! Umkhont’ omuke noNdiyane, Owahlatshwa yinkwantsha yakoKhuzwayo [isiqhwaga]. iSempu elidla ngomkhont’ oyingqamu, Amakhosikazi edla ngesiyanda. Umshoshobi ubongaxha lesilimela [isidlidli sezinkanyezi], Elibuyis’ abantwana ekuthezeni. Ugagane lwehlanze [umuthi onameva], Oluphal’ abantwan’ ezibunjini, Uthantatha ngemfunda yoswela, uNomagaga wabelungu [ngaseDelagoa Bay].
EKhohlo uJobe wazala uShangana. Waphinde wazala uMbikwana owazala uSiwangu owagcina eyinduna yaseBaqulusini. Leli gama waliqanjwa ngoba unina wayeliShangane. UJobe wazala uDingiswayo noMawewe. UNina kaShangana wakhulelwa kuqala. Lokhu kwadala inzondo, uKhayi wamkhipha inxiwa uShangana wayokwakha umuzi waseNhlambini, [owawususelwa egameni lenhlamba unina ayethukwa ngayo], empumalanga yeMfolozi eMhlophe wazala uMmbiya owakhula noShaka kwabo. Yena uMmbiya wazala uMlandela. Kwenye indlu uMadango wazala uCele yena owazala uLugogo ozala uNdosi owazala uMaganga yena ozala uNqumela owazala uLanga yena wazala uMkhokheli ozala uDibandlela. Ngakho-ke ubuhlobo phakathi kwabakwaMthethwa nabakwaCele buvela kanjalo ngoba bonke bedabuka esendeni likaMadango. NguDingiswayo owaduma kakhulu: uMaf’avuke njengedabane. USombangeya [wabanga nomfowabo uMawewe] kaNdaba! UMadlekezela, [ukungena ngenkani kwaMbangambi] inkomo yanganene,
Izothengana nayiphi enenekazi? Izothengana noMbangambi woVuma, eMashobeni uSombangeya kasoz’atshelwa izindaba, Uyatshelw’izindaba, ugijimel’ehawini, Impunz’evuke nomkhont’emawuna uNyawoth ‘omnyama! uNofukuthwayo! Khon’ungembon’ezula phezulu. UNgqwashi obomvu, wawoHhamuyana; Omabal’azizinge [iziyingelezi] sengath’abekiwe. Izulu likaPhiko, libaneka kanjani? LikaSombangeya kaJobe?
uQayambeya! [uQalambela] uSahlul’amakhos’ asohlangeni; Uye wavunula kwaMahlaba, Ezinkumbini [ogwini, osebeniJ zamanzi uZinto zakhe zamuka namanzi abaThembu bakhwaza [badamuka] Baya ngoJama kaMnisi; Kand’ukuba: “Jama zibayeni, ngezabathakathi” Bethabetha ngomoya waseMampondweni; Ngithe ngisadl’ezinye.
Izinkomo zabantu zinenkelenkele; [zinecala] Zikhungel’ ingobe, [umkhonto ogobile] isemashobeni. Ilanga limdondoza, likaMadladla; Elaphuma, amakhwez’ abikelana, NakwaNtombase, nakwaLanga.
Umuzi omkhulu weNkosi uJobe kwakuseBalungwini. Kukulo muzi lapho uJobe wazala khona uThana owelanywa nguDingiswayo. Kuthe lapho uDingiswayo esengumfana owelusa amathole, uJobe wakhipha omunye umuzi wakhe wakwabo Dingiswayo wawuqamba igama lokuthi kusoYengweni. Emzini wasoYengweni uJobe wayenabantwana abaningi beyizinsizwa. Unina kaDingiswayo igama lakhe kwakunguMabhamba uyise okwakunguNzimase kaDonda kaShiya wakwaMbokazi. UThana wayehlala ekhabonina ngaleso sikhathi kuphuma umuzi wasoYengweni eBalungwini. Waze wabuyela kubo uThana esethombile. Wafika sekwakhiwa oYengweni. Ukuhlala kwakhe ekhabonina nokuba akhulele khona kwakuyintando kayise uJobe kwazise wayemthanda kunabo bonke abantwana bakhe. Nokho zanda zabaningi izinsizwa oYengweni ngoba abafana abazalwa eBalungwini onina babo okungesiwo amakhosikazi babethelwa khona oYengweni.
Kwathi izinsizwa zikaJobe oYengweni sezikhulile zahlangana zakhuluma zodwa ngoyise zikhala ngokuthi wayeseguge kakhulu eseyixhegu elidla inyama egayiwe njengomcaba, seliphuza ubisi lingasakhulumi nazindaba. Izinsizwa zabuzana imibuzo yokuthi kazi uyokufa nini uJobe kubekwe enye inkosi engewona umdodovu wexhegu. Owayehamba phambili ekukhulumeni nguDingiswayo kodwa nezinye izinsizwa zivumelana naye.
Amazwi ayekhulunywa kulowo mhlangano uNodunga kaMakhanya kaNjonjonjo Mthethwa owayeyinduna oYengweni wawezwa wonke kwazise naye wayewuthamele, wayobika konke kuJobe.
Inhliziyo kaJobe yaba buhlungu kakhulu. Wapha wonke amadodana akhe asoYengweni inkabi ngayinye ngayinye. Wathumela uNodunga
ukuthi ayowazisa amadodana akhe ukuthi izinkabi azihlabe zonke kanyekanye. Wagcizelela ukuthi yena wayezofika esezobeka inkosi ezobusa isizwe esikhundleni sakhe. Kulowo mcimbi wayala ukuthi bangezi abafanyana. Nembala zahlatshwa-ke izinkabi kodwa uJobe wangafika ngelanga ezihlatshwe ngalo wathi uyofika sekudliwa izifuba zazo. Wagcina ethelekile uJobe ehamba namabutho akhe amaningi esewatshele ukuthi kufanele awagwaze wonke amadodana akhe kungasali noyedwa baqikelele ukuthi uDingiswayo owayengungqeqe phambili uyabulawa. Kwathike lapho sekungeniswa utshwala uJobe watsaka amathe okwakuyilona lisu amabutho akhe okwakuhlelwe ukuthi azobona ngalo ukuthi sekuyisikhathi sokuwagwaza amadodana akhe.
Sasuka-ke isidumo lapho ilanga seliyoshona amabutho abangenela ngemikhonto bonke abantwana bakaJobe bababulala ngaphandle kukaDingiswayo. Yena weqa uthango amabutho amciba ngemikhonto amhlaba ngenhlendla phansi kwezimbambo. Wabaleka nayo inhlendla leyo waze wayongenisa kuDlaba kaMavovo emaChubeni lapho bafike bamkhumula khona umkhonto. Wahlala emaChubeni kwaze kwaphola inxeba.
Lo mlando ucashunwe encwadini: Umlando waMakhosi Esifundazweni SakwaZulu, Umqulu 1.
Arkim Lunga
Abakwa Lunga bona baphuma kusiphi isizwe