Mqwathi
Bangula, Dumba, Mhotho, Cakeni, Bhabha, Sxolothi, Sximba, Bhaxane, Nzothwa, Qhinebe, Qolo, Zikhali, Jojo, Tiyeka, Butsolo beentonga, Qoma, Siqo, Nyoyela/NgogelaAMAQWATHI
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Ah! Nkomo zikaXesibe,
zikaJojo,
zikaMtshutshumbe, ogqaz’ indlel’
ebhek’ ebuNguni.
UbuQwathi ayisiso isiduko. Koko bubuhlanga nesizwe esavela ku
Mtshutshumbe ozalwa nguMthetho ka Hlabe ka Nondzaba
wamaXesibe. UMtshutshube uthe emva kokuba olukule, wasokwa
nguyise umthetho ngenkomo. Mtshutshube lowo wayithiya igama
elinguQwathi loonkomo.
Emva kweminyaka embalwa, uMtshutshube waphuma kumaXesibe
wayokuzimela emQanduli kwiminyaka yoo 1660. Isizwe sakhe
wasithiya ngalankomo nyokuqala asokwe ngayo nguyise uMthetho,
ozalwa ngu Hlabe, ozalwa ngu Nondzaba. Wathi ngamaQwathi.
Kwiminyaka yoo1680 amaQwathi ayephantsi kokumkani uDlomo
afudukela eNgcobo, apho ikomkhulu lamaQwathi likhoyo ngoku.
Abazala bamaQwathi ngama Mpondo, Mpondomise namaXesibe.
AmaQwathi akamaninzanga kodwa aziwa uMzantsi wonke
nganamandla, ukukhohlakala nokungakathandi kuphathwa,
isikakhulu ngabacinezeli.
AmaQwathi aneziduko ezininzi. Nazi ezinye zazo:
*AmaDikela, Noni, Ntswayibane
*AmaTshaba
*OoSdindi
*AmaBangula, Dumba, Mhotho, Cakeni, Bhabha
*OoBhulangwe
*OoBhose
*OoNzolo
*OoNcayi
*OoNtondo
*AmaKhombayo
*OoMkhondweni
*AmaVumbe
*AmaKhebesi, Nomdayi
*AmaMvala,
*AmaDabisa
*OoS’ximba baka Sixolithi
Nezinye. AmaQwathi angakwazi ukungenana andiselane ukuba
iziduko azifani. Umzekelo: UmQwathi uDikela angendela
kumQwathi uSidindi. Njalo njalo.
Ezona nkosi zamaQwathi zaziwayo ngu Stokwe ka-Ndlela
owayesilwa nabelungu,
UDalasile kaFubu, noFubu ubuqu (owalwa waze wabulala
uRharhabe nonyana wakhe uMlawu ngo 1782 bekhusela ikomkhulu
iNgcobo.
Unkosi Fubu nonyana wakhe uDalasile baphinda banqanda amanzi
engena endlini bezokuvingcelwa ngumkhosi ka Madzikane inkosi
yamaBhaca ngo1824. MaBhaca lawo ayebaleka umkhosi ka Tshaka
la Senzangakhona ka Zulu.
Baphinda bohlula baze babulala unkosi Matiwane wamaNgwane
ayebaleka imfecane eleqwa ngu Tshaka ngo 1828. AmaNgwane ade
abaleka ayokufika kwilizwe ekuthiwa yi Tanzania namhlanje. Lawo
athi asala ngemva aatshatyalaliswa aphela tu nguTshaka ka
Senzangakhona ka Zulu nomkhosi wakhe.
Kwiminyaka yoo 1860 amaQwathi nama Mpondomise aadibanisa
umkhosi eseka ukuhlasela abelungu. Hlaselo olo alwahamba
ngohlelo ngenxa yemipu yabelungu. Kodwa kwafumaneka umfundisi
womlungu ofani ingu Hope we mission ekufutshane wabulawa.
Abelungu bafunga besithi bazakwenza umzekelo ngokubulala
wonke umntu ongumQwathi noliMpondomise. Baza phantsi ko
General Elliott (okuthiywe ngaye la dolophana i Elliott) babula
phantse batshabalalisa wonke amaMpondomise. Kodwa zona
iinkosi zawo amaMpondomise zaatshatyalaliswa zaphela apho.
Kungoku nje amaMpondomise akana zinkosi. Ahamba ezoyamanisa
neenkosi zezinye izizwe.
AmaQwathi axhathisa wona, kodwa nzima. Isizwe sathi saa
sileqwa ngemipu ka General Elliott nomkhosi wakhe. Amanye
amaQwathi abaleka ayonxusa kumaTlokwa (isiduko sabeSuthu)
kwindawo eyi Tlokweng (Mount Fletcher). Kuqikelelwa ke ukuba
laaphuma apho igama elithi Dikela. Ngoba ngokwemveli
lelesiSuthu. Lithetha ukuthi “Tshona”.
Amanye anyuka aya emsini kuTshaka, owayeguba kwasizwe sifuna
ukuziphatha, azibiza ukuba angoo Ndlela (ngenkosi uNdlela).
Avuma ukuba angamaZulu phantsi ko Tshaka.
AmaQwathi sisizwe esincinci kodwa esingazange sohlulwa kude
kubelapha phantsi kwenkosi uZwelakhe.Ama-Qwathi atholakala eMpumakoloni bakhuluma ulimi lwesi Xhosa. Izibongo zabo aziphelelanga lapha ngoba banokuthi basebenzise igama likakhokho njengesibongo. Uma ufuna ukuqonda umuntu wakhona ukuthi ungubani ngqo buza isiduko sakhe.