Isizwe sakwaMhlongo eLangeni sikhaba eMthinemide
Langa, Mzimaseli, Sibiya, Lugoloza, Ngetshe, Mavundla (Sibidane), Ncumela, Mhlongo, Mbengi, Mgabhi, Njomane, Sodumaza, Sothole. Wena owaduka iminyakanyaka, waze watholakala, ngonyaka wesine yabuye yatholakala, ngonyaka wesikhombisa. Khanyile onhliziyo zimhlophe. Nina bakaLang’elihle.
Wena nhliziyo elal’ezaleni, kuse bayicoshe ngokusaba. Wena kaBhebhe, Dlomo! Wena waseLangeni! Wen’owaqamelis’umuntu ngohlatshana, wagqoka. Wen’ owalala nezithutha, zahlakanipha, zase zilala zodwa kwaMakhedama. Wena kamafavuke njengedabana. Bhukuda kwesinengwenya. Nogwaj’ozokhundlakhundla. Wena kaLangalibalele! Sodumaza, Hlong’ elihle.
Isizwe sakwaMhlongo siphinde saziwe njengesizwe saseLangeni kususelwa kuLanga esidabuka kuye. Lesi sizwe okwaphuma kuso abakwaMagwaza sasakhe eMithinemide okwathi ngokuqolwa kwezwe ngabelungu kusukela ngowe-1902 kuya kowe-1904 ngesinqumo seKhomishini eyayiholwa nguCharles Saunders yaziwa ngokuthi yiZululand Lands Delimitation Commission yokuklanywa kwemingcele enyakatho yoThukela noMzinyathi ukuze izwe linikezwe abelungu, indawo yesizwe sabakwaMhlongo yagcina ithathwe ngabelungu yaba lipulazi likaHarry Osborn, owayehlobene noMelmoth Osborn owayenguKhomishana Wezindaba ZaBantu eShowe kusukela ngoNdasa we-1883. Indawo yaseMthinemide iseduze kwedamu lamanzi iGoedertrou.
UMhlongo wayeganwe nguMfunda. Wayeyinkosi yesizwe sakwaMhlongo ngesikhathi sokubusa kweNgonyama uNdaba kaPhunga kwaZulu. INkosi uMhlongo yayinekhono lokulima umoba, amazambane, ukhova okungubhanana wesintu, kanye nezinye izitshalo eziningi zesintu. Umoba amaZulu ayewutshala kungakaziwa ukuthi abelungu boke bawubeke umcondo wabo kwelikaMthaniya. Wawutshalwa eSangwana naseMzimkhulu. Ngakho-ke amaZulu ayekwazi ukuwulima njengazo nje zonke izitshalo. Kwakuthi uma umoba usuvuthiwe usikwe uthwalwe uyiswe enkosini. Ngemuva kokwethulwa enkosini abantu babewusika bawudle. Wawubiyelwa kahle ukuze amasela angawebi. Uma usudliwa amakhambi namakhasi awo ayeshiswa ukuze abathakathi bangawasebenzisi ukuwathaka benze umuthi wokubulala abantu. Ngakho-ke abelungu bafike eSibubulungu ngoNhlaba we-1825 umoba usuvele ulinywa kwaZulu.
UMhlongo walandelwa yindlalifa yakhe uMbengi njengenkosi yesizwe saseLangeni. Mbengi weNguga! Injomane kaMgabhi, eduk’ iminyakanyaka, ethe ngowesine yabonakala. Inkonjane kaNotholwayo egijime yaqangqalazeka (ukutholwa kwakhe), Okhalweni lukaNtshiyane. Isithole ebesiyosiswa eNgoqongo (ummango ongaseMhlathuze ngakuSitheku kaMpande). Laph’ inkunzi yakhona ibizeka nomdudukazana. uMphepheli owaphephel’ enqabeni etsheni, kwasengaloku itshe uSoyengwase uMaqamade! uGwegwe lazitha! (amadoda ebulawa nguMbengi weNguga) Umninimuzi ubuya namasimula. (imikhonto etholwa kwabakini uzakulwa) UNgqombonjeni (oshaya emhonjeni wendoda) UMahlatshwangafi waseNgugeni! Umnawa kaMbengi nguKhokhela owaganwa nguNsila bazala uMpithikezi. UMbengi wazala uMgabhi owayengumfowabo weNkosazana uNandi owagana iNgonyama uSenzangakhona bazala uMntwana uShaka. uNandi-ke: USomqeni! UMathanga kawahlangani, ahlangana ngokubon’ umyeni. UGedegede lwasenhla nenkundla. (okhuluma aphakamis’ izwi) UPhokophalala kuMaqhwakazi, angibonang’ uphok’ ukuphalala.
