INKOSI yamaMfengu, uNkosi Manduleli Zanokhanyo Bikitsha, ubongoze amaMfengu ukuba azidle ngobuni babo, esithi ukuhlala kwisizwe samaXhosa akuthethi ukuba bangamaXhosa.
UBikitsha ebethetha eBawa eGcuwa apho bekubanjwe indibano, phantsi kwentlokondaba yokwabelana ngembali yesi sizwe.
“Imbali nenkcubeko ikunika ubuni bakho. Ukuze izinto zakho zihambe kakuhle, ngqamana nokuzazi ukuba ungubani na,” utshilo uBikitsha, kwimvulamazwi yakhe.
“Phesheya komlambo iZambezi, kwakukho abaMbo namaZimba. AbaMbo ngaba bazala ezi zindlu zethu zamaMfengu, amaZimba wona azala amaXhosa. Abantu abaninzi bathi liyathuka eli gama lithi Mfengu. Mna ndithi alithuki, kuba igama yinto yokuthiya umntu ngenxa yesenzo okanye imeko akuyo.”
UBikitsha uthi amaMfengu afikela kwisizwe samaXhosa, anikwa umhlaba.
“Bawele umlambo iZambezi ngo1575, bafika eNatal. Basuke apho eNatal ngo1800, bafikela eGcuwa phantsi kweKumkani uZanzolo (uHintsa kaKhawuta). Ndiyayihlonipha loo Kumkani! Bathi bakufikela kuZanzolo wababuza ukuba ngabaphi, ukuphendula bathi ‘silambile, siyadlakazela, singabaMbo abamfenguzayo’.
“UZanzolo wathi ningamaMfengu, wabanika iilali ezintlanu eGcuwa. Bahlala eGcuwa ngolonwabo. Izizwe zakowethu zamaMfengu zaya eNgqushwa ngo1835. Abanye babo babuye ngo1865 ukuza kwakha iFingoland. Ndiyithetha ngabom ke le nto, kuba ngonyaka omnye (1865) kwakhiwa ubuKumkani baseRhode ngabaThembu. Ndiyithetha ngabom ke le nto kumntu ongafuni ukuhlonipha ukubaluleka kobuMfengu buka1865,” utshilo uBikitsha.
UBikitsha uthi amaMfengu sisizwe ngokunokwaso, ngoko ke afanele ukuba angaze ayilahle imbali yawo.
“AmaXhosa asuke engamaZimba eZambezi. UHintsa wanika umhlaba amaMfengu hayi abaMbo. Ukuba igama belithuka ngesingenawo amaGqunukhwebe. AmaGqunukhwebe sisizwe esakhiwa ngamagqwirha namaKhoisan.
“SinooDlamini bakuthi eMthatha, abathi bangabaThembu. AyingobaThembu abaya! SinooDlamini bakuthi abathi bangamaXhosa. Ayikho into enjalo, ningamaMfengu,” kutsho uBikitsha.
Kule nyanga yoMsintsi ngomhla weshumi elinesine, amaMfengu aza kube edibene eBlythswood, eNgqamakhwe, bebhiyozela ubuni babo.
Liyoyikisa izinga lokunyamalala kwamadoda eGqeberha!