NguNongqawuse ke lo!

Kukho nto ethande ukuxhaphaka kwiindawo esihlala kuzo thina bantu bantetho isisiXhosa, le yokuba xa ubani esenza okanye ethetha into enokuhlola phakathi, kungenjalo esenza okanye ethetha into enokuza neshwangusha, kuthiwe loo nto ayenzayo nguNongqawuse.

Kule mpelaveki yomhla wesithandathu ukuya kumhla wesibhozo kule nyanga kaCanzibe, ndiye ndatsiba ngequbuliso kweliya lakowethu eCumakala.

Injongo yolo tyelelo ibikukuya kuzimasa umcimbi wokubuyiswa komkhuluwa wam, uMalusi Snukwa Mavela, Aa Mangangenyathi! Kulo msebenzi, lithe xa elinye ixhego lakwaGatyeni libalisa ngengozi yeemoto ezimbini elizibone ziseyela ngokulandelelanayo kumchankcatho wendlela ephakathi kweMabhele neGasela, kwasweleka abantu abane ngoko nangoko, ladanduluka ixhego lasemaNgwevini, ubawo uNzungu, esithi, “Yintoni na le uyithethayo Mnywabe? NguNongqawuse lo ndiyakuxelela!”

Ngoko nangoko, lithe lakutsho eli xhego, ingqondo yam yazikisa ukucinga, suka ndatsho ngolugoso, ndimangaliswa kukuvakala kwale ntetho ityebe kangakanana, ntetho leyo inegama lomntu onembali ekhwinisa umzi ngokubanzi, nangani nje uphando olumane ukwenziwa mva nje, lufuna nokuveza ukuba kusenokwenzeka ukuba intombi kaMhlakaza uNongqawuse, yayingenatyala.

Kuthi kanti abo babeze kuhlutha umhlaba nemfuyo yoobawomkhulu, basebenzisa igama layo ekukhwezeleni intshabalalo nenkxwaleko kumzi kaNtu kwesa sithuba sika-1856 ukuya ku-1857.

Imbali esuka kwiincwadi ezabhalwe yimizi nemibutho yasemzini ithi kule nyanga kaCanzibe, kulaa mnyaka ka-1856, intombi kaMhlakaza uNongqawuse wayehamba nehlakani lakhe uNombanda besiya kukha amanzi entlanjeni, kwizibuko lomlambokazi iGxarha kwelikaKumkani uSarhili. Kungekudala zimkile ezo ntwazana, zibonwe zibuya ngesantya esikhulu, zafika kuMhlakaza nowayeyimboni, zachaza ezikubonileyo apho entlanjeni.

UNongqawuse uchazile kuMhlakaza esithi ubone abantu abazibiza ngezinyanya beliqela, benenkangeleko engaqhelekanga, besithi kuye makazise umyalezo wokuba zonke iinkomo nesivuno mazitshatyalaliswe, ukuba kwenziwe oko, izinyanya ziya kuvuka zize kuqhamisa isizwe sikaNtu ngendyebo, kuphilwe ngoyolo nangonaphakade.

Kaloku indaba yotyelo ayizange yakhola, ingakumbi xa isuka kwimveku yentwazanana. Nanko uMhlakaza esiya kuzivela azibonele apho entlanjeni.

Imbali yasemzini ayichazi ukuba ubone weva ntoni apho uMhlakaza, kodwa oonobalisa bakowethu endikhule beyichuba indaba kaNongqawuse, bathi kwimbali efundwe ezikolweni kukho ndawana ingavezwayo, le yokuba uMhlakaza bakho ngenene abantu awababonayo apho entlanjeni, besithetha buyekeyeke isiXhosa, kodwa bonke bemzele ngemiva ngoku beyalelayo kuye. Ubuyile ke wawuphalaza umcimbi ebukhosini, zonke iziphatha-mandla zawisa umthetho wokuba makutshatyalaliswe konke ngokomyalelo.

Zatsha zangqungqa izivuno zakowethu, zawa ngokuwa iinkomo zohlanga, zatya zadikwa yeyokosa iimpuku, abhukuxeka namaxhalanga. Emva kwako konke, cwaka, azabuya izinyanya nookhokho njengoko bekuyalelwe, azafika neenkomo ekwakusithiwa ziza kuza ngolwandle, kwalandela indlala ebomvu.

Uqungquluzile umntu kwasala abo basenamandla okutya amagqabi emithi nomhlaba, kungekudala nabo bawunabela uqaqaqa, abasenamandla besaba, baya kuncedwa ngabefundisi phakathi kweQumrha nenGqushwa.

Ikumkani eyayingazange ilisabele ikhwelo lokutshatyalaliswa kwemfuyo, ukumkani uSiwani kaNdlambe noNonibe, yalondla usapho lwendlu entsundu, labe liyasinda ngolo hlobo elo gcuntswana liseleyo.

Kwanyanzeleka kwakhiwe isizwe ngokutsha, kodwa ngoku isizwe sibe siphelelwe kukuziphilela, siza kuxhomekeka kuhlanga lwasemzini ukuze sibe nomhlaba, ukuze sifuye, ukuze silime, ukuze silale sidlile.

Kusenjalo ke nanamhlanje, asinanto sisaxhomekekile, inene isenguNongqawuse nangoku! Imbali yoonobalisa bethu ithi nanjengoko uhlanga lwasemzini lwafika lwafunda ulwimi lwethu, kungenzeka ukuba kuloo ntlambo uNongqawuse wanikwa loo miyalelo nguSir George Grey noogxa bakhe (Sir George Grey lowo kusathiywe ngaye iidolophu zeli lizwe), ukuze kaloku kususwe le nto iyintsika yethu maXhosa, inkomo nomhlaba, kuphele kuthi tu ngathi.

Wahlomla esentlungwini ubawo uMncedi Zizi Mbambo wenjenje:

“Mandulo phambi kweso sipheth`uNongqawuse; Madoda lihasa izisele zizele; Amadoda edimbaza umhla nezolo; Indoda ibiyinikwa inkomo yesisa; Indoda ibiyinikwa nenkomo yenqoma.

Amaxhego ebewahlonele amasiko; Lisenziwa isiko ligqitywe liphalazwe negazi; Iintombi zaziwahlonele amakhwenkwe; Amakhwenkwe ehlonel`oonina; Oonina bebahlonel` oondofanaye; Amadoda ke emthobel` uQamata.

Zadunduluz` inkom` emathafeni; Laqala ke ilizwe alibi nto; Waphalala umzi kaXhosa wazintsalu; Saphanza isizwe esintsundu saziindwane; Sabanjalo ke isimamga sesibetho sikaNongqawuse.”

Siya kuthi ukuze isizwe sethu sizihlubule ngokupheleleyo kwiziqhamo zesihelegu esayanyaniswa noMhlakaza nentombi yakhe uNongqawuse, amaXhosa anamhlanje ayeke ukujonga ngasemva, koko aqalise ukuba nemihlaba, afuye, alime, ajonge phambili!

Makube njalo mabandl` akaTshiwo!