UMkabayi ukhungathwa isihluku kufa amaqhawe
Kwathi uma uDingane esalinde uMpande ezozibongela mathupha, wathumela amaqhawe amabili ayesondelene naye uNzobo noSikhombazana ePietermaritzburg. Babeyoxoxa ngesivumelwano sokuthula esisha namaBhunu ukuba bamehlisele kulezi zinkomo ezaziyizi-10 000 ababevumelane ngazo.
Kwathi nxa befika ePietermaritzburg, amaBhunu ehlisa isithunzi salaba badidiyeli bempi okokugcina, bathi babenganaqiniso futhi babenomhobholo. AmaBhunu asekhuphula inani lezinkomo alisusa kwelaliyizi- 10 000 alikhuphulela kweziyizi-40 000.
Base bebavalela babathwesa amacala enkantolo yezimpi ngokuba ngamalungu omkhandlu wezimpi omkhulu wakwaZulu. Babathwesa necala lokuwehlulwa eNcome nokuholelwa Ophathe. UNzobo wayesondelene kakhulu noShaka wabulawa ngesihluku esasinyantisa umzimba. AmaBhunu ambopha izinyawo asemdonsa ngenqola yezinkabi ngobuso baze bahlephuka baphela nya.
UNzobo Dambuza kaSobhadli Ntombela kazange ayincengele impilo yakhe, wemukela ukufa kwakhe ngesizotha njengebutho likaZulu loqobo.
Ukubulawa ngobulwane obabunjena kwadala esikhulu isikhalo kumaZulu nabanye abelungu, yingakho uSikhombazane bavele bamqhumisa ngenhlamvu eyodwa ekhanda, waphelela lapho abantu bebukele. AmaBhunu ayezama ukwethusa uZulu ukuthi athobele imitheshwana yabo.
UMkabayi wakhungatheka ezwa indlela amaqhawe abulawa ngayo, waba nomzwangedwa nxa ecabanga izigigaba zempilo yakhe. Ehleli yedwa wafikelwa usizi olukhulu wasesikhihla isililo esikhulu. Wazisho buthule wathi “Kukude emuva, kukude phambili”. UDingane wakuthatha lula ukubhubha kwalezi zinduna, wakuchaza ngokuthi ukushona kwabo kwakuhambisana nempi. Kwase kuba namahebezi okuthi uDingane owanika amaBhunu imvume yokubulala ngoba babesondelene kakhulu noShaka.
Kunokuba abaphindiselele, uDingane wathi kubulawe amadodana amabili kaSenzangakhona. Wayesebulele amanye cishe ayengama-20 anjengoNgqonjana, uNdunge, uNomkhwayimba, uSondondo wasethi uGqugqu, unina namakhosikazi akhe bakhishwe amathumbu bephila kanti izingane zakhe zonke zidliwe iklwa.
UMawa kaJama yamdabukisa kakhulu kwazise babesondelene noGqugqu. UMawa owayeyigcokama, isalukazi esasizithanda ukuzipotonga usuku lonke njengomfowabo uSenzangakhona. Esho ngezinwele ezazifika emahlombe zinententezo ezazifihla impandla eyayiya ngokukhula.
Kodwa kwakungasizo izinwele zakhe zemvelo, kwakungezezingane zakhe, abeseziqhinela kwezakhe aziphothe ngebomvu namafutha omhlwehlwe wenkomo. Naye wayesola ukuthi uDingane wayezomgodusa. Waseqela kubelungu eningizimu nenqwaba yabalandeli nempahla yaseBukhosini nokunye okuningi.
Kodwa uKapteni uJC Smith webutho lamaNgisi lama-27 (Birtish 27th Regiment) wabanqabela ukuthi baqhubeke emva kokuwela umfula uMbilo, ngoba wayecabanga ukuthi kwakuyimpi iyohlasela eSibubulungu.
UMawa wase akha iSigodlo sakwaHonqo khona lapho. Omunye wabazukulu bakhe uSothondose Nxumalo wafika naye ebalekela uDingane emva kweminyaka emithathu.