Masilingise uZulu owanqoba eSandlwana
KUNESISHO sesilungu esihumusheka ngokuthi, “uma amabhubesi engakawubhali owawo umlando, izindaba ezixoxwayo ngokuzingela ziyolokhu zatusa noma zancoma abazingeli.” Kanjalo uma noZulu engakawubhali umlando wakhe, okuxoxwayo ngezimpi zomzabalazo wokulwela izwe kuyolokhu kuncoma abacindezeli nabaqoli bezwekazi i-Afrika. Anginakho ukungabaza ukuthi uma kukhona umuntu owakwazi ukuveza nokubeka isithombe esifanele ngokuhlabana kukaZulu empini yaseSandlwana, lowo muntu uBenjamin Disraeli owayengundunankulu waseBritain ngesikhathi sempi yaseSandlwana. Ngimcaphuna uDisraeli lapho ngokunengeka ephawula ethi: Esingakuhumusha ngokuthi: AmaZulu kanokusho bo. Ahlula abakhuzi bempi bethu. Aphendula ababhishobhi okholweni lwabo. Aqede olunye lolibo lobukhosi base-Europe.”
UPrince Imperial waseFrance owayelindeleke ukuba abe yinkosi yaseFrance waphangalala empini yaseSandlwana emuva kokuba wayecele iNdlovukazi uVictoria ukuba ufisa ukulwa naye ngasohlangothini lwamaNgisi. UPrince Imperial wasala enkundleni uZulu ebambene namaNgisi khona. Ngingakusho kugcwale umlomo ukuthi akuwona kuphela amaNgisi ashaywa engeqiwa ntwala; namaFrench imbala.
Kuthiwa ukufika kombiko wokuhlulwa kwamaNgisi akugcinanga ngokucasula iNdlovukazi uVictoria eyayidla ibhulakifesi kodwa kwaphinde kwaba yinkanankana eyaba yinselelo enkolweni eyize eyayigxishwe ezingqondweni, eyayithi amaNgisi ayiziqhwaga ngokwemvelo yohlanga lwawo, ezintweni zobunyonincwe ekwakheni okokusebenza ngobuchule noma ngokobuchwepheshe.
Nanamhlanje ukuhlulwa kwamaNgisi nguZulu kuyichashaza elibi elingasoze lasuleka emlandweni wezempi zamaNgisi. Ukuhlulwa kwawo eSandlwana kungacishe kufaniswe nephupho elibi abangafisi ukuphinde baliphuphe. Ayengakaze amaNgisi acabange ukuthi ngelinye ilanga isithunzi sobukhulu bawo singadicilileka phansi.
Ukuhlabana kukaZulu eSandlwana namhlanje kuthathwa hhayi ngokuhlabana kukaZulu kuphela kodwa kwawo wonke umuntu wezwenikazi i-Afrika. Ukuhlonishwa nokubugujwa kokuhlabana kukaZulu emhlabeni jikelele, ikakhulukazi e-Afrika, kungacishe kube ngesinye sezizathu zokuthi Ingonyama yamaZulu ithathe isinqumo sokuthi intaba yaseSandlwana yaziwe njengentaba eyingcwele. Ngikubona kungumqondo ophusile ukuthi intaba yaseSandlwana ibe yindawo ehloniphekile kubantu base-Afrika. Ifanele ukuba yindawo lapho bonke abantu, hhayi uZulu kuphela, uma befuna ukukhuthazeka kulokho abafuna kwenzeke empilweni yabo, beze kuyo ukuzokhuleka bathole ugqozi nentshisekelo yokuphumelela eyakhonjiswa uZulu ngesikhathi etalabha amaNgisi.
Amagalelo kaZulu eSandlwana angikhumbuza isisishoshovu somzabalazo wabantu abamnyama e-United States of America, uKwame Ture. Ngimcaphuna lapho ethi khona: “Uma ungazazi ukuthi ungubani, ngeke wazi ukuthi uthandani.” Indaba isekutheni abantu abangaqondi lutho ngomlando bathuntubezekile ekwakheni umbono wekusasa labo ngoba imuva labo liluvindi futhi libhashiswe ngandlela thize. Abantu abangenawo umqondo walokho kwenza babe nobunzima obukhulu ukuba babe nofuqufuqu lokuthi into ethile bangayenza. Ngakho-ke impi yaseSandlwana ingumsuka wogqozi olukhulu kithi. Makhulu amazwi kaMarcus Mosiah Garvey owathi: “Abantu abangenalo ulwazi lomlando wabo, abangazazi izingxabo zabo, namasiko abo, bafana nesihlahla esingenazo izingxabo.” Ngamafuphi impi yaseSandlwana yenza uZulu nawo wonke ongumAfrika ashayele phezulu, kukhombisa ukuthi uyakwazi ukunqoba. Engani yikho lokho-ke okuyinkomba yokuthi uZulu ngeke kube nzima kuye ukuphumelela ekuhlangabezaneni nezinselelo ezibhekene nesizwe. Kukhombisa ukuthi uma wonke umuntu engangenwa wugqozi uyosuka amagqoza azinikele, ahlabane njengoba kwahlabana amabutho eSilo eSandlwana. UZulu wakhombisa intshisekelo yokuphumelela ebunzimeni ngoba phela uZulu wayengasabhekene nabelungu nezibhamu kuphela kodwa kwase kukhona nabantu bakithi abase belwa ngakuwo amaNgisi behlasela thina. Pho-ke uZulu uma esezimisele ukungadikibali, akadikibali.
