UBunyonyo Behlula UNdlovu
Woza Uzokuzwa Mngane…
Indaba yethu yethiwa ngu GOGO uBARBARA NKALA
Lamhla inganekwane yethu bangane bakaGogo imayelana loBunyonyo loNdlovu. Kuthiwa kudaladala izinyamazana zisakhuluma zazikuthanda ukuhlala kuhle ndawonye njalo ngokuthula. INkosi yegusu, uMdala uSilwane wayebiza imihlangano, abuze ukuba yiziphi izindlela ezingenza ukuthi zonke izinyamazana ziphile kuhle, zibe lobudlelwane obuhle, ingekho inyamazana ekhahlamezekayo. Kuthiwa okhokhela imuli yakoCimbi waphakamisa isandla wathi,
“O, nkosi, siyacela ukuba laba abadla amahlamvu ezihlahla njengathi bangaze bakhwixuna izingatsha bajikele le ngoba asuke ome amahlamvu besesiswela ukudla okumnandi thina koCimbi.”
Inkosi yegusu, uSilwane yanqekuza ikhanda yathi, “Kuyezwakala Cimbi.”
Kwezwakala njalo okhokhela abakoNqina esithi, “Siyacela O, nkosi ukuthi nxa okhulu labomalume benatha bangavoxi amanzi echibini. Abantwana bayakhwehlela nxa amanzi eseludaka.”
Inkosi yanqekuza ikhanda njalo. Kwabonakala uNkawu eseqela phambi kwenkosi esithi,
“O, nkosi, okhokhela abakoBunyonyo kade elokhu ephakamisa isandla ezama ukumemeza ukuthi laye abike. USilwane wathi,
“Bengingezwanga Bunyonyo. Bika sizwe.”
UBunyonyo wazama ukuphakamisa ilizwi lakhe elincane wathi, “O, nkosi, thina koBunyonyo besicela ukuba izihlobo zethu lapha eguswini zihambe ngokunanzelela. Sesilinyalelwe njalo safelwa ngabathandekayo bethu abanengi kakhulu ngoba okhulu labosebele babo, kunye labobhud’ abadala bayasilimaza nxa bephongunyathela phezu kwethu betshiya besilimazile. Sicela bahambe ngonanzelelo, O, nkosi.”
Zabakhona njalo ezinye izinyamazana lazo ezabalisa ezazo izikhalazo. USilwane waseqamba isikhalazo sinye ngasinye egcizelela ukunanzelela ebantwini bakhe. Zabonga kakhulu zonke izinyamazana zasuka lapho zithokozile kakhulu ngokunakekelwa okunjalo yinkosi yeguswini. Kwaba leviki egcweleyo zonke izinyamazana zichelesile kakhulu kungekho ukukhala. Kodwa, masinyane abakoBunyonyo baphanga baba ngasebelila. Kwasokulokulahlekelwa okukhulu kakhulu yizihlobo ezithandekayo. Kwakhanya ukuthi nxa abakoNdlovu bequma eguswini besiyanatha amanzi, bahamba benkunyayila bephongunyathela loba ngaphi ngezinyawo zabo ezingangengiga. Kwaba lesililo esikhulu kakhulu koBunyonyo. Insuku zonke kwaba yibu Maye-Maye! I-iii! Yo-o-o-o! Kwasekuzwisa usizi kuphazamisa imisebenzi yabo abakoBunyonyo. Babengabantu abathanda ukusebenza, wawuzathola umzila wabo ubekelela usuka le bethwele izincezwana zotshani kunye lamabele besiyakungenisa emihomeni yabo. Babengaphambuki endleleni yabo yodwendwe. Babengaqali muntu. Babengalwi lamuntu. Kodwa lokhu okwasekusenziwa nguNdlovu kwabatshiya belimele bethithibele. Bazama ukukhulumisana loNdlovu nduna bekhuza umona lowo. Kodwa uNdlovu kaze azinanza izikhalazo zabo.
