uMthunywa
Pathisa Nyathi
SAVUKA kusesele ukuze siyefika koSiachilaba umsebenzi ungakaqali. Sabuza lapho okwakuthengiswa khona inhlanzi sadlula sizithenga eduzane leKulizwe. Ngemva kwalokho sabhekisa amabombo khona koSiachilaba indawo engamakhilomitha phosa angamatshumi amahlanu ukusuka eBinga lapho esasilele khona. Dududuku satheleka khona safica kuvele kungasabizwa ozwayo indawo isixokozela abantu sebemi amadlodlombiyana.
Umsebenzi wawukhangelelwe ukuqala ngehola letshumi. Lakanye iziphathamandla zikaHulumende zaphanga zafika umsebenzi waqala. Sasike sayibona eminye imicimbi yokugcotshwa kwezinduna kodwa lapha sabona umahluko. Babevunule okosiko lwabo abantu balapha. Izidwaba zabo zazikhanga ngemibala eminengi ebukekayo: elithanga, eluhlaza, ebomvu leminye. Izidwaba ezenziwe ngobuhlalu bemikhakha eminengi lazo zazithe niki.
Lokhu ngokwakuvunulwa ngaBaTonga kungakaze kufike amakhiwa.
Babekhona ababhoboze amakhala basebefaka imihlanga kumbe izigojwana eziceciswe ngobuhlalu bemikhakha etshiyeneyo. Yikho lokhu okubizwa ngokuthi yibulumba. Usizi nje kangisazange ngizwe ukuthi lokhu kwakusebenzani izolo ngoba sifanele sazi ukuthi kungani into ethize yayisenziwa, phela akukho into emane yenziwe nje kungelasizatho. Omama abadala babeziphethe izigxingi zabo ezokubhema igwayi ezithiwa zindombondo kumbe inchelwa. Abavela kwezinye izindawo wawubona beqhuzule amehlo bebhekisisa lokhu ababekubona, ababengazange bakubone.
Bakhona ababenakana ukuthi indombondo lezi ngezokubhema imbanje. Lokhu akusiqiniso ngoba kubhenywa ngazo igwayi elihlanganiswe lenhlamvu zamabele ukuze kutshe kancanekancane. Indombondo ixhwatha njengalo igudu lamaNdebele ukuze amanzi akhuphe itshefu engabe isegwayini. Obaba kabasebenzisi lumhlobo wendombondo. Bona basebenzisa ingidi engelaso isigxingi — kodwa ebunjwe ngomdaka. Ngenye indlela sithi bona intuthu yabo kayixhwathisi emanzini kodwa bayihotsha kunye letshefu engabe ikhona.
Sananzelela futhi ukuthi kubomama bakhona asebekhulile abakhumula amazinyo aphambili, awangaphezulu.
Indebe zomlomo ezangaphezulu uthola sengathi ziwele phakathi. Nxa betsho abathi bayazi bathi bona kudala amaPhuthukezi ayekuvamile ukuzathumba abaTonga bebasa ebugqilini emazweni aphetsheya. Pho lapho kwakufuneka abalamazinyo agcwele phamu emihlathini yabo. Olamazinyo asilelayo wayengathunjwa. Lokhu bakunanzelela aBaTonga basebedinga isu lokuphepha — elokugumula amazinyo aphezulu ayezahle akhanye lula nxa amaChikunda ezingela abantu ukuze bayebathengisela abagqilazisi. Kodwa-ke kwabanengi ukukhumula amazinyo lokhu sekukhanya sengathi lisiko eladabu kude le.
Ayekhoma amaxuku ayegida imigido yesiTonga kodwa owakhanya ukhwabithwa ngabanengi yilo okuthiwa yiNgoma Buntibe. Lo ngumgido ohlabusayo okutshaywa khona izimpondo zezinyamazana ezifana lempala lamabhalabhala; izingungu ezinengi, impembe lewoso. Bahlabela beyabuka bayele lale amadoda ezemba ngemikhonto langamahawu. Nxa bangaqala ukuhlabela lokutshaya imifece kabasathuli. Lokubamisa kunzima ngoba lawe uzakuba usuthunjiwe. Hawu, umnandi lo umgido wedlula eminengi esilayo kwelakithi.
Lezinkomo zazihlatshiwe, ezinhlanu. Yayiphekiwe eyalezo izinkomo kunye leyenkukhu. Sahle saqala ngokuyidakaza inyama, isibindi phela, umkhosi ungakaqali. Induna uSiachilaba yayivele yathembisa ukuthi sizabukela ukugcotshwa kwayo izisu zethu zibomvu gebhu. Waqala umkhosi, zakhuluma izikhulumi induna lomkayo belokhu behlezi phansi — ubaba ehlezi esitulweni umama ehlezi phansi. Emveni wanikwa induku yobuduna lekhowa lakhona anduba avunuliswe igaweni lakhe. Zaqakezwa izandla abantu sebethe wathalala phansi. Zeza izihlobo zenduna sezizeyenzela amhlophe ngokugcothwa kwayo.
Yaqala-ke iNgoma Buntibe! Yakhala kwasabela umfula uSebungwe obucwadlanyana lalapho okwakwenzelwe khona umkhosi. Amehlo wonke ayesethe nhlo kula amagabazi omculo. Saqonda endlini lapho esadlela khona.
Hawu suka bo, sadla izisu zaqina njengebhola; zababomvu gebhu sasuka lapho sifuqa imikhaba sesiwabhekise koBulawayo. Zathengwa inhlanzi, yathengwa imfe imihlathi yagaya isagaya.
