Ukuzalwa nokukhula koMqali Wendlela yamaNazaretha
Indaba kaShembe isukela kukhokho wakhe uMzazela Khumalo owayakhe kwaCeza esifundankantolo saseMahlabathini
IGAMA elithi “Shembe” lafika ngephupho kuMzazela esendleleni ebheke eNtabamhlophe esifundankantolo saseMtshezi. Kwathiwa uma efika eNtabamhlophe engabe esasho ukuthi unguMzazela, kodwa unguShembe. Emandulo-ke izibongo zazisuselwa emagameni.
Ngenkathi eseseNtabamhlophe uMzazela waziwa ngokuthi nguShembe. Kodwa lo mntwana owayethenjiswe esibonakalisweni ukuthi uyovela okhalweni lakhe, onguShembe, uMzazela waze wafa engazange ambone. Umntwana wakhe owafika naye eNtabamhlophe kwakunguNhliziyo. UNhliziyo wazala uMayekisa okwakunguyise kaShembe.
Namuhla sizochaza ngoSitheya Radebe okwakungunina kaShembe. USitheya okwakuyindodakazi kaMhubela Radebe kwabe kuyintombazane eyayaziwa ngokuziphatha kahle. Ngelinye ilanga yayisepulazini nezinye izintombi bemise izithungo zamabele abebakade bewavuna. Kwathi besaphumulele ukudla, bebuqamama nalezi zithungo, kwabe sekuthatha umoya omkhulu. Lo moya wabe usuyaziwisa lezi zithungo zamantombazane, kwasala isithungo sikaSitheya kuphela.
Uma amantombazane efika zonke izithungo zipheshulwe yilesi sishingishane, kodwa esika Sitheya isithungo silokhu simile, kwabuzakala ukuthi kwenzeka kanjani lokho, kodwa akakho owaba nokuqonda. Kwathi uSitheya eseya ekhaya, wezwa izwi likhuluma emkhathini lithi, “Sitheya, uziphathe kahle, ngoba okhalweni lwakho kunesiKhonzi sikaMvelingqangi esosindisa abantu.” Washawa luvalo uSitheya, kodwa lelo lizwi labe seliyanqamuka khona lapho.
Ngelinye ilanga uSitheya wahamba futhi namanye amantombazane beyotheza. Bathe besehlathini bezwa iphunga elinuka kamnandi ababengalazi ukuthi livelaphi. Base belifuna leliphunga. Ekulifuneni babona imbali enhle okwakucaca ukuthi leli phunga livela kuyo. La mantombazana aphangelana ukufika kule mbali, kodwa uSitheya wagijima wabedlula, wafika kule mbali kuqala, wayikha ngokushesha.
Kwathi uma efika amanye amantombazane, ezama ukumephuca, wamane wayifaka emlonyeni wayigwinya. Kwathi eseyedwa ebheke ekhaya nezinkuni, lafika futhi lelizwi, lathi, “Sitheya, lokhu okudlile bekungasiyo imbali, kodwa bekunguMoya Ongcwele. Uziphathe kahle ntombazane, ngoba uyozala umuntu oyobe eyisikhonzi sikaMvelingqangi oyobizwa ngokuthi nguShembe.”
Wabuyela ekhaya edidekile uSitheya, ngoba okokuqala wayengazi lutho ngokuthi uMoya Ongcwele yintoni, futhi engazi lutho ngalo Shembe. Wafika ekhaya wayixoxa le ndaba, kodwa akekho owaba nokuqonda ukuthi leli lizwi belichazani.
UMzazela engasekho emhlabeni, uNhliziyo wabiza indodana yakhe uMayekisa, wayitshela ukuthi kunentombi yakwaRadebe oyithandayo ofisa ukuba igane le ndodana yakhe; le ntombi kwakunguSitheya. UMayekisa waphendula uyise ngokuthi ikhona intombi ebeseyibonile, kodwa uzolandela isifiso sikayise. Nempela uNhliziyo wavuka ekuseni waqonda kwaRadebe eyocela le ntombi. Kwathi uNhliziyo eseyigagulile kuRadebe intombi oyifunayo, nempela yabizwa ukutshelwa ukuthi izocelwa ngabakwaKhumalo.
