Iqhaza likaSikhobobo waseZibiyeni embusweni kaZulu
WATHI entathakusa yangakusasa amaBhunu abe segcwele amaqele egibele amahhashi ehlome ephelele. Nabo abaQulusi babegcwele izinkalo zonke betshalwe nguye uSikhobobo. Enye impi yabaQulusi amaBhunu ayengayiboni ivela ngaseBhadeni iyikhala phambili nomfo kaSiyikana uGedleza owayeyinduna yaleyo mpi. Leyo mpi yayisithele ingabonakali ngoba yayingabasemlilo, ikade ifike kusihlwa. Ayizange ibase mlilo yankanisa nje yaqaphela okwakwenzeka. Lena eyabaQulusi eyayiphethwe nguSikhobobo yona yabasa umlilo yabonakala emaBhunwini ayefike entathakusa. Ngokubheka ikloba lomlilo owawubaswe yimpi kaSikhobobo amaBhunu acabanga ukuthi kungalula ukuyidudulela nganxanye impi yakhe.
Kwathi esakanise lapho amaBhunu kwasuka enye induna kaSikhobobo yaya kuwo yabuza ukuthi kwakukhona yini ayekhala ngakho? Yawatshela amaBhunu ukuthi isigodlo seSilo uCetshwayo sasesakhiwe. AmaBhunu abuza ukuthi ngabe kwakuyizinkomo zawo yini ezazihlatshiwe kwakhiwa isigodlo? USikhobobo wabuza amaBhunu ukuthi ayezibona ngani izinkomo ezazihlatshiwe ngoba izinkomo zonke zazingezeNgonyama uCetshwayo? Wabuza ukuthi ayalubona yini uphawu lwawo nombala wesikhumba sezinkomo zawo. AmaBhunu alandula. USikhobobo wabe esebiza yonke impi yakhe ethi ayihlome ize kuye. Impi kaSikhobobo yahloma yaqhamuka zinkalo zonke. Lena eyayilikhala yaseBhadeni yona yayisathule emfuleni isaqaphele okwakungahle kwenziwe ngamaBhunu. Yasondela-ke ekaSikhobobo yabaQulusi. USikhobobo watshela amabutho akhe ukuthi akhe isigodlo. AmaBhunu ayehlomile wona athi kungakhiwa lapho.
USikhobobo waqhubeka watshela impi yakhe ukuthi yakhe kusishulwe utshani kufulelwe wona amadlangala. AmaBhunu afunga agomela athi azosifuza asishise isigodlo seNgonyama uCetshwayo. Wawexwayisa amaBhunu uSikhobobo wathi uma nje eke asifuza isigodlo seNgonyama uCetshwayo ayobe aqhatha izwe ngoba iNgonyama uCetshwayo yayingalwi nawo kodwa inhloso yakhe kwakungukwakha umuzi wakhe wezinkomo zakhe. Wafulela-ke uSikhobobo eza amaBhunu afike ema. USikhobobo wawabuza amaBhunu ukuthi ngabe ayehlomile na? Wathi uZulu wayengahlomile wabuza ukuthi ingani iNgonyama uCetshwayo iyona eyayihlangene nawo amaBhunu na? AmaBhunu athi wona awahlangene neNgonyama uCetshwayo athi ngoyise [ebhekise kuDingane] abawabulala. Kwathi uSikhobobo esakhuluma namaBhunu kwaqhamuka amaSwazi kwazise umuzi weNgonyama uCetshwayo wawakhiwa emngceleni wezwe laseSwazini. USikhobobo wawabuza amaBhunu ukuthi kwakungobani ababeqhamuka? AmaBhunu aphendula ngokuthi ingani uZulu wayehlangene namaSwazi. Impi yamaSwazi yayihamba phansi. Kwathi uma efika amaSwazi azethula ukuthi wona angawakwaMswazi kaSobhuza eze ngoba ezwa kuthi kuneNgonyama uCetshwayo.
