Woza Uzokuzwa Mngane…


Indaba yethu yethiwa nguGOGO uBARBARA NKALA

Inganekwane yethu yalamhlanje bangane bakaGogo imayelana loMvundla loSilwane. Kuthiwa kudaladala amatshe esancwebeka, uSilwane nguye owayeyinkosi yazo zonke izinyamazana eguswini. Wayebusa kuhle, elothando, lesihawu, lokunakekela. Kodwa kwafika isikhathi sokuba afe esegugile, kwasekusala kubusa omunye umfowabo yena owayengelazwelo, lothando. Wayelochuku olwesabekayo kuzo zonke ezinye izinyamazana zeguswini. Yayingasamenywa lemihlangano yokuba zize zizokwethula izikhalazo zazo izinyamazana, ngoba wayehle nje abambe ayifunayo ayitshwabadele. Kwesinye isikhathi enze ulunya abulale zibentathu loba zibe zine ekhanuka nje inyama etshiyeneyo. Lokho kwenza zonke izinyamazana zihlale sezitshotshobele.

Kuthiwa zamemana, zenza umhlangano ensitha. Zakhuluma ngokuthi pho zithini? Phela zazizaphela zonke du zidliwa nguSilwane. Kwaphuma-ke icebo elithi, kusamele kwenziwe inkatho. Odliwa yinkatho, kumele ahambe yena ngokwakhe ayezinikela kuSilwane ukuze adliwe, uSilwane asuthe, angaphumi ukuyazingela. Lokhu kwakuzakwenza lazo zonke ezinye izinyamazana zidinge kuhle ukudla, njalo ziyenatha kuhle amanzi, zingesabi ukuzingelwa nguSilwane wochuku. Kwathunywa isithunywa ukuyabika lelo cebo. Saya enkosini isithunywa siqhaqhazela sisesaba ukubana sesingahle sidliwe nje laso. Waziswa-ke ngalelocebo uSilwane ngokuncenga okukhulu.

“O, nkosi Silwane, siyakuhlonipha njalo siyakuthanda kakhulu. Asifisi ukuthi ube uphuma uzidinisa usiyazingela. Zihlalele nje esigodlweni sakho ulinde. Ilanga linye ngalinye izakuza inyamazana edliwe yinkatho, uzidlele yona. Okwakho nkosi kube yikuphuma nje usiyanatha amanzi.”

Wabhonga okwesabisayo uSilwane, wathi, “Nguwe na isincwamuncwamu sami lamhlanje?”

“Hatshi Nkosi. Umthunywa kalampontshi. Kuyeza ukudla kwakho nkosi.”

Lakanye walinda uSilwane. Kwenziwa inkatho. Yadla uBhalabhala. Ngakho wahamba edanile wayazinikela. USilwane wabe emeqela emdlithidlithiza, emqhobaqhoba ngobugovu. Ngelanga elilandelayo, inkatha yadla umpala, kwalandela uMpunzi, kwalandela uNtundla, elandelwa nguDube. Sasiqhuqhisa isikhathi senkatho ngoba kungaziwa ukuthi izakudla bani. UMvundla yena wayehlala ezitshaya isifuba esithi yena unguphunyuka bemphethe. Kasoze avele adliwe. Babemcaphukela abanye ngoba bona babeyabe bedutshuzwa luvalo. Kanti kabuzanga elangeni. Esalokhu ezikhohlisa, nanso inkatho isidla yena. Bamqhuba baze bamchaphisa isifula nxa umuntu eseqansela koSilwane. Babengelaqiniso ukuthi uzakuyafika azinikele. Wayengusomaqilase. Wayengaphambuka endleleni aziyele kweyakhe indawo. Lakanye, zaphenduka sezisuthisekile izinyamazana ukuthi uqonda khona esigodlweni senkosi.

Uthe ebona sebemfulathele uMvundla, nango esithi tshopotshopo eqonda lapho afuna khona. Wafica uNdwangu ezilalele ngaphansi kwesihlahla esasiseduze lomgodi wamanzi. UNdwangu wayengazi ukuba inkatho idle yena umahlakanipheni. Wafika wacela ukuba uNdwangu akhwele laye esihlahleni khona ezathola  umuthi wesisu ayelayelwe ukuba angawuzuza ezingatsheni eziphezulu khonale. Lakanye uNdwangu wambeletha wabe esithi nombenombe ekhwela laye. Wafike wazilalela, watshaya isithongwana.

