uMthunywa
Imbongi nguBernard D Ndlovu
Isihloko senkondlo — Ubuqhawe bebutho leMbizo
IMBONGI lapha isilandisela ngobuqhawe bebutho laMaNdebele elaliqinile njalo lizinikele ekuvikeleni isizwe. Leli libutho lokucina elalwisana lamabhunu endaweni ebizwa kuthiwa yiGadade. Imbizo kwakulibutho leNkosi uLobengula elaliqine kakhulu okwathi ngokwehlulwa kwalo kwahle kwachitheka isizwe laye uLobengula wanyamalala elubhekise enyakatho.
Imbongi iyasivezela-ke ubuqhawe bebutho leli iMbizo. Kwabanzima mhla welanga lelo okwahlangana khona iMbizo lesitha, amabhunu ayefuna ukuthumba umbuso waMaNdebele. Kuthiwa kwabamnyama kusemini sekuliwa, kwaduma lomhlaba. Kwaqaqamba wonke amagumbi omhlaba. Kwachitheka igazi elinengi elinengi ngalelolanga. Imbongi itshengisa lokhu ngamazwi alandelayo:
“Kwakungekusihlwa ngaleyomini yosizi Lapho okwadum’umhlaba Kwaqaqamba wonk’amagumbi, Izifula lezifudlana zalowomango Zagelez’igaz’elesabekayo.” Laphuma ilanga emaqhaweni amakhulu wona enza ibutho leMbizo.
Amabutho la ayengumgogodla kaMthwakazi okutsho ukuthi yiwo ayevikele isizwe sikaMthwakazi. Kusobala ukuthi amabutho la ayelezibindi njalo eqinile ngoba kuthiwa ayeyisiphaqa esinganyemukuliyo okutsho ukuthi lelibutho iMbizo lalingabuyeli emuva nxa kuliwa. Lalisilwa lisiya phambili.
Isiphaqa siqinile njalo sitholakala ebusweni benkomo, asilanyama kodwa sembeswe ngesikhumba. Isiphaqa lesi kuthiwa besibamba kunyikinyeke phansi; sigadla ngemidikadika singayekeli. Lapha imbongi isebenzise isingakethiso ngokuchaza ibutho leMbizo njengesiphaqa into eqine kakhulu. Ibutho leli belisilwa kubenzima lingahlehleli emuva kodwa lisiyaphambili. Besisilwa ngemikhonto sigwaza singayekeli. Ngenxa yokuthi leyompi yayinzima itshisa kakhulu imbongi isebenzisa ihaba ithi kwahlwa emini.
Lokhu yikuchaza ukuthi impi leyo yayingelula kufiwa kunye lentuthu eyayiphuma kunganunu zamabhunu kwenza kwangani sekuhlwile. Kunjalo nxa sekunzima kuba angani sekuhlwile. Kuthiwa kwabanjalo mhla kusehlulwa ibutho elikhulu, ingqwele yamabutho wonke, wona owawungumhluzi wenkosi uLobengula. IMbizo yilo ibutho elalithenjwe yinkosi uLobengula. Imbongi iluchaza njengosuku olwesabekayo kakhulu olokupheqwa kwesiphaqa kasibhoboki.
Indaba enzima leyo njengoba ngike ngatsho ngaphambili ukuthi isiphaqa siqinile njalo kasipheqeki, ungezwa kuthiwa sipheqekile kutsho ukudilika okukhulu. Ngalolosuku lwempi yeGadade ibutho elikhulu elaliqinile iMbizo yehlulwa, yona eyayiyisiphaqa senkunzi emnyama, inkosi uLobengula.
Inkunzi emnyama le esipheqiwe lapha yayikhonya kuzwakale kude. Inkunzi le ibinguBulawayo uqobo lwakhe, inguMthwakazi uqobo lwakhe njalo inguLobengula uqobo lwakhe, ingqwele yamabutho wonke.
IMbizo ibutho elalithenjiwe laphangalala okutsho ukuthi laphela ngokubulawa yisitha. Yaphangalala iMbizo isizwe sithembile ngoba kwakuyiyo ingqwele yamabutho wonke. Akubanga yikuphangalala kwalelibutho kodwa, kwaba yikuchitheka kukaMthwakazi. Isizwe esasibambene sachitheka ngemva kokutshabalala kwebutho ebelingumvikeli walo. Lokhu kwabayikunyamalala kukaLobengula, inkosi yesizwe saMaNdebele. Sasingema njani isizwe inkosi yaso isinyamalele?
ULobengula wafulathela uBulawayo umuzi ayewakhile, weyama amagusu amnyama enyakatho. Siyezwa embalini ukuthi sekwehlulwe iMbizo ibutho ayelithembile uLobengula wathungela uBulawayo ngomlilo walubhekisa enyakatho lapho anyamalala khona. Sizaqhubeka siyihlolisisa linkondlo kunsuku ezizayo.