Ziningi izifundo amuntu angazifunda ngokuvelela nokuhlabana kukaZulu empini yaseSandlwana. Umbuzo ofika ngokushesha emqondweni wami ukuthi uma sakwazi ukuhlula amaNgisi ephethe uhlobo lwezibhambu eziseqophelweni oluphambili, yini engasihlula ukulwa nesifo sengculazi sisiqede sithi nya? Yini engasihlula ukulwa nobubha? Yini engasihlula kukho konke esikwenzayo ukwenza ukuba siphile kangcono? Uma sonke singangenwa yilolu gqozi, nalolu fuqufuqu netshisekelo yokuphumelela eyayingenwe uZulu ngesikhathi elwa namaNgisi, anginakho ukungabaza ukuthi singazinqoba izinselelo esibhekene nazo.
Ucwaningo lwakamuva lukhomba ukuthi unya olwatshengiswa amaNgisi eqedela ngokubulala uZulu owawulimele luphoqa osomlando ukuthi basho ngokungangabazi ukuthi ukuziphindisela kwamaNgisi kuZulu kwakufana nse nalokhu okuthiwa yisibhicongo. Miningi imiphefululo kaZulu eyaphangalala kungafanele kwazise iningi labo lalingalapheka ekudutshulweni kodwa amaNgisi ancoma ukubaqedela. Ngakho-ke iyadinga ukukhulekelwa ukuba ilale ngokuthula leyo miphefumulo eyaphuma ikhononda.
Bekuhlala njalo kuyisilonda kimi ukuthi ngempela ngempela yini eyangenwa abantu abaKwaZulu ezingqondweni zabo. Bengikusho lokho ngoba ngibona kungenzeki lutho eSandlwana ekhomba ukubaluleka kwale ndawo ngasohlangothini lomlando. Okubuhlungu wukuthi nabo lobo bukhulu nobuzemazema bukaZulu obabonwa uNdunankulu uDisraeli abubonwa noma abukho lapho impi eyabambana khona. Impela uma amabutho kaZulu angavuka ekufeni namhlanje angikholwa ukuthi angaduka uma eya eSandlwana kwazise kuncane okushintshile kunalokho okwakukhona ngowe-1879. Yizindlu ezinogesi namanzi ezisondelene nentaba iSandlwana okungacishe kuphawulwe ngamabutho. Ngaphandle kwalokho intaba yaseSandlwana isenjalo njengoba yayinjalo ngesikhathi uZulu ebambene namaNgisi. Ukungabi khona kwesakhiwo esibukekayo sokubungaza nokukhumbula uZulu owanikela ngempilo yakhe ukuvikela ubukhosi babo kuyadumaza.
Ngikholwa ukuthi umehluko phakathi kwethu namaNgisi wukuthi thina bantu abamnyama imvamisa kasinandaba nomlando wethu. Yingakho kwesinye isikhathi sitholakala sibamba noma umuphi umoya ofikayo. Kungathi imiqondo yethu ingenwe yilokhu izifundiswa ezikubiza ngokuthi: “Ukukhumbula ukukhohlwa noma ukukhohlwa ukukhumbula.” (Remembering to forget or forgetting to remember).
Ngaba namahloni uma ngibona isakhiwo eBelgium esigcine umlando wempi yaseWaterloo ezwenikazi i-Europe.
Lesi sakhiwo esiyisigcinimafa somlando wempi yaseWaterloo siyisikhumbuzo sokuthi .
Ezinyangeni ezingengaki ezedlule Ingonyama ibihlaba ikhwelo eliqondene nohlelo oluzoqala maduze lokwakhiwa kwesakhiwo esizogcina amafa namagugu empi yaseSandlwana.
Kubalulekile ukusho ukuthi ukubuyiswa nokuvuselwa kwamagugu esizwe kungebe umsebenzi ongabhekana nohulumeni kuphela.