UMbiya walikhulisa kahle iLembe kaMthethwa
UMbiya waseKupheyeni wayeyindodana yesibili kaShangane owabe enomuzi waseNhlambeni. UMbiya wayelama uNtshiphi, uMbiya elanywa uMundi waseNhlabosini.
UMundi wayelanywa nguSonkophe. Umuzi waseKupheyeni wawakhe phezu komfula iMvamanzi. UShangane wabe ephethe indawo yasoHheni namhla leyo ehlanganisa uHlabisa, uMpukunyoni neNseleni. Wabe enabamnumzane ababebika kuye izindaba oNgomane, oMandeku, oVeyane nabanye abaningi. UMbiya wabe ehlonishwa kakhulu embusweni wakubo kwaMthethwa. Phakathi kondlunkulu bakaMbiya kwakukhona uMaMhlongo owabe engubabekazi kaNandi. UMbiya wabe enguyise weLembe kwaMthethwa. UShaka ufike kwaMthethwa eseneminyaka engaphansi kweli-16.
UShaka wakhulela eKupheyeni kwakukhona abantu baseMdletsheni, oMpanza, oMngenge nezinye izibongo. UShaka ukhombise isibindi, ubuqhawe, ukuhlalisana esesizweni sakwaMthethwa. Ngesikhathi iSilo uShaka eseKupheyeni wabulala isilo (ibhubesi) eyedwa Isikhumba sesilo sethulwa eNkosini uDingiswayo eyamxoshisa ngezinkomo ezethulwa emzini waseKupheyeni nguNgomane.
Kuyashiwo futhi ukuthi uthando lobubaba waluthola kuyise uMbiya, lapho waba nezinkomo azithola ngokuhlabana kwakhe. UNgomane wayekubona lokhu, wayekufukuzela lokhu. ISilo uShaka waqala wafuya, waba nekwabo, unina uNandi, udadewabo uNomcoba, umfowabo uNgwadi nentombazana uPampatha, baqala ukuba notho olwaluze eKupheyeni.
Ukuhlabana kwakhe kwenza uNandi wabuyelwa isithunzi. Eneminyaka eli-13 wabulala imamba eyedwa iNkosi uMbengi wakwaMhlongo wamxoshisa ngezimbuzi, nokho wayishiya khona kwaMhlongo.
Ifa aliqoqa eseKupheyeni wakhela phezu kwalo. Esebulele uLembe wakwaNxumalo, iNkosi uDingiswayo yamupha ezinye izinkomo ezandisa ifa likaShaka embusweni owawuzolandela. Ukwaziwa nokuhlonishwa kukaShaka kwanda kwaMthethwa, kwalindeleka ukuba ayohlala konkosi. UNodumehlezi wahlala oYengweni nakhona wandisa udumo lwakhe. INkosi uShaka yaqokwa ukuhola ibutho leziChwe yahlala esikhundleni sikaBuza.
Wahola noNqoboka phansi kukaNgomane kaMqamboyi. Nalapho wahlabana, udumo lwachuma, wahlabana kanye noMgobhozi wadlondlobala. Waletha izinguquko ekuphathweni kwamabutho akwaMthethwa. Ukunqoba kwanda, umkhonto walakha izwe. UMbiya wayemthanda uSigidi kusukela behlangana waze waba nombono ngekusasa eliqhakazile. UShaka noma ebephuma ezimpini izimpahla zakhe bezihlala kwaMbiya. UMbiya washo la mazwi kuShaka ehamba noNgomane esegula kakhulu, “Ndodana ngiyajabula usufikile maduze nje ngokushesha ngizogoduka abadala sebengikhombsile indlela.Ngiyabona ukuthi uzoba uSomuthi izingatsha zawo zizosibekela umhlaba. Igama lakho liyosabeka. Izizwe nabantu abayolizwa bayoqhaqhazela besabe. Bayobhibha njengomhlanga ushazwa umoya. Uyokuba inkosi engakaze ibonwe. Ungaphuza utshwala kancane kepha insangu ungayilokothi…utshwala buyawudunga umqondo, insangu iphendula umuntu imfanise nenkunzi ehlanyayo, enamandla amakhulu kepha engakwazi ukuthatha izinqumo eziphusileyo.
Uqaphelisise. Ukucabangisisa kwezinduna kanye nabangani bakho, kungakweqi noma kungakwengami, ngoba uyofana nenkunzi ehluphayo, okuyothi usuzibulele zonke izitha zakho, bese uqala ukubulala izinkomazi ezingakwazi ukuzivikela namankonyane ekugcineni ukuzishayanisa ngekhanda ezindongeni uze uziphule umqala esikhundleni sokuba uphume ngesango elikhululekile.”
Emuva kwemizuzwana kwezwakala izwi likaShaka lithi: “Ungangishiyi baba wami, ngoba siyoba amankonyane adukileyo, ngaphandle kwakho akekho...”
UMbiya wathi: “Cha, ndodana yami, ungadabuki neze, ngoba isikhathi sesifikile, ngeke ngisema. Angikwazanga ukushiya isisu sikamame, ngesikhathi sesifikile sokuba ngizalwe. Ngifana nesihlahla esidala esiphundlekile, ngesikhathi esidlulileyo ngikwazile ukukunika umthunzi ngakuvikela usemncane ukuze nawe nxa usukhulile, ukhulise abanye. Intokozo nokujabula kwami kulapho namuhla. Ndodana noma ungaphumi kowami umzimba, ubungcono kakhulu kunezingane zami njengoba nazo beziziphethe kahle.” Amehlo eLembe agcwala izinyembezi, izihlathi zaba manzi te. Waphinda washo ngomoya ophansi wathi: “Ngiyaphinda ndodana yami ngithi ungadabuki. Izinyanya zibe nobubele kimi, ngikhulile ngathophela. Konke ebengingakwenza ngikwenzile. Namuhla kunjengomuntu wesifazane ebhixa inhlaba ebeleni ukuze alumule umntwana. Izinyanya zenza izinto zinganambitheki kithi kule mpilo.
Eminyakeni eminingi ngihlalile, ngikubona ukhula manje unamandla... mhlasimbe ngikuvakashele embonweni, ngikuhole, ngikuqondise njengoba ngenzile kuyo yonke le minyaka, ngesikhathi usemncane.”
INkosi uShaka njengosiko loBukhosi akakwazanga ukufihla uyise. Wadlulela oYengweni wabikela iNkosi yesizwe, uDingiswayo, ngokwase kuvelileoPheyeni. Wadlulela kwaBulawayo. INkosi uShaka yethembeka kuyise uDingiswayo nayo yenza konke okusemandleni ukuba iphupho likaMbiya lokuba iLembe ligcine lilibusile izwe lakwaZulu lifezeke.