Ngafa NgoThando

Ilizwi lomlobi.

Ngikhumbula abafowethu labodadewethu, izihlobo zegazi engakhula lazo esabelweni sakoNkosikazi eSiganda. Abanye babo babebadala kulami abanye njalo bengaphansi kwami. Ngikhumbula abangane bami engakhula labo siselusa inkomo sibhukutsha emachibini sinqunu silamantombazana amancinyane lamadala kodwa sonke simsulwa.

Ngikhumbula abangane bami engasebenza labo kuzabelo zakweleMaNdebeleni ezehlukeneyo. Abanye babeyizihlobo egameni leNkosi. Inengi labo bonke laba engilibalisayo lafa ngezindlela ezingazwisisisekiyo loba ngemikhuhlane engaqedakaliyo. Babesese ngamankonyane bengakafiki lasesikhathini sokuba ngamajongosi loba amathokazi. Bafa besesezingatsha ezimanzi eziluhlaza bengakabi zinkuni ezilukhuni ezomileyo.

Ngikhumbula izindawo zelizwe eladalwa nguNkulunkulu laba lihle iZimbabwe lapho engasebenza khona ngingumbalisi okweminyaka eyedlula engamatshumi amabili lanhlanu. Izindawo lezo zibalisa iBinga, iHwange, iTsholotsho, iNkayi leBulawayo.

IBinga ngiyayithanda kakhulu ngoba kulapho engaqala khona ukuma phambi kwabantwana besikolo. Yaba njengentombi yobujaha bami. Ngafunda khona ukukhuluma ulimi olumnandi engiluhloniphayo olweSiTonga. Kwangithatha amaviki amathathu ukuthi ngilukhulume okucacileyo.

Ngiyihloniphile ke iBinga ngokuthi ngilobe indatshana le ngisebenzisa amabizo ezigaba zayo. Amabizo abantu lezibongo ezitholakala eBinga yiwo aqakathekisiweyo. Lindaba loba izwisa ubuhlungu akutsho ukuthi yenzeka eBinga loba ukuthi abantu baseBinga baziphatha ngendlela okuxoxwe ngayo lapha.

Lindaba ayisiyondaba yeqiniso. Yindaba emane yaphuma emicabangweni yami ngiphupha libalele. Akula muntu engimaziyo ophilayo loba owafayo olebizo elifana lalawo amabizo abhalwe kule indatshana, kuphela amabizo eziphathamandla ezilodumo.

Ngifisa ukuthi omunye wabangane bami waseBinga ongalufunda lolugwalo aluguqulele elimini lweSiTonga ngisaphila loba sengifile. Ngithemba lindaba izahlabusa emehlweni, ezindlebeni lasezinhliziyweni zalabo ababala loba abalalela lolugwalo lufundwa.

Ngiyalithanda lonke mazinyane eSilo sohlanga lukaMthwakazi.

Njabulo Aleck Sibindi Bonga. 2011-04-09.

Isahluko I Usizi

Kho kho kho kho! Sakhala isivalo sitshaywa ngumuntu owayeqoqoda angani lipholisa.

Umninimuzi wasabela esukuma eqonda emnyango elunguza ngefasitela esithi, ‘Phakathi.’

Uthe ethi uvula umnyango wahlangabezana lalowomuntu owayeqoqoda esethi gulukudu endlini ngoba kwasekuthiwe kangene. Wamangala ke uMnumzana uNhliziyo ebona ukuthi kwakungasiyo indoda yeZRP eqoqodayo kodwa kungomunye ababesebenza bonke esikolo le eBinga.

‘Hawu, Mabuza!’ Watsho eselula isandla exhawula umuntu wemzini.

‘Hawu, Nhliziyo!’ Waphendula ngamazwi manye laye okaMabuza. Watshibilika ke uNhliziyo waqonda ekamelweni lokuphumulela, lona ayekade elifulathele ngesikhathi bebingelelana.

Walandela ke laye uMabuza bafika bahlala esihlalweni esimnyama esibutofotofo esasenziwe ngesikhumba.

Ekamelweni lelo kwakulomabonwakude ngale ngasemsamo eceleni komnyango owawuvulekela kwelinye lamakamelo okulala. Kumabonwakude lowo kwakukade kulokhu kubukiswa umdlalo wokubindana oweWWF, iWorld Wrestling Federation.

UMnu Nhliziyo wathatha amatomu ayebekwe ethaleni elaliphambi kwabo wakhombela ngawo kumabonwakude. Ngalesosenzo umsindo kamabonwakude wadedela phansi. Babuye baqala njalo ukubingelelana bexhawulana kakutsha.

Phela kulisiko leSintu seSizwe sikaMthwakazi, esikaMzilikazi kaMatshobana ukubingelelana ngokuxhawulana. Lokhu kubonisa ukuthi abantu bajabulelene njalo bafiselana impilo enhle. Ayabe engabingelelananga aMaNdebele eSizwe sikaMthwakazi nxa engaxhawulananga.

