Amaqhawe akwaNzuza uMbekelo, uMaqhoboza noNozishada
Indlu kaMbekelo izinze eNkandla lapho uMgundeni induna kaMphathesitha Magwaza ashonele khona ngasekuqaleni konyaka we-1921. Kule ndlu kwakunamaqhawe amaningi. Kwayena uMbekelo wayeliqhawe kwaZulu. Wayilwa impi yeNgonyama uShaka eyayibhekene noZwide kaLanga inkosi yakwaNdwandwe. Yadumelana oThukela. Yagcina ibambanele oKhalweni lwakwaNomvemve olusuka eNtumeni luphikelele ezibukweni laseMhlathuze. Ngobuqhawe bakhe wanikwa lezi zibongo: uHlangabez’ uNdwandwe, eza ngobuso; uMmango wamadumbe namazambane. Wona ubungumondi, ungumoba, uFulathela kumaNdwandwe.
Ekunqotshweni kukaZwide kaLanga Ndwandwe, iNgonyama uShaka yabaklamela indawo abakwaNzuza ngobuqhawe babo kuleyo mpi. Yonke indawo eyayiyisifunda esisempumalanga somgwaqo wokuqala wezinqola oya kwaNongoma, ukusuka entatshaneni iHlophenkulu kuze kuyofika lapho kwagcina kuyinkantolo yemantshi khona ngowe-1888, okuyindawo esuka lapho iphikelele empumalanga ibanga elingamakhilomitha ayisithupha kuze kuyofika emfudlaneni uMtiki kubandakanya nentatshana kwaNdunu iNgonyama uShaka yayinikeza abakwaNzuza ngemuva kokunqotshwa kukaZwide. Umuntu wokuqala owakha imizi eyisikhombisa lapho kugcine sekuyinkantolo yemantshi khona uMayeza, ongazange athole zingane.
Ekushoneni kukaMayeza inhloko yabakwaNzuza kwaba nguBacela. Yena walandelwa nguThinsila kaMansuswa nokunguyena okwathi ekudingisweni kweSilo uDinuzulu nabaNtwana oNdabuko noShingana eSt.Helena ngowe-1890, uNdabuko wacela yena, uHlazo Msongane Nzuza, uManyevunyevana kaMawewe Nxumalo, uNdabazezwe kaNoyohwa kanye noNsusana kaTshana ukuthi bambhekele umuzi wakhe kwaMinya lapho kwakukhona unina uNgqumbazi okaMbondi kaTshana Zungu.
Le ngxenye yabakwaNzuza uShaka akazange ayibeke ngaphansi kukaMaphitha naye owanikezwa eyakhe indawo ngobuqhawe bakhe kuyo impi kaZwide. Ngakho-ke kuthe sekubusa iNgonyama uMpande yakhe isigodlo sayo sakwaGqikazi esasingesikaNgqumbazi, unina kaCetshwayo noNdabuko endaweni eyayenganyelwe ngabakwaNzuza.
IsiZulu sithi ukhamba lufuze imbiza. UMbekelo wazala uMaqhoboza, owayeyinduna yoDlangezwa engelinye iqhawe nalo elalwa izimpi zeNgonyama uShaka waze wanikwa lezi zibongo ngobuqhawe bakhe: “uNongqambu wawompondo; uSilevu ngamashob’ ezinkomo; uGijimis’ifan’ eliphezulu. Ube yimpungushe eyahlul’ amazong’ ezinja.”
UMaqhoboza wasala enkundleni empini eyayiphakwe ukuyolwa nekaBhungane Hadebe, inkosi yamaHlubi ngaseNgagane lapho ithuna likaBhungane likhona. Kwathi impi isitholene phezulu, uMaqhoboza wakhwela wadilika waze wagwaza enye yezinyanga zempi yasemaHlutshini. Kwathi lapho ethi uyawukhipha umkhonto, inyanga yathi: “mina angigwazwa.” UMaqhoboza akabange esakwazi ukukhipha umkhonto ngoba umzimba wakhe waphenduka izimpethu wafa khona lapho. Kwaba sobala ukuthi inyanga ayigwaza yayiqiniswe ngezintelezi ezinzima. Impi yakwaZulu yabuya yena esesele enkundleni yamshiya khona lapho. UMaqhoboza wayesebuthweni linye noManyosi Mbatha owadla waqeda intondolo yembuzi eyedwa ngesikhathi sokubusa kweNgonyama uDingane eMgungundlovu.
UMaqhoboza wazala uNozishada naye owayeliqhawe leNgonyama uDingane. Unina kwakunguMasicazana wakwaKhanyile. USithebe simananga! Ngoba sidlel’ amaduna namathokazi, KaSicazana sikaNgotshana [wakwaKhanyile].
Ibutho likaNozishada kwakuwuDlambedlu. Lelo butho lalibuthwe yiNgonyama uDingane. Wayekhona uNozishada kuliwa namaBhunu eNcome mhla zili-16 kuZibandlela we-1838. Wayekhona futhi eMpini yaseMaqonqo eyabhekana nempi kaMntwana uMpande namaBhunu kaPretorius ngoMasingana we-1840. AMaqonqo yizintatshana ezimbili ezibhekene naMagudu ngasoPhongolo. Ingakadumelani impi eMaqonqo uNdunankulu uNdlela kaSompisi Ntuli wabuza uNozishada ukuthi wayezobamba kuphi yena. UNozishada waphendula wathi wayezobamba kulamaviyo kaMntwana uMpande ayeza eholwa nguNongalaza kaNondela Mnyandu owayekade eyinduna yakwaDukuza ngesikhathi sikaShaka. Watshela uNdlela ukuthi ayiphake kahle impi yeNgonyama uDingane angayoni.
Nempela uNdlela wayiphaka impi uNozishada wayesesuka eyokulwa. Wagwaza abantu abaningi ababelwa ngakuMntwana uMpande. Wawagwaza amabutho kaMntwana uMpande kwaze kwavuvuka ingalo yangakwesokudla ayegwaza ngayo. Wabamba umkhonto ngesandla sokunxele wagwaza ngaso naso sagcina sivuvukele waphinde wabamba ngesokudla.
Ukulwa kukaNozishada eMpini yaseMaqonqo kwakusukela ekutheni ngenkathi uMntwana uMpande ewelela eningizimu yoThukela ngowe-1839, uNozishada wema phezu kosebe lomfula wamemeza ethi: “noma ningawela abantu ngeke bavume ukubuswa ngumsizi.” Lokhu wayekusho ngoba uMntwana uMpande wayengumsizi. Kwakuthe ngenkathi iNgonyama uSenzangakhona ibekwa esihlalweni soBukhosi iqiniswa yizinyanga ngemithi, igcatshwa izingcabo ibhixwa ngomsizi ezingcatshweni, yayalelwa ukuthi ingagezi kodwa iyolala nentombi yayo izingcabo zisabhixwe ngomsizi. Leyo ntombazane nguSongiya kaNgotsha wakwaHlabisa eyakhulelwa yazala uMntwana uMpande. Leyo ngane ezalwe kanjalo yayibizwa ngokuthi ingumsizi.
– 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.