Umlando ngoSotobe kaMpangalala Sibiya
USOTOBE kaMpangalala wakwaSibiya wayeyiqhawe elikhulu leZilo uShaka noDingane. Wayebuthelwe ebuthweni iNtontela, okwakukhona kulo uNdlela Ntuli, uHlathi Ntshangase namanye amaqhawe.
USotobe wayekhona empini yaseMampondweni eyayiphakwe yiLembe ukuba iyohlasela inkosi uFaku yaMampondo. Leyo mpi yayiholwa yinduna uMdlaka kaNcidi Ntshangase. USotobe wayengagcini ngokuba yiqhawe kuphela, wayebuye abe yimbongi. Wayekwazi ukuhasha iZilo uShaka noDingane namanye amakhosi asendulo.
Wayebuye abe nekhono elalingandele bani, lokubala izinkomo. Nguyena owayebala izinkomo zakoMkhulu ngesikhathi seZilo uShaka noDingane. Wayevele awubheke ngamehlo umhlambi wezinkomo bese esho isibalo sawo. ISilo uShaka saze sakhipha isinqumo sokuthi izinkomo zehlukaniswe amaqoqwana ukuze kukholakale okwakushiwo nguSotobe.
Kwakuthi noma izinkomo sezehlukaniswe amaqoqwana kuphume sona kanye isibalo esasishiwo nguSotobe. Ikhono likaSotobe lokubala izinkomo lamenza wabaluleka kakhulu eNdlunkulu kaZulu, kwazise izinkomo zabe ziwumcebo wezwe ngaleso sikhathi. USotobe ukhumbuleka kakhulu ngo-1828 ngenkathi eqokwe yiLembe ukuba ahole ithimba elalizoya eNgilandi liyobonana nenkosi yamaNgisi uGeorge wesine (uMjoji), kodwa uSotobe nethimba lakhe bagcina bengafikanga kuMjoji. Inhloso yohambo kwabe kuwukuyobona izikhali zempi amaNgisi ayezisebenzisa ngaleso sikhathi.
USotobe nethimba lakhe babezoholwa ngumaqhuzu wesosha uLieutenant JS King (uMkhingi). UMkhingi lona wayengomunye wedlanzana lamaNgisi elalinikwe iziza zokwakha eSibubulungu (eThekwini) ngo-1824, linikwa yiLembe. Kulelo dlanzana lamaNgisi kwakukhona noHenry F Fynn owazala uGwalagwala (uHenry F Fynn wesibili) owaba ngomunye wamaNgisi ayewumise kabi umbuso kaZulu ngesikhathi seSilo uCetshwayo kaMpande.
OSotobe bagibela umkhumbi wamaNgisi ngoNhlaba (May) ngo1828, bekanye naye uMkhingi owayefunge wagomela phambi kweSilo uShaka wathi nguyena uqobo lwakhe owayezofika noSotobe kuMjoji eNgilandi. Kodwa wagcina engakwenzanga lokho ngoba uSotobe nethimba lakhe bagcina bephelele lapho sekuseGqeberha khona namuhla (Port Elizabeth), uMkhingi akabange esafika nabo kuMjoji njengokwethembisa kwakhe. OSotobe bagcina begitshezwe umkhumbi baphindiselwa kwaZulu ngemuva kokuhlala eGqeberha izinyanga ezintathu, kanti bazofica iLembe selikhotheme.
Izibongo zikaSotobe ziyaluthinta uhambo lwabo uma zithi, “uGxubhuza ngeshoba emkhunjini wolwandle, uLwandle kaluwelwa, luwelwa zinkonjane nabelungu, uNdaba zingaphesheya kolwandle kubelungu , uNdaba zikuMjoji kubelungu, iNdaba kaMkhingi benoFebana, Oze nolembu oluluhlaza ngaseNgilandi, lungakembathwa muntu kwaZulu.”
UFebana lona othintwa ezibongweni nguFG Farewell, naye owayengomunye wedlanzana lamaNgisi elalinikwe iziza zokwakha eSibubulungu, linikwa yiLembe. Izibongo zikaSotobe zibuye zithinte iqhaza lakhe empini yakwaNtunjambili lapho ayejutshwe khona yiLembe ukuba ahole impi eyahlasela inkosi uNtunja yabakwaNgcobo , eyayakhe nganeno kwakwaNtunjambili, ngasemfudlaneni iHlimbithwa. Ziyithinta uma kuthiwa “uDungamanz’ aphuzwa nguNtunja, uMtheno owadl’ omuny’ uMtheno, ngoba wadl’ owakwaZinkwembu”.
USotobe wathi uma ebuya ohambweni lwakhe wakha umuzi wakhe awubiza ngokuthi kuseKuntwayizeni. Wawuqamba lelo gama ngoba wayengene emkhunjini engazi lapho kwakuyiwa khona, nendlela okwakuzohanjwa ngayo wayengayazi, wayentwayiza nje. Ngesikhathi sokubusa kweSilo uDingane wabekwa waba ngenye yezinduna zebutho uHlomendlini, ebekwa yisona iSilo uDingane.
Wagcina esengesinye sezikhulu zeSilo uDingane, wayeke ahlale eMgungundlovu (esigodlweni seSilo uDingane). Indlalifa kaSotobe kwakunguNobiya owayebuthelwe ebuthweni uDlangezwa elalibuye libizwe ngokuthi liyibutho laMagovu. UNobiya wasala enkundleni mhla uMntwana uZibhebhu ehlasela esigodlweni seSilo uCetshwayo oNdini mhla ka-21 kuNtulikazi (July) ngo-1883. Kulesi sibongo sakwaSibiya kuzalwa iNdlovukazi uMthaniya, ezala inkosi uSenzangakhona kaJama. INdlovukazi uMthaniya izalwa nguManyelela Sibiya, inguGogo weSilo uShaka. Kusuke kushiwo yona uma kuthiwa izwe lakwaZulu ‘ngelikaMthaniya’.
Imithombo yolwazi
• Izizwe zamakhosi akwaZulu uMqulu 3 (incwadi eyalotshwa ngu Solwazi J Maphalala)
• UPhoko (incwadi eyalotshwa nguRS Khumalo)