Baningi abakwazi ukuphunyukela eMome ngesikhathi sempi
Abanye abaholi babashokobezi ababaleka eMome yilaba: uMagonqotha kaDlongolwana Biyela waze wabanjwa ziyisi-9 Nhlolanja 1908, uBaleni kaMbayimbayi Khanyile wabaleka wangaphinde watholakala, akwaziwa ukuthi washonaphi.
USikhova kaMatshana kaMondisa noBhomana kaMatshana kaMondisa Sithole babanjwa ziyisi-7 Nhlolanja 1907 basetshenziswa ukuba kuthungathwe uChakijana Sithole. Abaholi abathathu ababevela esizweni seNkosi uMbuzo Ntuli ngoPhahlana kaNomahhala owabanjwa zingama-21 Nhlolanja 1908, uMlung’ophethihawu kaYebo ongazange abanjwe nowahamba wajubalala kanye noKudla kaMatshana kaMondisa Sithole owabanjwa ziyi-10 Nhlolanja 1908.
Ngakho-ke abaholi abaningi babashokobezi bakwazi ukuphunyula eMome.
Mayelana neNkosi uBhambatha Zondi, kukhona ukushayisana kokushiwo ngabelungu nokwaziwa ngabantu abangamaZulu.
AmaZulu akholelwa ukuthi iNkosi uBhambatha yaphulukundlela eMome yagcina izinze eMozambiki. Kuyacaca ukuthi lokhu kwakunokwenzeka kalula ngoba abaholi abaningi baphulukundlela babaleka eMome njengoba sesichazile.
Umqondo wesibili owashicilelwa ephephandabeni iSunday Times eGoli mhla ziyi-15 Ntulikazi 1906 wathi ikhanda leNkosi uBhambatha lanqunywa nguDokotela uPlatt kwakhangiswa ngalo izinsuku ezimbili ngesu lokuba kutholakale isiqiniseko ukuthi kwakungelakhe ngempela.
ISunday Times igcina ngokuthi sekutholakele ubufakazi lagcina lingcwatshiwe ikhanda. Iphuzu lesithathu lithi kwathi impi nabashokobezi sekunesikhathi iphelile kwadingeka kuyohlonzwa ezidunjini zabo ebangeni elingamafidi angama 200 phansi eMome. Kuthe uma kufikwa lapho kwatholakala izidumbu seziyizibhucu ababehamba noDkt Platt benqaba ukuthatha isidumbu okwakusolelwa ukuthi ngeseNkosi uBhambatha nokwagcinwa kunqunywe ikhanda laso kwahanjwa nalo ukuze kutholakale isiqiniseko sokuthi ngelikaBhambatha.
Kuthiwa isiqiniseko satholakala ikhanda labuyiselwa lapho kade linqunywe khona lashiywa kanjalo. Lokhu kusho ukuthi kungalesi sikhathi ikhanda likhangiswa lapho isotsha laseNgilandi lathatha khona izinwele nosekutholakele ngokuhlaziya kweDNA ukuthi kwakungezona izinwele zekhanda likaBhambatha. IPhuzu lesine livezwa ngu-J Stuart encwadini yakhe ajutshwa nguhulumeni waseNatali ukuba ayibhale ngeMpi yaMakhanda esihloko sithi: The Zulu Rebellion, London, 1913.
Kule ncwadi uStuart uyaphikisana nawo wonke amaphuzu oMajor Platt weNatal Medical Corps nabanye. Yena uthi emakhasini 310-311: ‘INkosi uBhambatha yabulawa ngamambuka ngaseDobo isuka lapho impi yabashokobezi yayibambene khona nabelungu namambuka.’
IDobo yintaba ofinyelela kuyo uma uwela umfula iHhalambu. UStuart uthi uBhambatha wayegqoke iyembe ekhuphuka ngoMfudlana iMome ngenkathi imbuka limbona. Walwa kodwa amambuka amathathu amhlanganyela ambulala. Ugcina ngokuthi kwatholakala impi isidlule kudala ukuthi kwakunguBhambatha.
