UMpande uphuma kwaNodwengu ulibangisa esilungwini
Isomiso esikhulu ngonyaka we-1841 samthola ezinze lapho nabalandeli bakhe. UMpande wayesechitha isizungu ngokuzenza uMvelingqangi ngokuzama ukunisa imvula. Wawazama wonke amaqhinga ayewazi, waze wakhuluma nenyanga yezulu imbala uMbethe Ngcobo. Owayithaka ngempela waxuba namafutha esisu seqhina. Kodwa kuphi la ngoba ‘imvula kaMbethe” yana imithonselana nje, emva kwalokho sabhebhetheka kunakuqala isomiso. Akekho owayengamsola uShaka egigitheka yedwa lapho ekhona ngoba wayengakaze akholelwe “izinyanga zezulu” nakancane nje. Lesi somiso sasesaziwa “njengeqhina likaMbethe”. AmaZulu amaningi agcina esefudukela eningizimu eyofuna ukudla, asezinza kwaHonqo noMawa. Wagcina esehola abantu abaningi inani labo lidlondlobala mihla nezolo. Ngokukhothama kwakhe watshalwa emagcekeni eSigodlo sakhe.
UMpande wehlela esilungwini emva kokubulawa ngesihluku kukaGqugqu. Waphuma kwaNodwengu ngoMandulo we-1839 nabalandeli cishe ababeyizi-20 000 nezinkomo cishe ezaziyizi-70 000. UMpande wayesemkhulu ngangendlela yokuthi wayesengakwazi ukuzihambela, wadonswa ngenye yezinceku zakhe uNtothekwane kaSilimela ngenqola eyayikhandelwe yena yedwa eyayiluhlaza cwe. Indodana kaSenzangakhona yayiyinhlekisa futhi yayimehlise nesithunzi, isithombe esasingeke senelisa uShaka naninini. Ngenhliziyo ebuhlungu, uMpande wawezwa phesheya koThukela.
Kodwa ekuweleni kwabo nje, bavinjwa ngabelungu ukuba bayofika eSibubulungu becabanga ukuthi uyakubahlasela. Abelungu babizela uMpande emhlanganweni ngasemfuleni iHlawe, waphelekezelwa yizihlobo zakhe uNkunga kaSithayi kaJama owayeke wabayilungu loMkhandlu kaShaka noMkhanyile kaZivalele kaJama owauekwiZimpohlo neMpabanga yomSwazi uMntwana uMbilini kaMswati owayakhe eHlobane. Emuva kokumthela ngemibuzo, sengathi wayengumsolwa, bamphoqa ukuyokwakha phesheya komfula uThongathi, owawungamakhilomitha ayengama-40 enyakatho neSibubulungu. Sakhiwa kanjalo-ke isigodlo sakwaMahambehlala. Kanti izinkinga zakhe kwayima ziqala.
AmaBhunu athi uma wayekhuluma iqiniso ngokuthi wayebalekela uDingane, kwakuzofanele ayomhlasela. Asemethembisa ukumlekelela ngezinkabi zabelungu, izikhali kanye namakhambi okulapha umchoboka yenake bese ebasikela umhlaba. Ngendlela wayefuna ngakhona ukuba yiSilo samabandla onke ngakhona, wavuma. Lobu duphunga bukaMpande kwaholela uZulu amanzi ngomsele kuze kube nanamuhla. Yize uMpande azama ukukuziba ukuyolwa nomfowabo, abaNtwana bagcina bebambene ngezikhwepha ngoMasingana we-1840 emagqumeni aseMaqongqo eduze komfula uMkhuze. Kwababuhlungu kakhulu kuZulu ngale mpi yaBantwana abayibiza ngokuGqabuka Kwegoda yenzeka ngenxa yabamhlophe. EkaMpande yaholwa nguNongalaza esekelwa nguJobe noMatawana nezinkabi zamaBhunu ezazingama-350 ezaziholwa u-Andreas Pretorious owayebambele uDingane igqubu ngokumnqoba eNcome. Yanqotshwa ekaDingane empini yaseMaqongqo, bayijaha baze bayongenele uDingane esigodlwaneni sakhe eNgome kodwa bafika kukhala ibhungane.
UNdlela wayeyihlukanise kathathu uDlambedlu lwaqapha uDingane, iZinyosi zaya eMaqongqo kwathi onke amanye amabutho wawagodla. Phambi kokuba aye enkundleni yempi, uNdlela wawakhuthaza amabutho obala ukuthi azinikele kwekaMpande impi, okwakuyisenzo esasicekela uDingane phansi. UDingane wajubabala, wanqamula ehlathini laseNgwavuma wawela uPhongolo waze wayobhaca ehlathini laseHlathikhulu, enyakatho neGolela eSwazini. UDingane namabutho akhe abalakhe ehuba elalithandwa uDingane:
Siphakiwe siqonde empini Ngaphesheya kwaleziya ntaba
Ngale kwezintaba zentshonalanga Siqonde kwesingaze silithi nhla Sihambela wena Mnjunju wohlanga Ngonyama, Ndlovu, Mkhululi
Nkosi yamakhosi Silo sikaZulu Vezi
Kwathi uDingane esazikhotha amanxeba ehlathini, wasehlola indlela uNdlela ayehlele ngayo eMaqongqo. Kwamcacela ukuthi uNdlela wayengazimiselanga ukunqoba ekaMpande, okwakusho ukuthi wayehlulwe ngabomu.