INkosi uDinuzulu yabamba iqhaza ngeMpi Yamakhanda
IMPI Yemali Yamakhanda yangonyaka we-1906, yabandakanya amasotsha abelungu alo lonke elaseNingizimu Afrika. Kwathunyelwa umkhumbi wezempi waseNgilandi ngaphansi kukaVice-Admiral uSir John Durnford. Kwabakhona impi eyathunyelwa ngumdidiyeli wawo wonke amasotsha empi yaseNgilandi eNingizimu Afrika, uLt-General Sir Henry Hildyard.
Le Mpi Yemali Yamakhanda yaphinde yafaka wonke amasotsha abelungu ayeqhamuka kuHulumeni waseNtilasifali aziwa ngokuthi yiTransvaal Mounted Rifles eholwa nguKhenela uBarker. Amanye amasotsha athunyelwa nguHulumeni waseKapa iMaxim Detachment of the Cape Mounted Rifles. Kwaba nezinkulungwane zamavoluntiya eNatali ngaphansi kukaKhenela Duncan McKenzie. Zona zazibandakanya amambuka (Native levies) amaZulu ayephoqiwe eningizimu yoThukela noMzinyathi.
Ngaphandle kwamambuka nabeSuthu besizwe sakwaMolefe kwakuyoba nzima ukunqoba impi yabashokobezi. AmaNdiya nawo ayengazibekile phansi kwazise kwakukhona namalungu eNatal Indian Congress. Wona azijuba ukuthwala wonke amasotsha abelungu ayelimele empini. Yonke le mpi eyayizobhekana nabashokobezi bamaZulu uMbusi waseNgilandi eNatal, uHenry McCallum, encwadini ayeyiqondise kuNgqongqoshe wezangaphandle eNgilandi, wayincoma ngokuthi yayiyi yayingumoya weqiniso weNingizimu Afrika ewuncomile iKoloni yaseNatali (true South African spirit which has been gratefully acknowledged by the Colony of Natal). Kodwa naphezu kwakho konke lokho abashokobezi ababeyinzalo yamabutho eNgonyama uShaka, bazidela amathambo ngesikhathi seNgonyama uDinuzulu kaCetshwayo ngezihlangu, amawisa nemikhonto babhekana nabacindezeli babelungu, kunzima ukuze kuzokhululeka izwe.
Okwenza amaZulu adele izimpilo zawo ngukwazi ukuthi iNgonyama uDinuzulu yayiphambene nokukhokhiswa kwawo ‘ukhandampondo’. Ngakho-ke kwayona iNgonyama yatholwa inecala lokuvukela umbuso mhla zintathu kuNdasa we-1909. Okokuqala ngokubhaciswa kukaSiyekiwe inkosikazi yeNkosi uBhambatha nezingane zakhe uNdabayakhe owayeneminyaka eli-17 noKhekile owayeneminyaka eli-14 izinyanga ezingaphezulu kwezili-15 koMkhulu oSuthu, ukwelekelela uBhamhatha noMangati kaGodide Ntuli ukuketula uMbuso kanye nokufihla abashokobezi abaningi ababefunwa phansi phezulu ngabacindezeli. Ngakho-ke ngokwelekelela uMangati noBhambatha nokufihla abashokobezi ababefunwa, iNgonyama yagwetshwa iminyaka emine, kubalwa kusukela mhla siboshwa oSuthu ziyisi-9 kuZibandlela we-1907.