Masinyazana umkhokheli koBunyonyo wamema umhlangano. Beza ngobunengi babo abakoBunyonyo bathi gwaqa eduzane lesiduli esikhulu.
“Bantu bakithi, saphela nje sikhangele! Sekuyikububula lokugomela insuku zonke. Sizohlanganisa amakhanda lapha. Sithini?”
Omunye oligwala waphendula esithi, “Sivele singathini njengoba sikhangelane lentaba yesilo? Ngubani kithi lapha ongayidiliza intaba le?”
Lezwakala ilizwi lelinye ijaha lakoBunyonyo elizithembayo lisithi, “Hatshi, mina angikusekeli ukukhuluma okunjalo. Umuntu oyedwa angeke ayidilize intaba. Kodwa nxa singahlanganyela sonke, singamkhawulisa yena undunankulu waboNdlovu. Angafunda yena ukuthi silawo amandla okumnqoba uzabatshela bonke abanye bananzelele. Mina bengisithi, nxa singavumelana ngobunengi bethu ukuthi siyehlasela yona induna yakhona, sizanqoba!”
Bathula balalela bonke ukuthi bangayidiliza njani intaba enguNdlovu. Waqhubeka okhulumayo wathi,
“Asithumeni inhloli zimlandele uNdlovu. Zingamthola elele, zigijime zisosibikela. Besesifola sonke siyehlasela. Singafika sizamatsha singene endlebeni, embokweni, emehlweni. Umkhokheli wethu angamemeza sihle silume kakhulu lapho esingene khona. Lizazibonela, ngiyalitshela sibili.”
Awu, bavumelana bonke abakoBunyonyo, abanye bambambatha amahlombe bebonga icebo elihle kangaka. Lakanye, inhloli zahamba zimlandela uNdlovu nduna. Esesuthi wabe ezigoqa egcekeni wabhuqa isithongwana. Masinya yabizwa impi yakoBunyonyo. Yabekelela isiya lapho alele khona. Bangena abakobunyonyo embokweni, endlebeni, emehlweni lemakhaleni. UMkhokheli wasememeza ukuthi ayihlasele impi. Nka! Nka! Nka! AbakoBunyonyo bamnkankalaza ngamandla abo onke. Waphaphama ebuthongweni obabumnandi sokungani uhlatshwa ngameva embokweni, emehleni, emakhaleni lendlebeni. Yasukuma intaba, yawuhlaba umkhosi. Yawuphosa ngapha langapha umboko, yabhula izindlebe, yanyikinya ikhanda. Phinde kume ukulunywa. Baqalisa ukuhleka abakoBunyonyo. Labo ababephansi bebukele baqakeza, bagida, bayihleka indoda endala. Abahlaselayo baqhubeka benkankalaza umdala Ndlovu waze wazincengela.
“Awu bakoBunyonyo, ake liphume lixole. Xolani nkosi zami bo!”
Wayesehawula isibili umdala uNdlovu. UMkhokheli wakoBunyonyo wathi, “Asiphumi Ndlovu. Asihambe siye enkosini yegusu uyexolisela khona, uthembise ukuthi awuphindi! Ukhafulele egodini uthi mphthu!”
Wathembisa uNdlovu ehaluzela esiya emzini wenkosi yegusu, wafika wathi votshololo phansi, waxolisa phambi kwenkosi exolisela bonke abakoNdlovu. Bathaba abakoBunyonyo. Baphuma lapho ababehlasela khona. Babuyela kibo bezizwa bengamaqhawe isibili, amaqhawe adilize intaba.
Hmmm, bangane bakaGogo, lingaqali ukudelela abanye abancane kulani libahlukuluza. Lingacina lithola umvuzo onjengokaNdlovu. Thobekani, lithandane, liphathane kuhle ngomusa. Owenza lokho uyathandeka kakhulu. Sizahlangana ngesikhathi esizayo bangane bakaGogo. Yimi olithandayo uGogo Barbara Nkala.
