Imvelaphi yamaZizi
Molweni maqhawe amahle. Nanku uKawa iZizi lakwaShweme/
Limakhwe kwincwadi yakhe yango 1929 ethi, “Ibali lamaMfengu”, ulanda imvelaphi
yamaZizi uthi azalwa eSwatini nguMatalatala (uDlamini wokuqala) aza wona aphuma
ngaphasi kombuso kayise ngokumka kukaSongolo kaDlamini 1. Azinze eluThukela
ixesha elide kakhulu amaZizi, ehlalelene nesizwe samaHlubi, esamaBhele, amaKhuze neNtlangwini.
Ngokwabanye ababhali umhlaba wamaZizi kususela ngeminyaka yo 1495 kuya ko 1845 wawusuka eKlip River uye apho kuqala khona umlambo uluThukela, uhambe njalo ngeentaba zoKhahlamba (Dragensberg) ukuya ku Bushman’s river, ujikeleze
eMtshezi (Escourt) ukuya a endaweni ekwakuthiwa yi Doorn-kop apho kuqala khona owamaKhuze umhlaba, ube sewuya kwa Hamilton’s farm.
Ngaphambi kokuba bachitheke bechithwa nguMatiwane kaMasumpa, iNkosi yamaNgwane kaNgwadi, abekhona amaZizi afudukileyo andulukela eLesotho
kwiminyaka ephambili. Ngokwemibhalo yaseLesotho (History of Basotho), amaZizi
akwaTendza ngawo awokuqala ukungena kulomhlaba waziwa ngeLesotho lomhlanje. LamaZizi ayesebenzisa izikhumba zemfene
aphetha sele ebizwa ngamaMfene lawa angoHlathi, Malukazi, Lisa, Jambase. Kanti ayebizwa ngaMaphetla okuchaza ukuba
ngabo abokuqala kulamhlaba.
AmaTendza alandelwa ngamaZizi akwaMafu anduluka ebizwa ngabakwaLanga (Bahalanga), aphetha sewebizwa ngokuba
ngamaBholani/Polane emveni kokuduma kuka Polane unyana kaMakhwele kaKakene.
Emva kwethuba elingangeminyaka engamashumi amahlanu kwalandela amaZizi
akwaDlamini (uDlamini wesibini)
awayekhokhelwa ngoTiti noKobo unyana nomzukulwana kaLanga
owayengumntakwabo kaLamyeni, Ndlovu, Tenya noJama.
LamaZizi akwaDlamini adibana nesizwe saBaphothing, bendiselana banduluka bonke, kodwa aBaphothing bashiyeka, wona amaZizi athatha igama
elithi Phuthi, abangaBaphuthi, ayokuwa eLesotho afika abaziiKumkani zamaZizi ayenduluke ngaphambili. LamaZizi asaligcinile ulwimi lwemveli elifana neSiswati, neselibizwa ngeSephuthi lomhla.
Amanye amaZizi afuduka eluThukela ekuqaleni kweemfazwe zemfecane,
alibangisa eMpumakoloni ekhokhelwe ngooNjokweni kaMrhawu (abanye bathi
ngokaMtshibe), noNzila kaDweba uyisemkhulu kaBikitsha. LamaZizi sele aziwa ngokuthi ziiMfengu.
Afikela kwikumkani yamaGcaleka, uHintsa, ah Zanzolo! Kodwa ekubhubheni kukaHintsa, kuye kwavela ukungavani phakathi kwamaXhosa nabaMbo abangamaMfengu, aquka nezizwe zamaHlubi namaBhele nezinye.
AmaMfengu ke agqibele sewesilwa kwicala lamaNgisi ekhokhelwe nguVeldtman kaBikitsha kaMabidlili kaNzila kaDweba, inkosi eyayudume ngokubuza isizwe sakhe ngelihlobo, “Nidze natsi yintsaba ni na leya maTiti (maZizi), yintsaba ni na le?”, baphendule bathi, “yiSandlulube, Dlamini!”
Amanye wamaZizi adumileyo ngoGovan Mbeki noonyana bakhe ooThabo no Moeletsi Mbeki.