uMthunywa
YiNtatheli kaMthunywa
KULIMPELAVIKI akubizwa ozwayo eHighlanders Sports Club kumcimbi yokuthakazelela iminyaka engu-90 yokusungulwa kweqembu leli, elidala ukwedlula wonke kunguqu yakuleli.
Loba iHighlanders isaziwa ngomdlalo kanobhutshuzwayo, ithimu le ihamba phambili ngokuba ngeyokuqala ukuthi iqhube lemidlalo ebalisa ivolleyball, inetball, lenguqu yamantombazana, amadarts lebasketball. Eminye imidlalo lapho abasekeli beHighlanders abasebenzise ibizo lethimu yi-table tennis lokubhaqa.
Isikhulumi seBosso uSindiso Nyathi uthe isizatho sokuncintisana ngobungane lokhu ngesokuthi batshengisele ukuthi iBosso liqembu lemidlalo yonke.
“IHighlanders izenza umcimbi esiwubiza ngokuthi yiBosso@90 Sports Fest enkundleni yeClub House. Wonke umuntu unxusiwe njalo yimahala. Sikhangelele ukuthi kugcwale abantu bezokholisa ubunandi bemidlalo lathi. Kuzagidwa, kuculwe ingoma zomdabu, kudlalwe ibhola ngoMgqibelo langeSonto,” kutsho uNyathi.
“Kuvunyelwe ukuza lemuli yonke ngoba labantwana bazakholisa ukudlalela kuma-jumping castle lokunye okunengi. Ntambama sizaqhubeka ngomcimbi sekuqhunswa ingoma ngamaqembu afana leIyasa.”
Isizini ingakaqalisi inkokheli zeHighlanders zabika ukuthi kuzajatshulwa umnyaka uze uyephela. NgoNhlolanja kwaqoqwa imidlalo yobungane lamathimu abalisa iHow Mine, iBulawayo City leChicken Inn, kuncediswa ukuthi iBosso ithakazelele iminyaka yayo engamatshumi ayisitshiya galolunye.
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 impelasonto le ukuthi babuthanise bonke abalandeli beHighlanders lalabo abafuna ukuzokholisa lethimu endala kulazo zonke.
“Sithakazelela ilanga lethu lokuzalwa. Sizajabula lenengi labalandeli bethu 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.
NgoNhlolanja, iHighlanders iqale ukujabulela iminyaka engu-90 yokusungulwa kwayo ngokuqoqa uhambo lokuvakatshela emangcwabeni kaRhodes loAlbert aseGrahamstown eSouth Africa ngeviki edluleyo.
Ebika ngalokhu, uGumede wathi: “Uhambo lweGrahamstown lwabayisibonakaliso sokuthi asikhohlwanga lapho esiphuma khona. Siyawakhumbula amakhosi asitshiyela igugu leli eliyiHighlanders FC. Sithi bayethe!”
UGumede ubike ukuba abasekeli babo bazakholisa umculo ovela kubahlabeleli abedlula itshumi njalo kuzabe kulamaqembu azadibana leHighlanders kumidlalo yokuzikholisela.
“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.
