ABantwana uCetshwayo noZibhebhu ngamathe nolimi
Babuya khona bephethe izimpahla eziningi zokugqoka nokwembatha, Kanye nezingubo zokulala. Bafika babanikeza lapha ekhaya. Ngenkathi ehlala eMzinyathi waqonywa intombi indodakazi yeNkosi uMatshana Sithole egama layo kwakunguGeja. Le ntombi yakoMatshana wayithatha yamgana, yamzalela izintombi zodwa ezinhlanu, ayaze yathola ngane yomfana. Amagama ezingane kwakunguNomazulu, uGcinekile, uNtwanyana, uMakhaleni kanye noDukuzayo.
UNomazulu nguyena iNkosazana yoMntwana uZibhebhu, owayefungwa ngaBantwana bonke bakwaMandlakazi. Wendela iNkosi uSivumo Gumbi waseVokweni. Kuthe ekubuyeni kwakhe uMntwana uZibhebhu eMzinyathi wasebuthwa yiNgonyama uMpande ithi uMxhapho noma uMpunga noma uHlwayi. Waduma kakhlu ngebutho loMxhapho. UMntwana uMaphitha wamthatha wayomethula eNgonyameni uMpande ethi nguyena asezomfundisa umsebenzi waseNdlunkulu kwaGqikazi kanye nemisikothi yonke yakoMkhulu.
Kuthe lapho efika eNdlunkulu kwaGqikazi wakhombisa ikhono elikhulu kanye nobuhlakani obesabekayo kukho konke akwenzayo. IWombe labona ukuthi usmebenzi elimnikeza wona waseNdlunkulu uzowenza ngenkulu impumelelo. Waba liqhawe elikhulu esigabeni sebutho loMxhapho, ngangokuthi iNgonyama uMpande yaze yambeka ukuba induna yebutho loDloko. Kuthe ngelinye ilanga amabutho esemkhosini kwaNodwengu eviva, kwasekusuka enye yeziNduna zeNgonyama isigqishisa ibutho loMxhapho ngemvubu. Isishaya isiqhwaga esaziwayo nesiyisilomo lapha kuBantwana igama laso uNdengezi kaMpukane umfo wakwaSibisi eBaqulusini. UNdengezi kaMpukane lona wayeyinduna yaBantwan kanti futhi naye unguMxhapho.
UNdengezi kaMpukane akabange esabuza washo waphindisela kuyo induna yeNgonyama. Kwathi lapho ithi iyamthatha iNduna yeNgonyama isifuna ukuyommangalela, bale naye aBantwana. Ihambe iNduna iyommangalela kuNdunankulu uMasiphula kaMamba waseMgazini. Kwakuyicala elibi kakhulu leli ngoba wayazi ukuthi akuphindiselwa eNduneni yeSilo, ngoba kusho ukuthi ushaya sona. UNdunankuklu uMasiphula athi akalandwe lowo ophindiisele eNduneni yeNksoi. Yasuka induna isimlanda uNdengezi kaMpukane ihamba nezinye izinduna. Iyafika induna aBantwana sebemfake phakathi kwabo uNdengezi. Bammise eduze koMntwana uZibhebhu. Izinduna zithi mkhombe lo muntu owedelele iSilo. Bathi yayaluza lenduna isiyesaba ukumkhomba, ithi ayisamboni lapho abekade emi khona. Wasinda kanjalo uNdengezi kaMpukane kuleso sigameko sokuba ajeziswe.