Ngokubhacisa uSiyekiwe nezingane iNgonyama uDinuzulu yagwetshwa inhlawulo yekhulu lopondo noma unyaka ejele. Yadonsa isigwebo sayo ejele elikhulu lasePietermaritzburg, yagcina ikhishiwe yayovalelwa ejele eNewcastle. Yakhishwa lapho mhla zingama-31 kuNhlaba we-1910 yaxolelwa ngoba kwakulusuku lokudala iNyunyana yaseNingizimu Afrika. Kodwa bonke abelungu balapha esifundazweni sakwaZulu bathi abafuni nakuyibona lapha kulesi sifundazwe. Ngakho-ke kwanqunywa ukuthi sidingiselwe eZimbabwe kodwa kwabuye kwathiwa masakhelwe indlu eBrakpan. Kwagcina kuguquliwe kuthiwa kuhle sidingiselwe endaweni evulekile epulazini iRietfontein/Uitkyk ngaseMhluzi okwagcina kuthiwa yiNew Zululand. Wonke amaZulu avakashela iNgonyama uDinuzulu lapho aphenywa ngamaphoyisa ezomoya aseNatali kanzima. Yona iNgonyama yaqamba indawo ngokuthi kukwaThengisangaye ngoba ithi uZulu wayethengise ngayo: Phela kwakuhutshwa nali ihubo mhla ihoshwa ngamasotsha iNgonyama oSuthu: Oqalayo: Imikhont’ iyoz’yenzeni kwaZulu? Abavumayo: Uyoz’ alwe nini? Uyoz’ alwe nini uZulu? Oqalayo: Emoyeni emoyeni ngaze ngavul’ ezintabeni! Abavumayo: Uyoz’ alwe nini? Uyoz’ alwe nin’ uZulu?
Kudingeka sazi ukuthi isimo sezombusazwe sasimi kanjani kweleNdlovukazi uMthaniya kwaZulu eNyakatho naseNingizimu yoThukela ekuqubukeni kwembedumehlwana yeMpi Yemali Yamakhanda mhla ziyisi-7 namhla ziyisi-8 kuNhlolanja kuze kuyoba mhla zizine kuMandulo we-1906. Kuliqiniso ukuthi ngaphambi kokubheduka kweMpi Yemali Yamakhanda phakathi kwamakholwa esizwe seNkosi uMveli kaHhemuhhemu Ngcobo noHulumeni wamaNgisi aseNatal, mhla ziyisi-7 namhla ziyisi-8 kuNhlolanja we-1906 eByrnetown eduze kwaseRichmond, ingcindezelo yezombusazwe kaHulumeni wamaNgisi aseNatal phezu kwamaZulu kuwo wonke amazinga empilo yawo, yabe isifinyelele kuvuthondaba. AmaZulu amaningi ayesezimisele ukuzidela amathambo noma kunini uma ingcindezelo yezombusazwe ebudlelwaneni bawo noHulumeni yayingaxazululeki.
Izinkinga nezinqinamba zombusazwe zezwe lakwaZulu likangadlwengulwa ngabelungu, zazixazululeka ngokubiza izimbizo zesizwe koMkhulu. Zazikhipha izinqumo ngendlela eya phambili ngemuva kokudingidwa kabanzi kwezinkinga nezingqinamba zezwe nokuvumelana kwesizwe sonkana. Zonke izimbizo ezinjalo zaqedwa ngokungena kombuso woHulumeni bondlovukayiphendulwa babelungu kwaba amaBhunu kusuka ngowe-1840 kuya kowe-1842 kwalandela iKolini yamaNgisi kusuka ngowe-1843 kuya kowe-1910 kulo lonke lakwaMthaniya. Kwabekwa izimantshi zabelungu ngamaNgisi ezifundeni zaMakhosi ezazimpimpela uHulumeni wabelungu ngamanga nangamaqiniso kuNobhala Wezindaba ZaBantu yena owayebikela uNgqongqoshe Wezindaba ZaBantu mayelana nokwakwenzeka ezifundeni zezizwe zaMakhosi akwaZulu. Lo Ngqongqoshe wayehlala eSigungwini sikaHulumeni. Ngaphezu kwalokho kwakukhona uMbusi waseNgilandi owayemele yona iNgilandi lapha kusukela ngowe-1843. UHenry McCallum wayethi umele amaZulu futhi uthatha isikhundla seNgonyama elakwaMthaniya lisabusa kodwa empeleni wayevumelana nabelungu bakubo kukho konke okunqunywe yiSigungu sikaHulumeni waseNatali.
- 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.