Lsipho esikoleni
Kunikelwe ngomkhonto wempi yaseSandlwana
KUQOPHEKE umlando isikole esaziwa nje ngesaba mhlophe sithola isipho esingajwayekile somkhonto owawusetshenziswa ngamabutho empini yaseSandlwana, eyayiphakathi kwamaNgisi noZulu ngowe-1879.
IMaritzburg College, ithole lesi sipho, igubha iminyaka engama-155 yaba khona. Ngokusho kukaMnu Matthew Marwick, onguSihlalo wekomiti eligcina amagugu alesi sikole, lomkhonto bawunikelelwe wumndeni kaMnu Bev Wimbush, obengumfundi kulesi sikole, ngowe-1940 kwaze kwaba ngowe-1947, ongasekho.
Uthe ngaphambi kokuba ashone uMnu Wimbush, ubeyingxenye yazo zonke izinto abebezenza esikoleni njengoba uma kunemicimbi ethinta isikole ubeba yingxenye yayo.
“Esezoshona, ubhale ngisho incwadi eyibhalela lesi sikole esiyigcinile njengento eyigugu asishiye nalo. Besingazi ukuthi kanti kunesipho esihle kangaka esisazosithola emndenini wakhe njengoba ashona eminyakeni emine edlule, eneminyaka engama-83,” kusho uMnu Marwick.
Uthi ukuthola kwabo lomkhonto k abakubo n inje ngento eyingqayizivele nje kuphela, babona ukuthi izwe lonke liyabona ukuthi bayisikole esizimbandakanye nezinto ebezenzeka kudala.
“Umndeni wakwaWimbush ubunganikela ngalo mkhonto kunoma yisiphi isikole, kodwa banqume ukuwunikelela thina ngoba nabo bazi ukuxhumana komlando wethu nempi yaseSa- ndlwana. Lapha esikoleni sinanamaculo esiye siwahube axhumene kakhulu nokwakwenzeka kule mpi,” kusho yena.
UMnu Marwick uthi lomkhonto bazowugcina njengengxenye yomlando wabo, eVictoria Hall, engaphakathi esikoleni okuyindawo lapho belondoloza khona imidwebo nezinye izinto ezingamagugu ezithinta lesi sikole esisungulwe ngowe-1883.
Empini yaseSandlwana, uZulu wayinqoba elwa ngeklwa nangemicibisholo kanti amaNgisi ayaphethe izibhamu. Yalwa iziwombe ezine ezibalulekile le mpi yaseSandlwana okuyiseShiyane, kwaKhambula naseHlobane, eGingindlovu nasoNdini.
Yaqopha umlando, hhayi nje kuphela eNingizimu Afrika, kodwa emhlabeni jikelele kwazise iNgilandi ngenkathi ihlasela yasebenzisa amasosha amazwe amaningi ayengamaKoloni ayo ukuzolekelela ukunqoba uMbuso kaZulu.
Ukutholakala kwalo mkhonto kuthathwa njengento enkulu kwazise uyimpahla eyaziswa kakhulu ngoba amaZulu ayenqobile ayengeke ashiye imikhonto eminingi lapho.
Watholakala ngokuthi uCharlie Tatham, owajoyina iviyo leNatal Carabineers, emuva kweMpi yaseSandlwana ngowe-1879, yena namanye amadoda eviyo lamaCarabineers, nabanye be-24th Regiment, baya eSandlwana mhla zingama-26 kuNhlangulana (June) we-1879.
Kwabe kuyizinyanga eziyisihlanu emuva kweMpi yaseSandlwana - beyongcwaba abafile. Yingalesi sikhathi abathola ngaso lomkhonto.