Ngakho-ke ubuqiniso bokuthi wabulawa uBhambatha abukho kodwa bukhona obokuthi wabaleka njengabanye abaholi abaningi ababelapho.
Indawo yakwaMaphumulo ingamakhelekethe kwazise kwathi nxa iKhomishane yokuKlaya uMhlaba kaMartin West ngowe-1846 isikela abelungu izindawo ezivundile, izinkulungwane zamaZulu zadudulelwa kuwo amakhelekethe ezindawo ezifana nakwaMaphumulo.
Ngakho-ke ngenkathi kushaywa uMthetho kaKhandampondo ngoNcwaba we-1905, iningi lamaZulu lalihlwempu lingenamisebenzi, ngaleyo ndlela-ke lingazimisele ukukhokhela ikhanda uPondo.
Sesichazile ukuthi yizimantshi zabelungu ezazinikeza uhulumeni imininingwane ngamakhosi nezizwe zawo. Ngakho-ke uma zithi inkosi ethile nesizwe sayo yayinomoya wokuvukela umbuso, amasotsha kahulumeni ayeyihlasela ngoba kusukela ziyisi-9 Nhlolanja 1906 kwashaywa umthetho wesimo esibucayi (martial law), owawugunyaza amasotsha ukuba azithgathele umthetho awubeke ezandleni zawo. Ngakho-ke iNkosi uGobizembe kaMkhonto Ntuli nesizwe sayo yaba ngeyokuqala ukuhlaselwa kwaMaphumulo kungakahlaselwa ngisho iNkosi uBhambatha Zondi.
Ngemuva kokudutshulwa kwamakholwa ayeklelisiwe wuhele lwamasotsha (firing squad). Le nkosi yanikezwa umnqamlajuqu wokuba ilethe bonke ababenqaba ukukhokha uKhandampondo kodwa yenqaba. Indawo yesizwe sikaGobizembe yabe iyinhle inkulu kunezinye izindawo. Ngakho-ke ukushaywa koMthetho kaKhandampondo ngowe 1905 nokubulawa kwamakholwa esizweni seNkosi uMveli kwanikeza isizathu sokuhlasela iNkosi uGobizembe.
Kwahlasela amasotsha kaKhenela G Leuchars ayeyinhlanganisela yezigaba eziningi: uMvoti Mounted Rifles, iNatal Mounted Rifles, iNatal Naval Corps neDurban Light Infantry. Njengakwezinye izindawo kwakunamambuka amaZulu ayaziwa ngokuthi ngama Native Levies. Amadoda esizwe awazange angenwe ngamanzi emadolweni kodwa agiya ashaya izihlangu zawo uma ebona amasotsha ezohlasela isizwe mhla ziyisi- 5 Ndasa 1905. INkosi yenqaba ukunikela ngabantu abangama-300 okwakuthiwa badelele imantshi.
Impi yadumelana kwamnyama phansi kwasiza-ke ukudubula kwesitha sisekudeni. Nokho amabutho esizwe awazange azibeke phansi izihlangu zawo. Amasotsha kaLeuchars efuna ukwenza isihluku esifana nesaseRichmond asondela kakhulu eduze komuzi weNkosi uGobizembe awushaya ngeziqhumane eseduze nangezinhlamvu ukuze uzogqabuka amalangabi isizwe sibone ukuthi kwakungukusinisa amahleza ukulwa nabelungu.
Amasotsha ajika ngenhla kwalapho sekunesikole esikhulu khona iVukile maqondana nalapho sekuyinkantolo yeNkosi uMbekeni, kamnawa kaMphezeni owashona engenangane, kaGazide kaMagilima kaGobizembe kaMkhonto. La masotsha ahamba aze afika ekunqobeni lapho kwaphunyuka khona inkawu yawo yabaleka. Ajika-ke esozobhomba umuzi weNkosi uGobizembe eningizimu yasekuNgobeni.
- 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.