Umlando ngomqambi wendlela yamaNazaretha
U-Isaya Shembe wayezalwa nguMayekisa kaNhliziyo, kaMzazela kaSokhabuzela kaNyathikazi Khumalo. Unina kwakunguSitheya Radebe. Isambulo ngoShembe savela ngokhokho wakhe uMzazela owayakhe kwaCeza eMahlabathini.
UMZAZELA wayeyisangoma esasibuye selaphe. Kuthiwa wayephila ngesikhathi senkosi uShaka. Wayenenhliziyo enhle, okwakuthi uma abantu sebenukiwe kwathiwa bayathakatha, uma sebeyobulawa yena bese ebacela enkosini ukuba ayobasebenzisa ukumba imithi yakhe. Ngoba inkosi yayimkhonzile ivume. Umuzi wakhe kwabe sekuthiwa kukwaNontandabathakathi.
Lo muzi waba mkhulu kugcwala kuwo abantu abazokwelashwa, kwase kuya abanye enkosini bethi uMzazela useyakhulekelwa, uzenza inkosi. Inkosi ingakasho lutho kwabe sekufika izwi ngephupho kuMzazela ukuthi akabaleke kwaZulu, akumele afe ngoba okhalweni lwakhe uMvelinqangi ubeke umntwana oyoba yisikhonzi sikaMvelinqangi asindise isizwe.
Nempela uMzazela wathatha umndeni wakhe wabaleka elibhekise kwelabaHlubi eNtabamhlophe. Wathi esendleleni kwafika izwi futhi lathi uma efika eNtabamhlophe engabe esaba nguMzazela, azibize ngokuthi unguShembe. Nempela eNtabamhlophe waziwa ngokuthi nguShembe.
UMzazela waze wafa isambulo sakhe singafezekanga. Kodwa kwathi sekuzozalwa uMphrofethi, owayezalwa nguMayekisa, labuya lelo lizwi kuyisemkhulu uNhliziyo ukuthi lo mntwana uyise owaba nesibonakaliso ngaye, nguye lo ozozalwa. Nempela wathi uma uMphrofethi ezalwa, uyisemkhulu uNhliziyo wametha igama likakhokho wakhe, wathi nguShembe. Uyise uMayekisa wathi nguMdliwamafa. Kodwa igama elachuma kwaba nguShembe.
Cishe uShembe eseneminyaka eyisikhombisa kuya kweyishumi, uMayekisa wahamba wayohlala nomndeni wakhe epulazini elalise Free State eNtabazwe kwelabeSuthu. Kulapho ke uShembe wakhulela khona.
Noma ziningi izigameko zokuxhumana kukaShembe noJehova, kodwa esibalulekile yileso uJehova owamfundisa khona ukuthandaza. UShembe wayezalwa emndenini ongakholwe ndawo futhi naye engazange waya esikoleni. Kwathi uShembe esekwaluseni kwafika izwi elathi akaguqe uma ekhuluma nalo. Lathi: “NgiyiNkosi yakho.” Lamfundisa ukuthandaza.
Emva kwesikhathi uShembe wabona iBhayibheli kumlungu owayesebenza kuye, intombazana yabe isiyamtshela ukuthi le ncwadi iqukethe izindaba zikaNkulunkulu. Le ntombazana yabe seyazi ukuthi uShembe uyakuthanda ukukholwa ngoba wake wabhadanywa ethandaza yedwa.
Ekuzweni lezi zindaba uShembe waba nesifiso sokufunda iBhayibheli, kodwa kwatholakala ukuthi akakwazi ukufunda.
Ngobunye ubusuku waba sesibonakalisweni lapho wabona efundiswa iBhayibheli. Ilizwi labe selithi akovuka eyofuna iBhayibheli komunye umuzi wamaWeseli. Nempela wenza njalo, wafika walithola iBhayibheli kumaWeseli. Lapho bethola ukuthi uyakwazi ukulifunda amaWeseli ajabula kakhulu, abona ukuthi ngempela ubethunyelwe nguNkulunkulu kuwo, abe eseya naye esontweni.
Emva kwezinsuku kwacaca ukuthi lo mntwana wembethwe nguMoya kaNkulunkulu, kodwa umfundisi womlungu awakujabulela lokho, wabe esethi akayoshumayela ezindaweni aphendule “amaqaba.” Wayeka uShembe ukusonta, kodwa akabange esahlukana neBhayibheli nokuthandaza. UNkulunkulu owayekhuluma ngaye wayembiza ngokuthi nguJehova.
UShembe wabuyela empilweni endala waze waganwa ngabafazi abane, uMaShabalala, uMaSigasa, uMaNgwenya noMaRadebe. Waganwa nguMaRadebe ngoba kulusiko lwabeSuthu lapho owayekhulele khona ukuthi umuntu kumele aganwe ekhakonina.
Kwathi eseganwe ngunkosikazi wesine, kodwa engehlukani neBhayibheli, futhi ehlale ethandaza, wafika futhi uJehova kuye. Kwathi ethandaza ekushoneni kwelanga kwaba sengathi uba nesithongwana, wabona esehamba emkhathini, ebona abantu abafake okumhlophe bengaphezu kwakhe. Wathi uzama ukubafica wehluleka, kodwa bemile. Kwase kuvela izwi lithi akakwazi ukufinyelela kulaba bantu ngoba inyama yakhe isaphila ezonweni.
Wabona isidumbu sakhe silokhu siguqile siphithiza izimpethu, wabona lo muntu obekhuluma naye ephuma kuye eyisimo somoya, kubhalwe emahlombe akhe ukuthi “Shembe.” Lo muntu wabuye wabuyela kuShembe, wabe esemtshela ukuthi kwathiwa nguShembe ngoba kuhlala yena onguShembe kuye. Wabe esethi akahlukane namakhosikazi akhe ngoba ufuna ukukhuluma naye. Lesi simo saba lukhuni kuShembe, wathi kungcono avele uJehova ababulale abafazi bakhe.
Emva kwalokho kwafa izingane zikaShembe. Ezinganeni ezilishumi nesithupha kwafa ezilishumi kwasala eziyisithupha. Wathi uma uShembe ebuza ukuthi uJehova uzibulalelani izingane zakhe, ilizwi lathi zimele abafazi bakhe uShembe owacela yena ukuthi uJehova ababulale.
Kusukela lapho uShembe wehlukana nabafazi bakhe waphuma emzini wakhe wahamba eshumayela. Wabuyela eWeseli, kodwa kwathi uma kufika izwi lokuthi akabhajadiswe emfuleni, amaWeseli enqaba. Wabe esethola iNative Baptist Church eyambhabhadisa emfuleni ngo-1906.
Wafika eNatali ngomhla zilio-10 kuNdasa 1910 elilunga leBaptist Church, kodwa esaziwa ngokuthi unguMphrofethi, neBandla elakwemukela lokho ngoba wafika kulo vele esedume ngokuthi unguMphrofethi.
Efika eNatal waqhubeka lapho egcine khona, kwanda kanjalo ubuNazaretha, waze wasishiya emhlabeni mhla zizi-2 kuNhlaba 1935 eseneminyaka engaphezu kwengamashumi ayisikhombisa. Washonela eMkhayideni eduze kwaseRichards Bay eqhugwaneni ngehora lesishiyagololunye emva kokuba ebanjwe ngumkhuhlane amasonto ambalwa.