AbakwaMpukunyoni bahlenga uMntwana uZibhebhu
Bathi bazobambana ngezingalo bawele. Nebala babambana ngezingalo umfana uZibhebhu bambeka ekugcineni. Kwathi lapho bephakathi nawo umfula bamdedela yamthatha iMfolozi yemuka naye. Baqhubeka bona baze bayofika kwaNodwengu. Bafika balwethula udaba kuMntwana uMaphitha. Kwasuka esinamathambo isililo. Kwabe sekukhishwa ibutho ukuba liyocinga isidumbu sakhe uma kunokwenzeka sitholakale ukuze azingcwabele sona. Ibutho lacinga ezingutsheni zeMfolozi lapho babethemba ukuthi umfula unokusichithela khona, abaze basithola. Amabutho agcina evumelana ukuthi sidliwe izingwenya. Ibutho labuya lamlandulela uMntwana uMaphitha.
Kwakhishwa izithunywa kwaNodwengu zayobika eNkungwini. Kwadlula izinyanga kungekho namkhondo ozwakalayo. Kwathi lapho kungazelele muntu kwafika izithunywa kwaNodwengu zivela kwaMpukunyoni, zathi zifuna uMntwana uMpahitha. Zathi kuthiwa azizobika kuMntwana uMaphitha ukuthi kunomfana lapha osemncane abamtholayo wathi wemuka nomfula ehamba nabafowabo beya kwaNodwengu. Abuzwe uMntwana uMaphitha ukuthi igama lakhe wathi ungubani? Baphendula bathi unguZibhebhu kaMpahitha. UMntwana uMaphitha avume ukuthi ngumfana wakhe lowo. Wabe esekhetha amadoda aphikelela khona kwaMpukunyoni, afike amthola umfana abuya naye. Abuze ukuthi ngempela kwenzekani ukuze emuke nomfula? Athi waphunyuka esandleni somfowabo ayebambelele kuso, kwaba ukwemuka kwakhe nomfula.
Umfula wamthatha waze wayomchitha ezansi. Wathi watholwa abantu bakwaMpukunyoni, base behamba naye ngoba bethi uzodliwa izilwane zasendle. Intokozo yaba nkulu kuMntwana uMaphitha lapho esebona insizwa yakhe isitholakele, kanti yena wayesedelile ukuthi akasenakubuye ayibone. Wemuka nomfula nje uMntwana uZibhebhu ubehamba nabafowabo abadala. Uzungu lokuba abulawe balwenza endleleni, bethi usezenza mkhulu phezu kwabo, kanti bakhona bona abadala ezinganeni zikaMaphitha. Ubuhlakani bakhe bamenzela isigcwagcwa kubafowabo kanye nakonina.
Umntwana uZibhebhu eMzinyathi
UMntwana uZibhebhu kwakuyingane eyayinentshisekelo enkulu ekufundeni izinto ezintsha empilweni yayo. Yikho lokho okwamenza abe nempumelelo ezintweni ayesuke esehlose ukuzenza nalapho esekhulile. Futhi into emphathe kabi ubeyigcina aze afune ukuziphindiselela kuqala ukuze yedlule kuye. Kwathi ekubuyeni kwakhe kwaMpukunyoni, uMntwana uZibhebu wabonakala eseba nenhliziyo embi kakhulu ngabafowabo aminza ehamba nabo.
Wayelimisa ngesihloko elokuthi babefuna ukumbulala ngamabomu. Kuthe ngenkathi esengena ebubhungwini uMntwana uZibhebhu waqhubeka nokukhonza umhlambi wezinja zakhe ayengahlukani nazo uma ehamba. Kwakuthi uma efika lapho kuhlezi khona aBantwana zingene phakathi kwabo zitshikizise imisila zibashaye ngayo. Bathukuthele abanewabo bazishaye, naye bamthethise bethi yini akhweze izinja phezu kwabo bese ethatha iqatha elinye alinike inja yakhe. Abafowabo bathukuthele bamthembise bemthethise bethi yini lena ayenzayo. Bathi uthatha ukudla kwabo bedla akunike izinja. Bathi uMntwana uZibhebhu wayethi izinja zakhe ngeke afe uma ehamba nazo ziqotho zona zethembekile kuye kunabafowabo.
Kuthe iWombe lihlezi lothiwa ibandla bathi wafika umfana uZibhebhu lapho behlezi khona, wasecela ukuba lumvumele aye esilungwini. UMntwana uMaphitha ambuze ukuthi yini lena ayibabele esilungwini. Waphendula wathi ufuna ukuyofundela ukudubula. Kuthe uma iWombe lisichitha leso sicelo sakhe, kwakhona abanye emadodeni ayelapho aphendula ngokumcelela ukuba uMntwana uMaphitha akamdedele aye lapho, ngoba isibhamu yisona sikhali okuliwa ngaso namuhla. Wathi uma esevunyelewe wasuka wahamba waqonda eMzinyathi. Wafika lapho wasebenzela amaSotsha amaNgisi.
Amasotsha lana ayethenga izikhumba zezinkomo efuna namazinyo endlovu. Waqala ukuhwebelana nawo izikhumba ezilanda eQhudeni endaweni yakwaSithole. Kwathi uma esebona ukuthi usejwayelene nabeLungu wasecela ukuba bamfundise ukusetshenziswa kwesibhamu. Isizathu asibeka kubo wathi wenzela ukuba abashayele izindlovu ukuze abatholele amazinyo azo. Nebala amasotsha akuthokozela lokho asemfundisa ukudubula kanye nokugibela ihhashi. Kwathi imali ayithola ngesikhumba wathenga isibhamu. Waseqala ukufunda ukusisebenzisa . Wasebenzisana kahle namasotsha, waba inkombi enkulu uhlamvu lwakhe lungaweli phansi luhlala enyameni.
Ikhono lakhe lokudubula lamenza waba isilomo esikhulu emasotsheni. Okunye abelungu ababemcoma ngakho wayebazi kakhulu abantu, enobudlelwano nabo. Umsebenzi wabo wokuthenga izikhumba wahamba washesha kunakuqala. Kanti abo abelungu bazithola sebehamba kalula phakathi kwezwe lakwaZulu, futhi bezithola bephephile. Ngale nkathi base bemfundise nokugibela ihhashi, kuthe ngemuva kwesikhathi wazithengela elakhe. Kwathi kungazelelwe bambona esethelelka eNkungwini ufika ugibele ihhashi ugaxe nesibhamu uhamba nomlungu.
INkosi uMaphitha ithokoze kakhulu lapho imbona esaphila. Ufika nje uyedlula baphikelele eDelagoa Bay (Dalagubha) kwelamaPhuthukezi. Ambuze uMntwana uMaphitha ukuthi useyakwazi yini ukusebenzisa le nduku yamagwala. Avume uMntwana uZibhebu. IWombe likhiphe inkabi elibahlabisa yona yomphako wabo lithi akayihlabe ngesibhamu. Ayithele phansi uMagasa, kumangale wonke umuntu owayelapho. Base bemqamba izibongo bethi; “ Ugod’oluhlala Amakhwentu eMzinyathi”. Wedlula-ke uMntwana uZibhebhu nomlungu wakhe sebeya eDalagubha.