Kwathi uma uSitheya ezwa ukuthi ucelwa yile nsizwa yakwaShembe, waphuma wakhala, ngoba sekufika engqondweni yakhe leliya lizwi elathi okhalweni lwakhe kunesikhonzi sikaMvelingqangi esinguShembe.
Wagcina uSitheya ngokugana kwaKhumalo, wazala abantwana abane, abashona besebancane. Kodwa kwathi esenezinyanga eziyisithupha ekhulelwe uShembe, waqala ukuba namaphupho angaqondakali. Wayaye aphuphe ebona abantu abafake izingubo ezimhlophe beza kuye bafike bambungaze; akaze aqonda ukuthi leli phupho lisho ukuthini. Kwathi noma elixoxa, kodwa angababikho okwazi ukulichaza.
Mhla uSitheya ezobeletha, kwafika isibonakaliso kuNhliziyo ukuthi lo mntwana ozozalwa nguye lo uyise uMzazela owayehlale ekhuluma ngaye, nokwenza ukuthi ngenxa yakhe babaleke kwelakwaZulu, uShembe!
Sekufika umbiko wokuthi usebelethe uSitheya, nguNhliziyo owaya kuqala kuleli xhiba, wafike wamemeza wathi, “Hhawu, usefikile uShembe, selifezekile izwi likababa uMzazela!” Kusukela ngaleso sikhathi uMphrofethi waba “nguShembe.” Uyise uMayekisa wamqamba ngokuthi nguMdliwamafa, kodwa kwachuma igama lokuthi nguShembe!
Njengoba uSitheya wayefelwa, noShembe wakhula ngokugula, kungaqondakali noma uzophila yini. Kwathi lapho esekhasa wagula kakhulu, waze “wafa.” Kwathi lapho sekumbiwa ithuna, kwezwakala inkomo ikhala esibayeni sengathi kukhona okuyigwazayo. Kwathunywa umfana ukuba ayibheke, umfana wabuya nombiko wokuthi uthole lenkomo isiwe phansi ifile.
Lo mbiko wawethusa amadoda, kwacaca ukuthi ukufa kwale nkomo kunesiga osikhulumayo. Kwase kuthunywa insizwa ngokushesha ukuba iye esangomeni uLushozi iyokuzwa ukuthi mkhuba muni lo owehlela umndeni wakwaShembe. ULushozi wafike wathi, “Cha akukho siga, kodwa le nkomo ibithenga umphefumulo womntwana ofile.”
Kwathi isithunywa sesibuyile, sisethula umbiko wesangoma, kwabonakala sekunyakaza ingubo eyayimboze isidumbu. Ethuka amakhosikazi, abe esethumela ukuthi akekumiwe ukuqhubeka nokumba ithuna, nasi isehlo senzeka. Nempela uShembe waphaphama, waphila!
UMayekisa, owayesevele esesebenza emapulazini aseFree State, eNtabazwe, wathatha umndeni wakhe wayonziza nawo epulazini likamnumzane uGrabe, khona eFree State. Kulapho uShembe akhulela khona.
Kwathi eselibhobhodlana elusa izimvu epulazini, kwamane kwaduma izulu esikhaleni, kwashaya umbani phambi kwakhe. Kwase kukhuluma izwi lithi, “guqa, ngoba ukhuluma neNkosi yakho!” Waguqa uShembe. Lase lithi leli zwi, “thandaza!” Wathi uShembe, “Angikwazi ukuthandaza.” Labuye lasho okwesibili lathi, “Thandaza.” Wathi uShembe,”Nkosi, angikwazi ukuthandaza.”
Kwathi uma selisho okwesithathu lithi,” Thandaza,” wezwa kuba khona okukwasasondo kuphenduka esifubeni sakhe, waba semoyeni; uthe ezwa kwabe sekufika umoya namandla okuthandaza. Wathandaza isikhashana, kuthe uma lima ukuphenduka leli sondo, wabuyela esimweni sakhe; lanyamalala lelo lizwi! Labuye lafika futhi leli lizwi elihamba nombani, lathi akahlabelele. Wathi uShembe akazi ukuthi uzohlabelela athini. Kwathi selisho okwesithathu, kwafika leli sondo okwathi uma liphenduka esifubeni wazithola esehlabela isihlabelelo sasemoyeni. Ekugcineni wazithola esedane ehlabelela bese ethandaza!