UMntwana uZibhebhu wayeshaya ngesibhamu kube sengathi ubanjelwe. Wayekwazi ukwethula uthi olungangenaliti phezulu esigodweni edlule angasishayi sona. Ubeshaya noma eselele ohlangothini lwehashi lakhe, kuwe amadoda. Empni wayengadubuli athi ngabe umosa izinhlamvu zakhe. Wayethi yena ufuna izikhulu nabanumzane abaphethe izigodi. Kuthe ngemuva kokubuthwa kwakhe wasephuma eNkungwini esakha umuzi wakhe waseNkalakuthaba, uqamba lomuzi leligama nje kushone omunye woNdlunkulu. Sekuthi lapho ethi uyedlula kwelinye lamaxhiba umntwana uZibhebhu usezwa abathile bayakhuluma ngaphakathi bathi : Noma singakhala nje kepha kufe into ebivele incishana” Umntwana uZibhebhu wasethi “ Wo! Kanti bathi bayakhala nje bayethaba.”
Kwathi uma uMntwana uMaphitha esemethulile eNgonyameni, uMntwana uZibhebhu kwase kuba nguyena owengamela iSigodlo saKwaGqikazi Kanye nemisebenzi yonke eyayenziwa uysie. Wasiphatha iSigodIo seNgonyama ngenkulu impumelelo naye ehlonishwa ngabantu bonke beSilo ngendlela ayebemukela ngayo. UMntwana uZibhebhu wayekhonzene kakhulu noMntwana uCestwayo bengahlukani, yize babengekho ebuthweni elilodwa. Umntwana uCetswhayo wabe eyiMboza noma uThulwana kanti uMntwana uZibhebhu yena wabe enguMxhapho noma iMpunga noma uHlwayi. Babehlukene ngamabutho ayisithupha Phakathi kwabo. Kuthiwa babekhonzene kakhulu, ngangokuthi wawungaze uthu umntwana uZibhebhu iMboza. Ukukhonzana kwabo kwabakukhulu ngoba bebehlala ndawonye KwaGqikazi. Kanti futhi babekhonzene njengamakhosana eyaseNdlunkulu Kanye neyaseKhohlwa.
Futhi lezi zinsizwa zenkosi zazingamaqhawe, zinesibindi, zingaxoxela ukuthi impi ibambane kanjani kuphi, ngoba zazizifikela mathupha. Ukhoho wabo bobabili uyedwa, babengabazukulu beNgonyama uJama. Ubuqhawe babo bakhombisa empini yaseNdondakusuka. Lokho kwamenza uMntwana uCetshwayo wamethemba kakhulu umfowabo uMntwana uZibhebhu. Lapha endlunkulu iNgonyama uMpande yayingamthandisisi kahle uMntwana uCetshwato. Waqeda izingane zayo empini yaseNdondakusuka. UMntwana uCetshwayo wayeze azithole emukeleka kuyise waseKhohlwa iWombe laseNkungwini. Futhi uMntwana uCetshwayo wayekunaka ukuthi lapha kwabo eKhohlwa banempi enamandla kakhulu, yaMankensthane adla umuntu ehamba.
ABantwana oCetshwayo kanye noZibhebhu babekhonzene ungaze uthi bangamawele. INkosazana uMntwana uMagogo wayeyixoxa kanjena le ndaba yokukhonzana kwabo athi “ Babedla ndawonye. Omunye engadli uma engamboni omunye, babelindana. Igula labo lamasi lalilodwa. Iquthu labo lomcabo lilodwa. Ukhamba lwabo lokudlela amasi lulodwa. Kanti nokhezo ababedla ngalo lwalulodwa. Babekhonzene bemuntu munye.” Ngamanye amagama babethembene bethandana behloniphana.
UMntwana uZibhebhu owayelawula isigodlo saKwaGqikazi njengoMntwana omkhulu wakhona. Lokhu ukukhonzana kwabo yikhona okwenzela uMntwana uZibhebhu amazinyo abushelelezi kuMntwana uNdabuko ongumelamani weSilo uCestwhayo. UMntwana uNdabuko naye ubehlala khona KwaGqikazi, kepha enganazwi ekuphathwenu kwalesi Sigodlo. Ngenkathi uMntwana uZibhebu eKwaGwqikazi inzondo yayingaveli obala kuBantwana beSilo.