Umboni wamahuzenge uSontanti, USontanti onjengowakoGwazana; uSontanti inkom’ ensizwana; (inkomazana engenampondo) Udl’ ubisi lwenkom’ enezimpondo, Ukwesab’ abayisengayo. Intombi kaMbengi weNguga kaSoyeNgwase kaMaqamade. Uklebe woMhlathuze! Mfazi ontongande zingandoda. (ophatha izinduku ezinde) Oyishaye yanyus’ iSabiza, uMathanga kawahlangani, Ahlangana ngokubon’ indoda. Obengabafana baseNgugeni, abeza beluhayizana. (abeza beluhelana bevela eLangeni behamba noShaka esemncane ezobona uyise uSenzangakhona mhla kuhletshwa ukuthi uShaka uzakubulawa.)
UMbengi waphinde wazala uNxazonke yena owazala uMkhwexo. UMkhwexo waganwa nguMntwana uNozilwane owayesekhuleliswe yiNgonyama uDingane yize wayengudadewabo kwazise wayezalwa eNdlunkulu. Ngenxa yokugana kukaNozilwane esekhulelwe kwaqanjwa ingoma yomjadu/isiqu eLangeni mayelana naleso senzo eyayithi: “isemgodini” okuwukuthi ingangakazana (isilwane). UVoboza, uMkhwexo noMcikaziswa babulawa ngelanga elilodwa. UVoboza wabulawelwa ukukhulelisa iNkosazane yaseSiklebheni, nankaya amanxiwa esigodini saseMakhene eduze kwaseSikoleni iNtshidi eMazimeleni. Leyo Nkosazana yayingumlamu kaSenzangakhona (isixebe sakhe).
UVoboza kaMbikwana kaMbengi waqale waganiselwa uNtikili udadewabo kaMpande naye owayezalwa nguSongiya kaNgotsha wakwaHlabisa. Wagcina eganiselwe uMayanda Mkhwanazi wazala uSomkhele ozala uMtubatuba. Izintombi zaseLangeni zazisuka eMthinemide ziwele umfula uMhlathuze ziphikelele kwaSokhulu nakwezinye izindawo. Udadewabo kaNandi wazala uNqoboka kaLanga inkosi yakwaSokhulu. UNqoboka wayengukanina kaShaka ngalokho. Ngenkathi izintombi zaseLangeni ziphikelele phesheya koMhlathuze zazedlula phezulu ezintabeni zoNgoye lapho kunendlela endala kakhulu eyayehla ize iyokwedlula ezibukweni laseMhlathuze. Ngaleso sikhathi iNgonyama uJama yayinesinye isigodlo sayo eSiklebheni lapho sekuyisizwe saseMazimeleni khona esigodini saseMakhene eduze kwaseNtshidi. Kulapho inkosikazi uNandi yaphinde yazala uNgwadi.
Indlalifa kaMgabhi kwakunguSongweni. Yazalwa inomkhango emzimbeni kwathi uma umndeni usunquma ngokwakufanele abe yinkosi yesizwe wanquma ukuthi kube nguMakedama angabekwa uSongweni ngenxa yomkhango owawusemzimbeni wakhe. Ngenkathi uMakhedama esemncane wayelusa izinkomo noMntwana uShaka owaqale wafihlwa ekhabonina. Uyise iNgonyama uSenzangakhona yayikhulelise uNandi ingakabuthwa isalusa izinkomo nabanye abafana. Yayisuka eSiklebheni kwakhiwa amadlangala phezulu ezintabeni zasoNgoye lapho likhona iTshe Lentombi alala kulo wakhulelisa uNandi. Ngakho-ke ekuteteni kukaNandi akuzange kunanyiswe ukuzalwa koMntwana uShaka noma ekugcineni uSenzangakhona wagcina amthathile uNandi wamgana waba yinkosikazi yaseSiklebheni.
– Lo mlando ucashunwe encwadini: Izingxabo Zamakhosi Esifundazweni Sakwazulu, Umqulu II. Uma ufisa ukutholale ncwadi enothe ngomlando wezizwe ungabhalela uSolwazi Maphalala kule email: maphalalajs@vodamail.co.za; noma ushayele kulezi zinombolo: 082 730 5782 noma ku
