Usuku lapho ilanga lashona emini
USUKU lwangoMsombuluko ozayo luqopha umlando omqoka eNdlunkulu kaZulu nasesizweni sonkana. Ngalolu suku kuphela iminyaka engama-50 kwakhothama iNgonyama uBhekuzulu Nyangayezizwe Cyprian kaPhumzuzulu. Usuku kwabe kungoLwesibili mhla zili-17 kuMandulo ngowe-1968. Ngalolu suku usizi lwabe lubhalwe ebusweni kuZulu, abesilisa nabesifazane. Phela leli yilanga lapho kwafakazeka kunoma ngubani ukuthi nembala limlahlile uZulu, kwaba mnyama ezweni.
Kukhona ukuvumelana kubantu bakwaZulu ukuthi iNgonyama uBhekuzulu yabe imnene futhi ibakhonzile abantu bakayise. INyosi uMnu uMathambo Gwala cishe ikusonga konke nxa imthaphuza ithi, “Ebuk’izinkomo yanyukubala, Yabuk’amadoda yamamatheka.” Kagcini lapho uGwala uthi, “IBululu likaNdaba elalingalumi muntu, elaliluma umuntu ngoba elinyathele. UNyazi lukandaba olushay’amadoda nebinezwana layo laphelela esiswini.”
Eyabe iyikho esizweni iNgonyama yabe iyikho nasekhaya kuNdlunkulu. Yayingumuntu ohlale emamatheka ebakhonzile abakwabo. Labo ababa nenhlanhla yokuphila ngezikhathi zeNgonyama uBhekuzulu namanje basafunga ukuthi, “nembala leya kwabe kuyisilwane, iNkosi uqobo lwayo.”
Nxa ulalela labo ababeyizakhamuzi endaweni yakwaCeza ngalokhu abafakaza ukuthi kwenzeka mhla lishona ilanga kwaZulu, uyafika umuzwa wokuthi ngaleli langa langoLwesibili mhla zili-17 kuMandulo ngowe-1968 kwawa umuthi omkhulu ngempela. Kuthiwa ngaleli langa indawo yakwaCeza yabe isibekelwe yinkungu ivalile, nokwathi ngezikhathi zasekuseni ngehora lesishiyagalombili kwaba IFAGUGU Usuku lapho ilanga lashona emini nokuqhuma okwethusayo iningi elacabanga ukuthi wukuduma kwezulu. Empeleni kwabe kuqhuma idwala elikhulu ngasentabeni uNgongco budebuduze nendawo okuthiwa kuseMaswazini. Abazaziyo bathi nanamuhla leli dwala elaqhumayo lisabonakala. Laqhuma lashiya umzizima obomvu. Kwathi kusabatshazwa lokho zabe sezizwakala izindaba zokuthi selimnyama elakwaZulu, selicimile ilanga ngoba uBhusha obukhali, uBhusha obhush’amadoda isiguqe yabheka koyisemkhulu.
INgonyama uBhekuzulu yabe ingaphansi kwebutho likaManukelana omdala. INgonyama yona yabe isinquma amabutho amabili: uKhiphinkunzi kanye noMkhuphulangwenya. Njengoyise endulo yabhekana nengcindezi yababusi bakaHulumeni wobandlululo owabe uholwa ngamaBhunu. Izinhloso zikaHulumeni wangaleso sikhathi zabe zisobala, nokwabe kuwuqapha ukusebenza koBukhosi nokuqinisekisa ukuthi abubi namandla enele njengoba kwakunjalo endulo. Njengegama layo, iNgonyama yakwaKhethomthandayo yawubheka uZulu, yawelusa ezikhathini ezabe zinzima. Izibazi zalokho zabonakala kuyo ngoba zabe ziyihlukumeza. Nokho ngisho iNgonyama yayihlukumezeka lokho akuyiqhelisanga ekubeni yilokho eyayizalelwe ukuba yikho, ukuba yiNkosi yoHlanga
Nanamuhla nxa sibuka ISILO esibusayo, sibuka ukunyathela kwaso, uZulu owazi iNgonyama yakwaKhetha uhuba ngentokozo kudume izinkalo lapho uthi: ‘Isiziba esimnyama siyesabeka ubuyile uKhethomthandayo!’
Okwaba buhlungu nokucishe kube yikho okwaphithanisa abantu bakwaZulu neNdlunkulu amakhanda yikho ukuthi iNgonyama uNyangayeziwe yahamba isencane njengoba yabe ineminyaka engamashumi amane nane nje kuphela. Ngosuku lokutshalwa kwayo uZulu wabe utheleke ngezinkani ukuzobhonga emswaneni. Umunyu wabe ubhalwe ebusweni lapho izimpunga zamadoda zigebise amakhanda, abesifazane bekhihla isililo. Lapha kwabe kungahambanga nje iNkosi kepha umuzi wonke kaZulu wabe uhanjelwe yinhloko yekhaya, ubaba wesizwe. Kwakuhambe iNgonyama yakwaKeth’omthandayo uNyangayezizwe, umuntu ebantwini.