uMthunywa
YiNtatheli kaMthunywa
KUZAGIDWA, kuculwe ingoma zomdabu, kudlalwe ibhola ilanga lonke ngeSonto iHighlanders ivula umkhosi wayo wokujabulela iminyaka engamatshumi ayisitshiya galolunye yokusungulwa kwethimu.
Umkhosi lo uzaqhutshwa enkundleni yeBarbourfields.
IHighlanders yasungulwa ngomnyaka ka1926 nguRhodes loAlbert, abazukulu beNkosi uLobengula. Abazukulu beNkosi laba babefunda beseSouth Africa lapho ababopha inyathelo lokubumba iqembu lenguqu elalizalibazisa isizwe sikaMthwakazi.
Umaqhuzu wethimu uNdumiso Gumede ubikele iphephandaba likazulu ukuba bakhethe ilanga langeSonto ukuthi babuthanise bonke abalandeli beHighlanders lalabo abafuna ukuzokholisa lethimu endala kulazo zonke.
“NgeSonto lilanga lethu lokuzalwa. Sizajabula lenengi labalandeli bethu siseBarbourfields lapho esizagida kuvuthe phansi. IHighlanders isileminyaka engu-90 kusukela ngo1926.
“Kunxuswe wonke umuntu ofuna ukuzobona kanye lokuzothokoza lathi. Akubizwa ozwayo. Bonke ababuye bezozibonela ukuthi kungani kuthiwa ‘ayisoze ibulawe’ ngoba phela isileminyaka engu-90 yokuzalwa,” kutsho uGumede.
IHighlanders iqale ukujabulela iminyaka engu-90 yokusungulwa kwayo ngokuqoqa uhambo lokuvakatshela emangcwabeni kaRhodes loAlbert aseGrahamstown eSouth Africa ngeviki edluleyo.
“Uhambo lweGrahamstown luyisibonakaliso sokuthi asikhohlwanga lapho esiphuma khona. Siyawakhumbula amakhosi asitshiyela igugu leli eliyiHighlanders. Sithi bayethe!” nguGumede lo owake waba kumgcinisihlalo wethimu ngesikhathi isadla ubhedu ngokunqoba zonke.
UGumede ubike ukuba abasekeli babo bazakholisa umculo ovela kubahlabeleli abedlula itshumi njalo kuzabe kulamaqembu azadibana leHighlanders kumidlalo yokuzikholisela.
“Amagedi enkundla yeBarbourfields azavulwa ekuseni. Labo abazangena begqoke ezimnyama lezimhlophe bazabhadala i$1 kuthi labo abakhetha ukugqoka abakufunayo bazakhipha i$5 kuphela.
“Kuzajatshulwa ilanga lonke. Kuzakholiswa abantu beze bevume ukuthi ngempela iHighlanders isuka khatshana.”
UGumede uqhubeke wathi ngeSonto bazabukisa lembali yethimu ngenjongo yokufundisa abasekeli ukuthi iqembu lavela ngaphi.
“Abasekeli bethu lalabo esizabanxusa bazatshelwa ngembali yeHighlanders. Bazakwazi ukuthi le yithimu eyaqaliswa ngabazukulu beNkosi uLobengula ngo1926. Bayibiza ngokuthi yiLions FC. Ngaleso sikhathi, abazukulu beNkosi babethe ithimu le ngeyokulibazisa abantu nje hatshi ukuthi idlale okokuncintisa. Yaguqula ibizo ithimu kwathiwa yiMatabeleland Highlanders FC kodwa ngenxa yokukhuthazwa ngumuyi uMdala Wethu uJoshua Nkomo, iqembu latshintsha njalo ibizo kwaba yiHighlanders.
“UNkomo wayefuna ukuthi iHighlanders ibambanise abantu njengalokho okwakuhlelwe ngabazukulu beNkosi uLobengula. IHighlanders yasuka lapho yenza izimanga ngokunqoba kuligi ephansi eyeBulawayo Amateur Football League. Yanqoba yaze yafinyelela kuZifa Super League. Okwenzakalayo kusukela lapho kwabayikukhula kweHighlanders isiba yintshantshu kuyo yonke imncintiswano kanobhutshuzwayo. Imbali le inde njalo abasekeli abazabuya eBarbourfields bazakwazi konke mayelana lethimu endala, ithimu yeNkosi,” kutsho uGumede.
Inhlanganiso yeZimbabwe Football Association isithumele umbiko ikhuthaza iBosso ukuthi iqhubeke isiba yisibonelo esihle kwezenguqu.
“Sithi amhlophe kuHighlanders ngokufikisa iminyaka engamatshumi ayisitshiya galolunye ilokhe idlala. Yithimu endala kulazo zonke le njalo kuyasithabisa kuZifa ukuthi inguqu yethu ileqembu elikhulu, elihlonipheka njengeHighlanders,” nguXolisani Gwesela isikhulumi seZifa ngoLwesithathu.
UGumede wengeze ngokuthi ngaphandle komcimbi wangeSonto kuzakuba lamanye amadili okuthakazelela iminyaka le.
