UNdlela wakwaNtuli usinda ekufeni aze alwe eyaseNcome
UNDLELA kaSompisi noHlathi bavukuza imizwa yeNgonyama uShaka yathi makuphikelelwe lapho babesale khona nayo kwazise yona yayikade ingekho empini kuliwa. Batholwa sebeyimindonda amanxeba okugwazwa egcwele wonke umzimba. Isilo uShaka esasize nezimbongi nezinkomo sathi makushiwo izibongo zaMakhosi akwaZulu, okwakuyindlela yokuwazisa ngamaqhawe awo ayelele enkundleni ukuthi asimame. Kwathi seliyoshona ilanga uNdlela noHlathi banyakaza bagcina bephapheme. Bathwalwa ngohlaka bayiswa kwaBulawayo, benzelwa imihlatshelo, bachathwa, bancindiswa, baphalaziswa, bashunqiselwa ngezinyamazane bagcina bephile qinqo. INgonyama uShaka yabaxoshisa ngezinkomo eziningi. Yatshela uNdlela ukuthi aliguqule igama lomuzi kaGqwashaza umnewabo lingabe lisaba seManweleni. INgonyama uShaka yathi igama makube seManxebeni ngenxa yamanxeba uNdlela ayegwazwe wona ngamabutho akwaNdwandwe.
Kuthe ngemuva kokubulawa kweNgonyama uShaka, uNdlela waqokelwa esikhundleni sobundunankulu yiNgonyama uDingane, isikhathi sakhe esiningi wasichitha khona esigodlweni sikaDingane eMgungundlovu njengondunankulu kwazise izihambeli zazifikela kuye. Kwakudingeke abekhona noma kuthathwa izinqumo ezinqala zombuso wezwe. Inkosana yakhe uGodide yazalelwa khona eMgungundlovu. Nayo yagcina iyinceku kaDingane. Indawo kaNdlela yayiseMpaphala ngaseNtumeni emfudlaneni iMamba. Yayimbandakanya ingxenye yendawo yesizwe sakwaMagwaza ikhuphuke ize iyovinjwa uMfongosi. Indawo kaNdlela ngaseMacala wayinikezwa nguDingane ngemuva kokubulawa kukaZihlandlo kaGcwabe Mkhize. Yonke leyo ndawo yayikade ingeyesizwe sakwaMkhize. Bona bangabaseMbo baqhamuke ngaseSwazini nangaseMozambique, oBonjeni.
Amathuna, elikaGcwabe, elikaKhabazele nelikaGubhela, aseMacala kuleli cala elibheke emfuleni iNsuze. UZihlandlo wabulawelwa eMakhabeleni ngasesandleni sokudla emfuleni uThukela. Lilapho ithuna lakhe. Umuzi kaNdlela omkhulu kwakuseZibungwini, eduze kweNtaba aMacala lapho inkosana kaNdlela uGodide wakhulela khona. UGodide ibutho lakhe kwakuyiMpunga umuzi wakhe omkhulu kuseGweni eduze kweNtaba aMacala.
Inselelo enkulu eyabhekana noNdlela esenguNdunankulu eMgungundlovu, ngeyokuhlasela kwamaBhunu kaPiet Retief nabalandeli bakhe kwaNobamba ngoLwezi we-1837. Afika kuleyo ndawo eqhamuka eKapa ehamba eqola izindawo nemfuyo yabantu. KwaNobamba afike acekela phansi amasimu abantu. UNdlela wakhipha amabutho ayobhekana nabahlaseli. Iningi labo labulawa kwafa nabafazi bawo abaningi njengoba amathuna etshengisa kwaNobamba (Weenen).
Impi enkulu yamaBhunu yokuhlasela izwe lakwaZulu ngenkathi uNdlela enguNdunankulu eMgungundlovu, ngeyaseNcome. Yalwa mhla zili-16 kuZibandlela we-1838. EyamaBhunu yasuka ngakwaNobamba iholwa ngu-Andries Pretorius yagcina iwele umfula uMzinyathi yedlula intaba iNtibane, yagcina yakhe inqaba yezinqola (laager) ethafeni empumalanga yeNtibane ngasenyakatho yomfula iNcome ntambama mhla zili-15 kuZibandlela we-1838.
Impi eyayisuka esigodlweni seNgonyama uDingane eMgungundlovu iyobhekana nabahlaseli yayiholwa nguye uNdlela nesekela lakhe uDambuza/Nzobo kaSobadli Ntombela. Yayihuba ihubo elikhulu le mpi yakwaZulu elithi:
Oqalayo: Woza langa lashona!
Abavumayo: Lashona!
Oqalayo: Woza langa lashona!
Abavumayo: Lashona kuleziya ntaba.
Impi enyakatho yomfula iNcome, yafike yedlula entatshananeni eyagcina ibizwa ngaye uNdlela kuze kube namuhla, iNtaba kaNdlela. Yasuka lapho ngawo umhla ziyi 15 Zibandlela 1838, yawela izibuko lomfula iNcome iZibuko laBafazi, yagcina ikanise entshonalanga entabeni iNtibane. Ngakusasa entathakusa mhla zili-16 kuZibandlela we-1838, impi kaNdlela yahlasela inqaba yezinqola zabahlaseli bamaBhunu isiqhamuka ngasentabeni iNtibane entshonalanga. Kwakunotshani obude nezulu likade lina. Inkinga kwaba ukungakwazi ukungena enqabeni yezinqola amaBhunu ayebhace kuyo. AmaBhunu adubula ecashe phakathi ngoMartini Henry izibhamu zawo. Ngakho-ke impi kaNdlela yagcina yehlulekile ukuwanqoba, yathi khumu. Akulona iqiniso ukuthi amaBhunu adubula impi kaNdlela umfula iNcome waze waphenduka igazi. Lokho yimfundisoze yamaBhunu nokuphendulela umlando. Inqaba amaBhunu ayebhace kuyo yayikude kakhulu nomfula iNcome. Impi ayizange ilwele phezu kosebe lomfula iNcome. Amanye amabutho kaZulu asala enkundleni kodwa kuyintimbothi okubhalwe esigcinamagugwini samaBhunu iBloedrivier eNcome ukuthi amabutho kaZulu adutshulwa abulawa ayizi-3 000 zabantu.
- Lo mlando ucashunwe encwadini: Izingxabo Zamakhosi Esifundazweni Sakwazulu, Umqulu II. Uma ufisa ukuthola le 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.
