Silifumene ihlathi laseGwadana

EMVA kokohluleka kwephephandaba I’solezwe ekuboneni ihlathi laseGwadana eDutywa kwinyanga ephelileyo ngenxa yenkungu engaqondakaliyo eyathi yenza kwamnyama, iintatheli zeli phephandaba ziphinde zathabatha olunye uhambo oluya kweli hlathi.

Usuku ibingumhla wesibhozo kule nyanga, kuzole nasebukhweni bezinja. Sithe ukuphuma kwidolophu yaseDutywa, emva kokuzimasa umsitho kamasipala waseMbhashe, zaqala ukujika izinto. Ukuphuma kwethu eKing Hintsa TVET College eDutywa, apho umsitho kamasipala ububanjelwe khona, besinento enye kwingqondo yethu, ukuya kubona ihlathi laseGwadana nanjengoko bekuzolile.

Xa singena nje kwidolophu yaseDutywa livele lahloma izulu, kwenyuka ilifu elimnyama zaqala iindudumo kwabe kungekho nathontsi lamvula. Sibone ukuba masikhe silinde eDutywa kuba sisoyikisela ukuphuma kwezondudumo. Silinde ixeshana, noko ladamba izulu.

Sigqibe kwelokuba masithathise ngolo hambo luya eGwadana, kodwa xa kanye sizakuphuma sabuya isivunguvungu somoya ovele wayenza yaluthuli nje idolophu – sabona kwakhona ukuba masikhe sixhwarhe edolophini. Ude wadlula umoya sathathisa ngohambo lwethu.

Sifike emva kwemini kweli hlathi laseGwadana salibona ngenene. Asilohlathi likhulu kuyaphi futhi alinampawu zokoyikeka. Liyabonakala lona ukuba lihlathi lesiXhosa ngenxa yemithi neentaka zalo.

Abantu bale ndawo bathi kukwakho neenyamakazi kweli hlathi. Sisamile njalo, kudlule amadoda amathathu nesithe sawabuza ngokoyanyaniswa kweli hlathi nentakatho.

Enye kula madoda ithe: “Sikhula kuthethwa le nto inye, kusithiwa sisitishi sokuthakatha eli hlathi. Asinabo ke thina obobungqina, singetsho ukuba akuthakathwa.”

Inkosikazi edlule I’solezwe lithabatha imifanekiso kweli hlathi yona ithe: “Mna ndizalelwe apha eGwadana. Ngelinye ithuba ndiseKapa, ndeva kuthethwa ngeli hlathi kusithiwa kwakhiwa izindlu ngeembambo zabantu ababhubhayo. Andizange ndiyibone kodwa mna lo nto. Abantu bathi mhlawumbi ndathweswa ndisemncinci ukuze ndingaboni kwanto embi ngeli hlathi.”

Inkosikazi yaseGwadana esasincokole nayo ngaphambili yathi: “Ukukhula kwethu eli hlathi lalidume ngezigigaba, apho wawuvele ubone izitya ekugqitywa kutyelwa kuzo, ube ungaboni kwamntu ecaleni kwazo.”

Enye inkosikazi, yona yathi ngehlathi laseGwadana: “Sikhula kusithiwa sisitishi sokuthakatha eli hlathi. Ngethuba sikhula apha eGwadana, bekuye kubekho abantu abathi kufunwa abantu phaya ehlathini, ngelinye ixesha uve kusithiwa kufunwa abantu abazakutshata – uthi usamamele lo nto ubone sele kubhubha umntu ongumakoti.”

Bambi kubantu baseGwadana bakholelwa ukuba ukoyanyaniswa kweli hlathi nentakatho kuza emva kwemimoya yabantu ababhubha ngethuba lemfazwe yaseGwadana (Battle of Gwadana) phakathi kwamaGcaleka nabamhlophe (amaKoloniyali) kwinyanga yoMsintsi ngo-1877.