UDlaba uzalwa uninakhulu weNdlovukazi uNandi
UDlaba-dludlu! Odl’ imhlambi yabantu. Abadliwa uDlaba bayaceba, Waceb’ uJani wakwoMadango. Odl’ ezikaNodumehlezi kaMsoco, uMpunga nkonyeni, aphung’ ebantwini. USiba lukaMavovo! Oluvele ngesihloko kuNomangci phezulu, uMzaca onesikhanda phambili. Imvu kayikhulumi yawoNogobo, Eshay’ amanzi kwavel’ udaka, Kwath’ emva kodaka kwavel’ amadoda. uDiza weNtambana, uMafokomela, ngafu lamvula. uJib’ omil’ ezibanzaneni, amabele angadliwa nyoni Abayi benkani bangayisiphula, Imvu yawoGobo kayikhulumi, Kodwa Mpangazitha uzoyililela.
UMngonq’ompofu! uGubuzel’ umuntu ngehhemu lakhe, uDambis’ amawukuwuku, uPhaphe Iwensingizi, olumile kwaMnkabi endlini. Uboya bezimvu buyimpamba yenkwico, Oze noNomdati ngaseZigezeni, Imamba yamagudu, yawoDubula, Weza nenkankazana, Emva kwelasoWelandlovu, Odl’ uJoko, ezalw’ eLangeni, Obezitheb’ ezinhle, Ezidlel’ amancasakazi. UJoj’ odlala yedwa basalibele! uNsiba zawojojo nonhlekwana, bona bansibande, zibuthakathaka. USozangose kangithumi ngiy’ ezweni, ngize nenkankazane embongayo, ngize noDinase, ngize noMdade, eziSongeni. Ngibuye noKwazi ngaseZisonvveni, ekhaya konyoko. uDlaba ngimesabile, ngokub’ edlung’ emanxulumeni, Wadl’ imhlambi yabantu, Wadl’ eyezinyamazane. Abantu abadliwe uDlaba, Namhlanje bacebile.
Imvu kayikhulumi, ngeyawo Noqobo Shezi, uyisemkhulu kaDlaba. Badla ngokuyikhulumela. UNdonga dilika, siphuz’ amanzi, amanzi kade siwaphuz’ emchachazweni, emancane. Odl’ imhlambi yezinkomo, waze wadla neyamaNdebele. INhlob’ eyalw’ ukumenyezwa, ngakwaNdlovu. Asime ngalunyawo lunye, Laph’ abantu besima nganyawo ngambili, uQonsa oqonse ngomnyango kaDevu. Uboya bezimvu buyimpamba yenkwici, Buyamphamb’ okaJobe emlenzeni. UMazikizele waseNingizimu, uDlaba odludlu ngokudludl’ imhlambi yamadoda, uBhaca ngokwakh’ emanxulumeni, Ubhada ngokwakhis’ iseme. USona ngokubuza emanxulumeni, kuze kuse amanxulum’ esibikelana.
UDlaba wazala uMvakela noMsholoza ozala uZokufa, ozalwa okaMbengi inkosi yakwaMhlongo. Waba yisihlobo kanjalo neSilo uShaka naso esasizalwa uNandi okaMbengi Mhlongo. lnkosana yakhe nguSigananda ozala uNdabaningi yena owazala uMdedane. Endlini encane kaZokufa uSomungco wazala uMshwayibana yena wazala uNtobolongwana okwathi ngesikhathi seNgonyama uMpande waba yinduna enkulu yeZimpohlo. USomungco waphinde wazala uLuhungu, uLuhungu ozale uLunyana. UNtobolongwana uzala uNsungulo ozala uManyonyana owayesaphila ngowe-1921.
UMsholoza wayezalwa nguDlaba. Ngakho-ke naye wayeyininkosi yesizwe sakwaShezi eNkandla. Inkosana yakhe kwakunguZokufa ozala uSigananda. UMsholoza kaDlaba: uNqob’ inangwadi yawoDubula! uSozicise osango lingezansi kukaMalandela. INgonyama kaZulu kwaNkomonye phezu koMfula iNgwegweni khona eNkandla. Imamba yamagudu kayidli muntu, idl’ umuntu ngob’ imlayelwa. UMangwalala kaMnukwa ibutho lakhe kwakuyiZimpohlo. Igama likayise ayemethe lona kwakunguVuma kodwa langasetshenziswa kwasetshenziswa elikaMangwalala. Enye yamadodana akhe kwakunguMpofu: uHhiya kaMangwalala! uMshab’ omaniki, uSihlandla sendl’ embi.
uMangwalala kaMnukwa kaDlaba wayeganwe yintombi yakwaMajola, eliqhawe. Wayengumnawa kaMgazi eyimbongi eyaziwayo emaChubeni. Washona ngonyaka we-1897. Wayegwaza abantu ngesibindi uma sekuliwa. Walwa ngesibindi empini yaseMaqonqo engakuMntwana uMpande mhla zingama-30 kuMasingana we-1840. Kuleyo mpi wagwazwa amanxeba amaningi emzimbeni. Washiya lezi zibongo. UBabula mhlehlo! Umhlehlo wabonwa ilanga, Umbambamba ukugwaza. Umqhumela njengenhlansi. yomlilo.
UMdabuli! UNgqokwe onjengoNgqokwe, wakoNkambana, uMthontela bemhlab’ amanxeba. UMadabazele omusha, Ongenjeng’ osegugile, uNgwadla ethandath’ abantu. UGasel’ imyingane (izilima) yawoPiti, uMenzi wezibhono, uba zibili. Ebukhweni bakhe, kwaMajola. uZibi enonile, enamangwalala. ULezi lezi! (izinkomo okwakujungiwe amaSwazi ngeke zithathwe). USihlangu seqiwa yintendela, yaseSwazini. (amatshe aginqwa ngamaSwazi kuhlasele impi kaMpande khona uMangwalala ekhona). USigwazi sabavoshozi bayo.
UZokufa nguyena owayebusa isizwe sakwaShezi ngemuva kokufa kukaMsholoza uyise. Ekuhlaseleni kwempi yeLembe emaChubeni uMvakela wabulawa uvalo ngemuva kokuba impi yeLembe ingene ehlathini laseNkandla. Noma yena abulawa ukwethuka kodwa izinsizwa ezintathu zakwaShezi ezazinaye zona azizange zibulawe ngamabutho eNgonyama uShaka, zayekwa nje ngenxa yeyeza elalisetshenziswa kwaShezi. Ukubulawa uvalo kukaMvakela akusho ukuthi wayeligwala. Ubuqhawe bakhe buyavela ezibongweni zakhe: UMzaca omnyama wakwaNobhaca! Owashay’ amanzi kwavel’ udaka, kwathi ngemuva kodaka kwavel’ amadoda. Kwavel’ oZikode eMkhabeleni. Imvu kayikhulumi yawoNogobo, uSiba lukaDlaba, oluvele ngesihloko ekweneni. Emva kwendlu kaNdlanzi kaMavovo. Abalimanga ngensimbi! Balima ngensim’ edl’ amadodo.
– Lo mlando ucashunwe encwadini: Izizwe zaMakhosi AkwaZulu, Umqulu III. 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-083 548 1918.