Kwabuzwa ukuthi pho ziphi izinkomo amaSwazi ayezozihlabisa ngazo iNgonyama uCetshwayo? Wona aziphendulela ngokuthi ayeze lapho ngoba ebone impi yamahhashi ayehamba ebusuku kwaze kwasa, eqondise empini yamaBhunu. Aqhubeka amaSwazi athi ayezohlela leyo mpi ngoba uCetshwayo wayethe awayiqaphe leyo ndawo yezinkomo zakhe okwakwakhiwa kuyo isigodlo. AmaSwazi abuza ukuthi amaBhunu ayezofunani lapho ngoba uSikhobobo wayewatshelile amaSwazi ngenyanga edlule ukuthi kwakuzokwakhiwa ithanga leNgonyama lezinkomo ezazilala kuleyo ndawo. Izinduna ezazihamba noSikhobobo zatshela amaSwazi ukuthi ahlale khona lapho ngoba amaBhunu ayehlomile, asefunge agomela ethi azofuza umuzi weNgonyama uCetshwayo awushise. AmaSwazi nawo athukuthela agana unwabu athi amaBhunu ngeke aze alinge afuze umuzi weNgonyama uCetshwayo ezweni layo.
Athi wona ayelusela khona izinkomo zeNgonyama zaseBhadeni. AmaSwazi athi kuhle udaba lokwakushiwo ngamaBhunu lukhulunyelwe phambi kwezinduna zawo. Zafika-ke izinduna zawo ezazingamashumi amabili nesishiyagalombili. Zona zabuza amaBhunu ukuthi ayezokwenzani lapho kwakudla khona izinkomo zikaCetshwayo na? Awatshengisa izinkomo zeNgonyama zaseBhadeni. AmaBhunu athi kumele izinkomo zeNgonyama zisuke zihambe kuleyo ndawo. AmaSwazi awabuza amaBhunu ukuthi ngabe ayezimisele ngokulwa yini ngoba ayengakaze afike kuleyo ndawo. AmaBhunu athukuthela exwayisa ngokuthi ayezobuya ntambama. Kwathi kusenjalo ekaSikhobobo yaqhumisa isibhamu yashaya iqhina. Ethuka amaBhunu akhomba abantu ngezibhamu. USikhobobo waphakamisela iqhina phezulu walinyakazisa ekhombisa amaBhunu.
Ngokuphakamisa kukaSikhobobo iqhina kwaqhamuka impi yaseBhadeni, impi yamaSwazi eyayisithele ngezansi kwalapho kwakwakhiwa khona isigodlo. AmaBhunu agcina emile. AmaBhunu angenwa yingebhe uma ebona ukuthi kanti kwakukhona enye impi uSikhobobo ayeyifihlile eyayingaphezu kwaleyo ayecheme nayo. AmaBhunu akhuluma ngoxolo uma ebona induku uSikhobobo ayewafihlele yona emqubeni, athi: “Hhawu! Sikhobobo, usifihlele impi enkulu kangaka na?” USikhobobo wawabuza ukuthi aze abuze lowo mbuzo kanti izwe ngelawo na? AmaBhunu abona ukuthi zimbi akhukhula kuleyo ndawo. USikhobobo wawexwayisa ngokuthi uma eke abuya ayobe aqala iNgonyama uCetshwayo.
NguSikhobobo owaqamba lowo muzi weNgonyama uCetshwayo wathi yiNdlabeyitubula, esho ngoba kwakhiwa ngamandla. Kwathi amaBhunu esehambile kwahlatshwa izinkomo kwayogawulwa amahlahla oPhongolo umuzi wakhiwa waqedwa. Impi yahlala inyanga yonke yakha. Seyiqedile yahamba noSikhobobo kwasala eyaseBhadeni eyayilinda izinkomo zeNgonyama uCetshwayo. AmaBhunu awaphindanga abuya kodwa awazange amkhohlwe uSikhobobo nobuqhawe bakhe bokungangenwa ngamanzi emadolweni asabe amaBhunu ayefuna ukuqola izwe. USikhobobo Sibiya akazange alwe ngeMpi yeMali YaMakhanda ngowe-1906. Iqhaza lakhe nekhono lobuholi bakhe lavela ngesikhathi wonke amaZulu ephoqwa ukuthi akhokhe uKhandampondo okwakuyintela yekhanda lawo wonke umuntu wesilisa oganiwe ngaphandle kwalabo ababengakaganwa. Abantu basebaQulusini babethukuthele begane unwabu bekhala ngokuthi zonke izintela zezindlu nezezinja zazikhokhelwa ngabantu abangakaganwa. Ngakho-ke uma uhulumeni esengeza enye imali yentela lokho kwakuzoxabanisa abaninimizi namadodana abo ayethwele nzima ngenxa yobuningi bezintela zikahulumeni.
