Ezinye zezimpi zamaNgisi noZulu kubusa uMamonga WoSuthu
ABASHOKOBEZI ehlathini eNkandla base beqiniswe bachelwa ngazo zonke izintelezi zempi yizinyanga zaseNkandla. Ngakho-ke base belindele noma yini futhi bengakugqize qakala ukufa befela izwe labo.
Isu lamasotsha esitha sabelungu amambuka nabeSuthu kwakungukuhlasela amaNgisi ayekubiza ngeMome Gorge. Inhlosonqangi kwakungukuba iMome ikakwe ngamasotsha ngezindawo ezine. Umbusi uMcCallum wathi kuzo zonke izimpi ze-England: “It had been the first time that European troops had not confined their operations practically to the open.” Okuwukuthi; ‘Kwakungokokuqala ukuba amasotsha abelungu angalweli endaweni evulekile’. Impi yokuqala eyayizinze eMpandleni lapho sekuyidolobha khona yayizoqhamuka isihlasela entshonalanga yeMome. Okwesibili, amasotsha ayeqhamuka eHelpmekaar ayezomasha ngasemfuleni uMzinyathi ahlasele esesuka eSandlwana eningizimu yeMome. Okwesithathu, amasotsha ayeqhamuka ngasenqabeni iFort Yolland ahlasela esesuka eningizimumpumalanga yeMome. Impi yamaNgisi yayikanise
eFort Yolland ize iyofinyelela eNquthu ukuze izovimba uZulu owawungahle uqhamuke kwezinye izindawo enyakatho yoThukela uzokwelekelela abashokobezi. Okokugcina, kwakunamasotsha ayezoqhamuka ngaseNadi eholwa nguKhenela uG. Leuchars.
Ngakho-ke impi yamaNgisi yaqhamuka macala onke yahaqa iMome ebusuku. NgabeSuthu bakwaMolefe abacebisa amasotsha abelungu ngokuthi kuhle impi yabo isondele eMome ebusuku ukuze ihlasele isiseduze ekuseni lokhu kwenzeka kalula ngoba abeSuthu babeyazi indlela eya eMome. Yibona futhi laba beSuthu ababekade behlasele ngezibhamu bakhipha iNgonyama uCetshwayo lapho ngowe-1884. Kanti kwenzeka lokhu uMangati kaGodide kaNdlela kaSompisi Ntuli, omunye wabaholi babashokobezi eMome, wabe esekhiphe isimemezelo sokuthi ohlabene ngokubulala iphoyisa lomZulu wayezoklonyeliswa njengobulele isotsha lomlungu.
Ngabashokobezi abaqala ukuhlasela amasotsha kaKhenela uMansel eNtatshaneni iKhomo. Kwakukade kuhutshwa ihubo lempi elidala lakwaZulu elithi:
UNdab’angazidl’izwe lonk’inkomo zamadoda uma angak’ asiphake! Woyeye! Woyeye! Khethan’amagwala! Hho hho! Wowo! Khethan’amagwala! Woyeye! Woyeye!”
Kwahlaselwa kukhuzwa uSuthu! uSuthu! kuphakanyiswe izihlangu. Abashokobezi base beshunqiselwe ngezintelezi sekuxoxwe impi, kugiywa. Amasotsha amaNgisi edubula ngezibhamu eziphambili ekude. Ngenxa yokuthi imikhonto namahawu kwakudinga abashokobezi baze bafike eduze, kanti amasotsha adubula esekudeni, kwasala abashokobezi abaningi enkundleni ngenkathi bethi: khumu! bephikelela eMome.
Le mpi yabashokobezi namasotsha ayeholwa nguKhenela uG. Leuchars yaqhamuka ngaseNadi mhla zingama-28 kuNhlaba we-1906. Amasotsha kaKhenela Leuchars ayenze inqaba efana neyenziwa ngamaBhunu eNcome, ibizwa ngokuthi ilaager, ngasesandleni sokunxele sosebe loThukela. Yaqalwa ngabashokobezi ngomkhulu umfutho kwasala enkundleni amasotsha nabashokobezi.
Le mpi yayiholwa nguKhenela uRoyston ihamba ngezinyawo izama ukuyoqotha abashokobezi. Yahlangana nezimbila zithutha ngoba lokho kwasho ukuthi kwakuzodingeka ilwe isondelene namabutho abashokobezi igwazwe ibhece kwazise uZulu wayengacushwa ngemikhonto nezihlangu uma impi idumelana mahlanze. Kwakhuzwa uSuthu! uSuthu! Kwasala amasotsha amahlanu efile angaphezu kweshumi aba yizinkubela enamanxeba emikhonto emizimbeni.
Impi yokugcina yamaNgisi nabashokobezi eMome mhla zili-10 kuNhlangulana we-1906, yahleleka ngendlela yokuthi impi enkulu kaKhenela uDuncan Mckenzie ihlasele ime ngenhla kwamakhelekethe amawa aseMome. Ngezansi lapho impophoma iphelela khona kwakuhlasela impi kaKhenela uBarker ikhuphuka. Yanqotshwa kanjalo impi enkulu yabashokobezi eNkandla. Abaholi abaningi bakwazi ukubaleka ngoba abaholi uma kulwa impi kwaZulu babeyiphaka baze baziphonse kuyo uma kungasekho okungenziwa. Yingakho-ke abaningi babaleka: uMangati kaGodide owaze wabanjwa mhla zili-10 kuLwezi we-1907, uSigananda namadodana babanjwa baboshwa, uChakijana Sithole wayengakabanjwa mhla zi-3 kuLwezi we-1907. Sekuthethwa icala leNgonyama uDinuzulu ngowe-1908 kuya kowe-1909 ubufakazi bakhe bonke ngeNgonyama uDinuzulu uMehluleli waphakamisa ukuthi bungemukelwa yiNkantolo ngoba babungethembekile.
- 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.
