UZibhebhu kaMaphitha enyakatho kweleNdlovukazi uMthaniya
Kuqhubeka kushicilelo olwedlule
Wafika wathi; “Awu lokhu okungumfowethu kanti kulivaka sekubaleke kwashiya nezinkomo” Washo wazidla uGwavumane. Uzidla nje akakho noyedwa obuye azilandele. Kanti usedle nezeNkosazana uMntwana uBatheni. Kuthiwa uMntwana uBatheni wasuka waphikelela khona kumnewabo eBanganoma. Uyafika khona uthi kabambike eNkosini. Kwathi uma uMntwana uZibhebhu ezwa ukuthi kukhuleka udadewabo uBatheni, bathi wasebuza ukuthi kanti badle nezinkomo zentombazana yini. Wasethi kabayinike izinkomo zayo intombazana. Wakhipha amabutho ayiphekezela yabuyela nazo Ekuhluphekeni. AbaseMgazini babaleka besuka empini eNdimhlane baze bayobhaca kwelaseMkhwakhweni. Kwathi uma abelungu sebedabula umngcele owehlukanisa elaseNingizimui Afrika nelaseSwazini abaningi baseMgazini bawela kwelaseSwazini. Ulwa nje uMagasa uthumba abafazi nezingane, adle nezinkomo akasashiyi lutho.
Kanti ngenkathi kusuka ingxabano phakathi koSuthu noMandlakazi abakwaGumbi base beholwa uMagonondo. Sekuthi langa limbe sekufika izithunywa zivela eNkosini uZibhebhu. Zathi uMntwana zithunywe ukuba zizobuza ukuthi uma kusuka impi phakathi koSuthu noMandlakazi, uMagonondo uyoma ngakuphi. UMagonondo waphendula wathi ezithunyweni baze bayitshele iNkosi uZibhebhu ukuthi, yena ungenye iNkosi, kanti naye uNgenye inkosi yakwaGumbi. UMagasa wafunda kwezakhe ukuthi impendulo enjalo yabe isho ukuthini. Kwakhomba ukuthi itshe labe selimi ngothi Nkombose kababa. Ngalawo mazwi akhe uMagonondo kwaba ukuthi imamba useyithinte emsileni, sekusobala ukuthi usekhombisa ukuzimela. Nakhu sekuthi langalimbe esathi ulele, aphuphe iNkosi uZibhebhu ihlezi phezu kwesicoco sakhe. Aphaphame azithole esejuluke wamanzi nte.
Aphumele emnyango athi ukuyaluza egcekeni, eshaywa umoya ezama ukwehlisa novalo. Kuthi ngemuva kwesikhashana abuyele futhi endlini afike alale. Libuye futhi lona lelo phupho. Agxume ayephezulu, welekwa yisilwane sakwamhlolo, lapho usejuluke kumanzi amacansi kuthi lapho esukuma wazithola umjuluko uconsa. Aphumele phandle futhi afune ukushaywa umoya. Kwathi kuwona lowo mnyama esayaluza egcekeni eninga ukuthi lelo phupho labe limhlolelani phakathi komuzi kaSomkhanda. Wabona izithunzana ezimbili ziza ngakuye. Kwathi lapho esathi uhosha ijozi lakhe ngaphansi kwesiphuku abone manje ukuthi kanti ngamadoda awaziyo. Afika ebusuku nje lamadoda azomluma indlebe, ukuthi umfula uyangenisa ngenhla.
Athi la madoda kuye “Ungabe usahloma Gumbi khipha isigodlo sakho ubaleke naso, uMandlakazi usendleleni ulinde nje ukuthi kuphume ikhwezi bese uyakuhlasela.” Nembala waphuma ngesamagundane. Kwasala kwasani. Babaleka njalo ke abantu bakwaGumbi, beguda ubusuku baze bayowela umfula uMkhuze. Kwathi uma kuntwela ezansi, lapho uMagasa esethi uyayifaka eyakhe impi wathola ngolwalu Ia, sekukhala ibhungezi kuphela uMagonondo esewufulathele umuzi wakhe. UMagasa wathukuthela wagana unwabu. Wathi amabutho akhe kawabathungathe abathole. Kanti izithunzana lezo zazisuka emabuthweni kaMandlakazi zizwelana noMagonondo, zanquma ukumluma indlebe, kwaba ukuphunyuka kwakhe emlonyeni wengwenya.
lzithunzana lezi zibakhiphe ngezamawuba ngoba zaziyazi impi kaMagasa ukuthi ibalalele kuphi. Bakhukhula kanjalo ubusuku bonke baze bayowelela phesheya komfula uMkhuze bafika bazithukusa ehlathini elimnyama okungangeneki kulo. Nentuba yokungena nayo yayingabonakali. Kwathi uma uMandlakazi ubona leso simo, wadikibala wahosheka ngoba kwabe sekucaca ukuthi abakwaGumbi base bengene enqabeni.
Amabutho kaMagasa aphindela emuva emzini kaMagonondo afike azishaqa zonke izinkomo zaseMvokweni naseKulayezeni aziqhuba azisa kuMntwana uZibhebhu. Uzidla nje umfo kaMaphitha ziyesabeka, zibulala inyoka. Kuthiwa namaBhunu ayeke azama ukuzidla ngaphambili, ngesikhathi sezimpi zawo kodwa ehluleka ukuziqeda. Sengathi abakwaGumbi baze bazithakazele ngokuthi “Mehlwenkomo” nje yingoba babezincoma ngokufuya kwabo izinkomo. Kwathi uma sebebuyela emuva beziqhuba bebheke nazo eBanganoma base beqamba ihubo elithi:
Wadla ezaseMvokweni eKulayezeni
Kusho abafo nje
Leli zwe lonakele
Vuma yebuya ndunduma
Kush’umhlathi
Ngoba wona uhlala uphunduka
UMntwana uZibhebhu wabuye wathumela kwabakwaNkwanyana ababakhe emfuleni iNyamane kwelaseMgazini ebabuza ukuthi njengoba sekuliwa nje eNdlunkulu bona bayogqisha ngaphi? Bathi bona bawuSuthu. Wasebaqonda uMagasa. Kuthe esesendleleni wakhipha uNkomo kaMaphuthwana ukuba ayohlola ukuthi izinto zihamba kanjani.
AbakwaNkwanyana babemlinde ngaphambi kwenhlazane, kanti yena uzofika seliya ngomutsha wendoda. Kuthe ekufikeni kwakhe wathola ukuthi abantu sebedakiwe kade bezitika ngotshwala ngenkathi bethi bamlindele. Abanye babo babengasaboni ngisho emehlweni. Wabuya uNkomo wabika ukuthi isimo usifice snjani. Kumthukuthelise kakhulu uMagasa lokho, ukuthi bamedelela kangaka ukuthi akalutho kuhle bamdakelwe. Asho aphikelele khona. Uyafika abantu abasaboni nokuthi nguye. Wasethi awabadle aMankentshane. Amabutho abagwaza emuka nabo, wasezidla izinkomo zabo.