Kanti, uSilwane esigodlweni selinde walinda inyama yakhe. Nya-a! Kwamcunula ukubona izikhathi zokuthi adle zisedlula. Wabhonga etshinga ehwabhela izinyamazana ezaziseduzane ukuba ingaphi inyama yakhe. Zamazisa zimemeza zikhatshana ukuthi uMvundla nguye obekade efanele ukuthi azezinikela.

“Pho, ungaphi? Lifuna ngiqalise ukuzizingelela ukuze likwazi ukuthi inkosi yegusu ngubani?”

“Hatshi nkosi! Kungcono sikudingise. Lawe nkosi uyamazi ukuthi ngusomaqilase uMvundla!”

“Lapho engizamthola khona ngizamngxavuza indlebe zakhe ezinde ezingalaleliyo ngingakamqhobi!”

Wabhoda uSilwane emdinga uMvundla, wabona nankuyana okunkalakatha kuphezu kwesihlahla. Kwakutshaya isithongwane. Wema ngaphansi kwesihlala uSilwane, wabhonga kwandindima phansi loMvundla waphaphama eseqa waphosa wakhutha ugatsha ayelele phezu kwalo. Wathi,

“Wenzani munt’ omdala ungethusa ngiphumula?”

Wazonda wabhubhudla ngokudelelwa okungaka nguMvundla. Wakhwaza esithi,

“Yeyi wena! Yehla masinyane uze lapha. Ngizwile ukuthi nguwe obekumele ube yinyama yami lamhla.”

“Musa ukuvuka ngolaka munt’ omdala. Bengisiza kuwe, futhi bengikuphathele iqobho loluju lwenyosi ukuze wehlise usungidlile. Kodwa ngiphose ngadliwa yinkosi yegusu elamandla kakhulu kulawe. Yiyo ethethe lezinyosi zakho Khulu Silwane.”

“Uthini wena Mvundla? Ngubani olamandla awedlula awami? Ungaphi?” esitsho esekhathazekile kakhulu uSilwani. Umcabango wokuthi kube lenye inyamazana elamandla edlula awakhe ayimhambanga kuhle. Yamthukuthelisa kakhulu.

“Ungene laphayana nkosi,” uMvundla ekhombela lapho okulomgodi wamanzi. “Hamba uyelunguza uzambona. Ngiyabona udla inyosi zakho kunjenje. Ufana lawe Khulu kodwa ulamandla amakhulu kulawakho.”

Lamcunula kakhulu lelo uSilwane, wakhohlwa ukuthi ubelande ukuzakudla uMvundla. Wayesefuna ukubona lesosilo okuthiwa silamandla okwedlula awakhe. Wayezakulwa laso asidlithidlithize.

“Uthe ingaphi inyamazana leyo Mvundla?”

“Yana lunguza  uzambona emgodini wamanzi. Uzambona.”

USilwane watshitsha esiya kulowo mgodi, wafika wakhangela ecunukile. Wabona, habe, ngeqiniso nansiyana isilwane laso simjonge ngolaka. Wabhonga ngolaka wathi isilwane leso asiphume bazozwana amandla. Wabona laso isilwane emgodini sibonakala sengani siyabhavuma kodwa kungelalizwi elizwakalayo. Watshinga wabhuqukeza wabona sengathi laso isilwane esisemgodini siyamgolomba ukuthi eze balwe. Ngolaka, wabe ebhudlukela phakathi komgodi, wabona esetshaya amanzi ecwila egalula phakathi. UMvundla wabe etshopokela phansi ememeza ezinye izinyamazana ukuthi zize zizobona isitha sazo zonke, sesigalule. Zeza ngobunengi zambona esendenda emanzini. Zakhokha umoya sezilungele ukuthi keziphumule ukuchukuluzwa nguSilwane.

Bangane bakaGogo, hmmm, kambe liyakubona nje ukuthi ukuhlukuluza abanye kuphetha kubi njani? Lingaqali ukuphatha abanye kubi. Philani kuhle labanye, lizwelane, lizwisisane, lithandane. Sizahlangana njalo kuviki elizayo. Yimi olithanda kakhulu uGogo Barbara Nkala.