IZINDABA ZEMISEBENZI KASHEMBE
BESEKULOLO hambo, uShembe wathi: “Bantabami, ngithe ngilele ebusuku ngabona kufika isixuku sabantu basezulwini sathi kuthiwa sengiyafuneka eKuphakameni.”
Kuthe kusenjalo kwaqhamuka izinsizwa ezimbili zathi cha uShembe kufanele ahambe ayobeka unyawo lwakhe eMseleni. Wathuma abantu abayisihlanu ukuba bayolinda ngalena kwentaba bahlabelele isihlabelelo sama-218 asiloba ngoZibandlela (December) we-1934 esithi: Yizani wemaZulu Siyibonile iNkosi yethu Sivela thina kwelizayo Siyibonile iNkosi yethu
Laba bantu kwakuyinkosikazi namadoda amane okwakukhona kubona uMbazini noMyeni phakathi kwabo. Bathi besathandaza kwaqhamuka ikhonde elikhulu lenkawu, lalwa nabo kakhulu lithetha libavezela namazinyo kodwa bengezwa ukuthi lithini.
Amadoda aze abaleka kwasala le nkosikazi yathandaza yahlabelela. Emuva kwalokho babuyela bayozama futhi ukuthandaza kodwa kwaqhamuka izinkawu eziningi zalwa nabo bagcina bengasezwani. Bazama ukuthandaza isikhathi esingamahora amabili kodwa bagcina behluleka ngendlela lezi zinkawu ezazilwa nabo ngayo.
Uma bebuyela emuva beyoyibikela inkosi, bathi yahleka yathi bantabami ngiyabonga iNkosi inibusise, sengiyafunwa. Ithi-ke leli khonde kwakuyisidalwa esikhulu sasezulwini esasithunyiwe ukumlanda.
UShembe wafika emzini wakhe waseMikhayideni esesuka eMseleni mhla zili-14 kuMbasa (April) eseyongenisa inhlangano yamadokodo. Uma efika wabe esedlula eseyokumba isiziba ayezobhabhadisa kusona.
Uma-ke ehamba ucela intombazana ukuba imenzele itiye. Wayiyala ukuba ingakwenzi-ke okunye.
Seyilihambisile itiye kuyena, uyayibuza uthi: “Mntanami, ungajabula yini uma ngiliphuza leli tiye?” Yathi: “Yebo baba ngigajabula.” UShembe waphinda wayibuza umbuzo ofanayo, yamnika impendulo efanayo. Lo mbuzo wawubuza kwaze kwaba kathathu, intombazane yamnika impendulo efanayo. Waliphuza-ke leli tiye.
Le ntombazane yathi isaliphekile leli tiye kwafika umfundisi wakhe uMlangeni wayithuma, lasala lodwa kanti uShembe wayethe ize ingalishiyi namuntu.
Emuva kokuphuza lelo tiye, uShembe wakhala ngesisu wazibhonqa phansi khona egcekeni. Emuva kwalokho wasuka wangena endlini, kwaba wukudunguzela kwakhe-ke lokho, akabuyange wabangcono.
Kuthe emuva kwezinsukwana bona abe-
fundisi bakhe uma bebona ukuthi akafi, bahamba baya enyangeni bayofuna umuthi. Bawuthatha lo muthi bathi bacela ukumelapha kodwa wenqaba. Emuva kwalokho wabiza uHlalekudeni wakwaNtombela ukuba abhasobhe ishumbu lakhe lephalishi ngoba yilona kuphela ayesakwazi ukuliphuza.
Kuzona lezo zinsuku zokudunguzela kwayo inkosi, kwakukhona umfundisi wayo uMngoma naye owayegula. Bayithwala inkosi bayisa kuyena uMngoma ngoba yayingasenawo amandla okuzihambela. Uma ifika kuMngoma ithi: “Kunjani Mngoma, asambe uyesaba yini?”
UMngoma uthi: “Baba bengisathanda ukuphila.” Emuva kwalokho baphinde bahlangana abefundisi bakhe baya eqhugwaneni ayelala kulona babuza kuHlalekudeni ukuthi uShembe ulala kuphi neqhugwana, wayesebakhombisa indawo alala kuyona.
Ebusuku uShembe wacela ukuba uHlale- kudeni nabanye bamgudluze endaweni ayejwayele ukulala kuyona. Ngakusasa ekuseni uShembe wabiza abantu ukuba bayobona umkhonto ongene eqhugwaneni waqondaniswa nalapho okwakwaziwa ukuthi ulala khona.
Lo mkhonto wawufakwe waze wayogwaza phansi ngoba uShembe wayesegudlukile lapho. Kwathi ngoMsombuluko walezo zinsuku waphinda wabiza yena uHlalekudeni noMbilazithutha.
Wathi kubona kukhona abantu abathathu abazofika abangesiwo amaNazaretha, bazothi phumani bafuna ukukhuluma nami kodwa ningavumi ukuphuma. Kwedlula ilanga elilodwa bafika laba bantu ngoLwesithathu, amadoda amathathu ayevela eNanda. Phakathi kwawo kwakukhona uCharles Dube.
Ngempela la madoda athi uma esefikile acela ukukhuluma noShembe, athi uNto- mbela noMbilazithutha mabaphume. Baphuma-ke ngempela bashiya uShembe nala madoda. La madoda aphuma emuva kwalokho abonga koNtombela ahamba. Uma oNtombela bebuyela endlini, bafica inkosi ingasakhulumi.
Kayiphindanga-ke yakhuluma kusuka ngaleso sikhathi, noma beyibuza yayivuma nje ngokugquma. ngoLwesithathu babesebizwa abantu ukuba bayovalelisa enkosini kodwa yayisivuma nje ngokuphefumulela phezulu ingasakhulumi.
NgoLwesine mhla zimbili kuNhlaba (May) ngezithuba zomthandazo wasekuseni, kwabe sekuzwakala isililo esabe sesisho ukuthi uShembe usehambile emhlabeni, akasekho enyameni yakhe.
Nakuba uShembe wakhothamela emzini wakhe waseMikhayideni kwelakwaMbonambi kodwa wabekwa emzini wakhe waseKuphakameni njengokuyaleza kwakhe.