TIMPHI TAKAMLAMBO

Timphi takaMlambo timphi letalwiwa yinkhosi Mswati wesibili, ilwa kanye nebakaNhlapho baMlambo waMavundla. Kutsiwa bakaMlambo nje, kususelwa kuMlambo waMavundla, kepha sibongo sabo boNhlapho.

bukhosi babo boNhlapho bebusedvute nemfula liGwa, kuletindzawo namuhla bo-Ermelo, Sheepmoor, nabo-Morgenzon kudzimate kuyofika ePiet Retief ngasemfuleni uMkhondvo, eMpumalanga. Umuti wakhe Mlambo kukuseLusizini eNtabande ngaseMlomo.

Sekusuka umbango-ke uma asafa Mlambo. Usuka emkhatsin’ ebasa bakhe, boMhlangala, Bashele(Khulwane), Magodongo naMagobhoyi. Yena Mlambo abebeke Mhlangala njengendlalifa. Mhlangala sewutsi nasatsatsa bukhosi sewufuna kubulala labanakabo. Bashele yena wabaleka wabheka kaNgwane, Magobhoyi wabheka kaMshweshwe, Magodongo yena wasindvwa tinyawo, kanjalo wadliwa ngumkhonto.

Bashele ubalekela kaNgwane nje kusekhabonina, ngobe unina nguLaNdvungunye, ngudzadzewabo wemntfwanenkhosi Malunge eNyakeni. Uma afika kaNgwane sewuyatikhalela engwenyameni, kuMswati, kuLodvungandzaba weMbelebeleni. Usaphila unina, umshiye le kaMlambo. Ufika kuMswati utsi: ” Awu Nkhosi, ngilana nje angati kutsi make usele njani lemuva, nekutsi ngitamkhandza asaphila yini. Loku bayamhlupha laba balenye indlu, leletsetse bukhosi.”

Sebayatfukutsela-ke bakaNgwane, batfukutsela bagcwala kokane. Sewuyayikhipha-ke Mswati, ukhipha iNyatsi. Uyikhipha kantsi kusebusika. Phela lela lakaMlambo lisenkhangala, nakukusebusika nje lichwa lidla lubi, liyakhitsika nekukhitsika.

LekaMlambo kutsiwa batsi nabeva kutsi nayi ingene yakaNgwane, sekusuka logogo waBashele, lotala Mlambo, ente sihlati. Nenta lesihlati sewuphuma naletinye talukati bayaloya, baloya litulu. Lajika litulu lenta lichwa lelibi. Ifika leyakaNgwane seyifile ngemakhata. Seyigongobele, ayisakhoni nekulwa kahle. Kwaba kwehlulwa kwayo njalo bakaMlambo batigwazela nje.

Nayibuyela emuva imphi bafika bayabika kuMswati, kutsi: “Awu! Wena waphakatsi usehlulile. Sibulewe lichwa safika sesigongobele.” Awu kwaba kubi sibili. Kepha yabindzisa nje ingwenyama. Baphela busika, kwetfwasa lihlobo laphelela, kwagidvwa iNcwala loyo mnyaka nayo yaphela. Kutsite ngalolandzelako umnyaka, ngeNdlovu lenkhulu sekuphele wonkhe umsebenti welive, sewuyayikhipha futsi Mababal’ ahlome nengelilanga lelibi, uyayikhipha Mswati khawula bantfu ngemvimbi nangemvimbetelo! Ukhipha yona iNyatsi futsi.

Kutsiwa watsi natayikhipha kwelashwa inkunzi lendzala lesinembombo lomfincene wenta tivinco. Yelashelwa esibayeni eLudzidzini. Yatsi seyelashiwe yevakala seyibhonsa ikhonya. Kwatsiwa yikhululeni. Nembala bayikhulula. Yaphuma, ichutjwa yiNyatsi kudze kudze kaMlambo. Kuloku-ke phela kusehlobo, watsi uyaloya unina waMlambo kwafana nekusutela esitibeni. Yangena iNyatsi yaMswati yadla umhlanganiso yabachitsa bakaMlambo. Nakuya Mhlangala kudze kudze kulaMshwesh kanye nebakaNhlapho. Labanye basala bakhonta kuye Bashele.