Woza Uzokuzwa Mngane…

Indaba yethu yethiwa nguGOGO uBARBARA NKALA

INGANEKWANE

Inganekwane yethu yalamhla bangane bakaGogo imayelana loNdlovu, ukuba kungani elomboko. Liyawazi umboko wendlovu bangane? Umboko yisitho sendlovu esiyingxenye yomlomo lamakhala amade asebenza ukunuka, ukuphefumula, ukunatha lokukhupha umsindo owenziwa zindlovu. Uyisitho esilengayo esilembaxanyana ezimbili ekucineni kwawo eziyizo ezisebenza njengeminwe ukudobha izinto ezincane. Umboko uyakha amahlamvu phezulu esihlahleni, udlephune utshani phansi. Umboko wenza imisebenzi eminengi kakhulu. Indlovu iyahotsha amanzi amanengi ngawo inathe, loba iwakhaphazele emzimbeni nxa kutshisa kakhulu, ukuqandisa umzimba. Ilakho ukuphakamisa ulutho iludlovoze loba iluphosele le. Indlovu iyawusebenzisa umboko ukukhwixuna izingatsha zezihlahla isidla amahlamvu, loba ukugebha ifuna amanzi. Umboko awulamathambo. Uyabhinqika nje. Kodwa, ulomsebenzi oyinqaba.

Kuthiwa kudaladala amatshe esancwebeka, indlovu yayingelamboko. Yayilomlomo nje ophose ufane lowengulube. Njengoba indlovu ilomzimba omkhulu yayisidla kakhulu. Ungadla kumele unathe amanzi amanengi ukuze ukudla kugayeke kuhle esiswini, kuwukhulise mzimba kuwuphe imisoco eqakathekileyo. Nxa zinatha indlovu zazithwala qatha ziguqa ngamadolo aphambili ukufinyelela amanzi ngomlomo. Kuthiwa kwaba lesikhathi sendlala izulu lingasabonwa. Zonke izinyamazana zasezihamba imimango emide ukudinga ukudla, zibuye zihambe imimango zidinda okungamachibi kwamanzi ukuze zinathe. Kwathi-ke kwelinye ilanga umhlambi wazo indlovu wahamba ummango omude, waze wafika kwelinye ichibi. Echibini lelo kwakuhlala khona uNgwenya. Mhlalokho, wayekade othamele ilanga. Wasewubona umhlambi wezindlovu zisiza. Wahle wathi, 

“Hetshwa-a! Lapha ngizathola intaba yokudla engizaqeda insuku isisu sithe ntintinini! Yekela ngicatshe emanzini!”

Lakanye wabe enanayila engena emanzini, wathi cwiliyani, kwasala nje amakhala lamehlo ukuze abone ukuthi uzajwamula yiphi indlovana. Kwakumele ayithi xhaka ngamakhala indlovu elingeneyo, ayidonsele emanzini abe ledili. Nanzo indlovu zisondela, ziguqa ngamadolo ukuba zinathe. Awu, ayemnandi amanzi ecitsha umhawu wokoma. Zingananzelele, nango uNgwenya entsheza esondela. Azibonanga okwenzakalayo indlovu, zaphongubona amanzi esithi khapha ngamandla! Kanti uNgwenya usethe xhakaliyani okuyinkunzi kwendlovu ngamakhala. Nango ekudonsa ngamandla akhe onke. Ezinye indlovu zathi khwimilili, nanzo ziphakama zisenza umsindo wokulimukisa ngengozi ekuleso siziba. Zathi tsaha, zibaleka. Kwasala indlovana leyo ibanjiwe idonsa.  Inanzelela ingozi yokufa, yazitshela ukuba ayiyukufa mahlayala. Yathi. 

“Indoda ifa izamile. Angisoze nje ngivume ukudliwa ngikhangele.”

Yadonsa-ke layo kakhulu, ngamandla ayo wonke. UNgwenya ebona ukuthi ayisimthwalo olula lo, wafumba umlomo adonsa ngawo wazama ngamandla akhe wonke ukudonsela uNdlovu emanzini. UNdlovu wathi, manga! Lami ngiqinile, ngilamandla. Wadonsela emuva ngamandla akhe onke ukuba azisindise.  Kwaba yibutsutsuru-tsutsuru, utshiki lobhanqa. Kwathatha isikhathi kudonswana kunjalo engekho ophumelelayo. Kuyadonswana kunjalo, kanti umlomo kaNdlovu usulokhu unwebeka, unanabuka. Kwatshikiliswana uNgwenya waze waphela amandla wathi yekethisi, wathi bunyalala emanzini. UNdlovu owayelokhu edonsa laye ngamandla wabe edayeka nyovane esiyakuwa okhunjini lwechibi ngendlela ebuhlungu. Kwaba yikuphunyuka kukaNdlovu.

Zasondela ezinye indlovu zithokoza ngokuphunyaka kwakhe. Ezinkulu zambambatha zimkhuthaza zisithi,

“Awu, uyilwile jaha! Uliqhawe sibili!”

Kodwa zithe sezinanzelela ukuba kavodlokanga thambo, zayikhona zinanzelela ukuthi amakhala asenwebekile asemade. Zaqala ukuqumbaqumbeka zikitazeka zihleka amakhala akhe ayesemade njalo elenga. Wamangala ujaha Ndlovu ukuthi bahlekani wona amakhala akhe ebuhlungu kangaka. Nango esiyazibuka emanzini. Wabona, Habe! Kuyini lokhu okulengayo? Wabona ukuthi kasafani lezinye indlovu. Wazama konke okusemandleni akhe ukuthi umboko lowo ufinyele afane lezinye indlovu, kodwa kwaba yinkani. Kwaya kwaya ehlekwa, kodwa laye wasila, zaphola izinhlungu. Wayeseqeda isikhathi ehamba yedwa engafuni ukuhlekwa. 

Ngokuya kwesikhathi, wakwamukela ukubana yena wahlukile kwezinye indlovu. Waqala ukusebenzisa umboko wakhe ukwenza okutshiyeneyo. Wabona hawu! Ingathi uyamsiza ukudla kuhle njalo masinyane. Wabona esesanelisa ukwenza okunengi okusizayo njalo okwakumchelesisa. Wayeselesandla esasisebenza ngendlela emangalisayo eyayisenza impilo yakhe ibelula. Ezinye indlovu zananzelela ukuthi wayesesenza izinto ezinengi ngendlela elula njalo ephangisayo. Zaqala ukumhawukela. Zafisa lazo ukuthi zibe lomboko. Kodwa zazingafisi ukuba sengathi zaziyiziwula zimhleka. Inye ngayinye zazisiya echibini zisiya natha, zicine zidonsana loNgwenya kodwa ngamandla azo ziphunyuka. Zidonsana loNgwenya, amakhala ayenwebeka esiba made, elenga. Yiwona mboko, isandla sendlovu. Kodwa zonke indlovu ezazalwa kusukela lapho, zazalwa zilemiboko.

Bokhekhe, kube kuhle ukuba lani lamhla. Kodwa kungaba njani mngane usulekhala elide elilengayo? Wuuuu, yeyeni bantu! Sizahlangana ngethuba elizayo. Ovalelisayo nguGogo Barbara Nkala esithi, ‘Salani kuhle bangane bakaGogo! Bye!’