Kodwa ke esililweni nxa kukhalelwana akusilo isiko laMaNdebele ukuxhawulana. AMaNdebele athi ukuxhawulana kwabantu nxa bekhalelana esililweni kusuka kubonakale sengathi yikujabulela ukuthi umuntu ufile. Ngakho ke ayengaxhawulani aMaNdebele nxa ekhalelana. Lokhu osekusenzeka kulezi insuku kulethwa yikuxubana kwamasiko ezinye iZizwe lezindimi zaseZimbabwe.

‘Hawu! Langenkathazo zikaDikhwela baba Nhliziyo!’ Kwatsho uMabuza emva kwemizuzwana embalwa.

‘Hawu! Mabuza! Utsh’ ukuth’ uVundla kasekho? Kwenzakala nini lokho ndoda?’ Wabuza ngokumangala langokudana okukhulu okaNhliziyo.

‘UVundla kasekho Mnu Nhliziyo. Ubhubhe ngoLweSihlanu ebusuku. Simbeke izolo. Kunje nje ngivela khona ekhaya eLupane emngcwabeni.’

‘Haa, haaa! Lakanye langenz’ ulunya ke madoda. Lize lehluleke lokungazisa kodwa lokhu Mabuza!’ Watsho ebamba isihlathi lesilevu okaNhliziyo.

‘No. Isikhathi sakhona Mnumzana. UDikhwela ubesegulela esibhedlela saseLupane ekhaya. Ubhubhe ngoLweSihlanu ebusuku. Umnewabo uthe ethola ucingo ngoMgqibelo ekuseni wahle wadlula engithatha ngoba sakhelene eNkulumane.

‘Sihle saqonda koDoves sadlula sithenga ibhokisi sasesigijimela khona eLupane lapho abhubhele khona.’ Kwachasisa okaMabuza eqala ngokusebenzisa ibala lolimi lweSingisi ababejwayele ukukhulumisana ngaso nxa besemsebenzini.

‘Kuboni ke kuthe ekuphendukeni kwethu ngasengicela uVundla ukuthi angehlisele lapha eMagetsini ukuze ngidlule ngikwazisa. Kunje nje yimi lawe sobabili esesisazi ngale imfa. Amanye amatitshala wonke awakezwa lutho,’ waqhubeka njalo ngalawo okaMabuza.

Hayi ke loNhliziyo wazwisisa wambonga uMabuza ngokuthi amazise nje kusesemasinyane. Wakubona sobala nje okaNhliziyo ukuthi kwasekuphelile.

‘Hayi lapho ke ubeyindoda sibili Mabuza. Ah, angiselankani,’ watsho okaNhliziyo eqonda ngasemsamo lapho okwakulechacho eduze lomabonwakude khona. Wafika wafaka ingoma yaboGandaganda amaSoul Brothers ingoma eyayisithi, ‘Izinyembezi.’

Amazwi aleyongoma ayebuhlungu ekhuluma ngokufa kwemihla ngemihla esithi,

‘Kuyadabukisa, okwenzekayo,

Kulumhlaba-a, Esikiwo-o.

‘Izinyembezi-i, Zihlala-a,

Zigcwel’ ame-ehlo njalo nje-e.

‘Uny’ a-aka, lonya-aka-a-a,

Kuhlalwa, K’ kha-alwa-a-a.

‘Abasezinhlungwini-i, Mabapho-ole-e,

Esingike-e, Sisababona-a abalale,

Ngoxo-olo.

‘Zihlobo ezilahlekelwe,

Akwehlang’ olungehla-anga-a.

‘Ku-ubuhlungu-u-u, Kuyadabukisa-a.’

Umbiko wokufa kukaMnumzana uVundla uNhliziyo wamudla emoyeni, wamhlaba enhliziyweni okwenkomo yokuhlatshwa yona ehlatshwa emahlabankomo. UVundla laye babethandana hatshi okokubuzwa njalo basebethathana njengomuntu lomfowabo. Babesebenze bonke behlala, bepheka, babuye badle ndawonye okweminyaka.

Ithemba ayelalo uNhliziyo elokuthi uJosefa wayezagula asile laseliphelele emoyeni laseboyeni okwesithukuthuku senja. Ukugula kukaVundla kusukela kunyanga kaNhlangula kusiya phakathi kwekaNcwabakazi kwakungathathanga isikhathi eside okokuthi kube yisikhathi sokwehlukanisa inyama lomphefumulo.

Yebo abantu babake bagule kodwa ke okwenyanga ezimbili kuphela kuyadabukisa. Ngitsho lawo lowo umkhuhlane wakulezi insuku awubulali ngenyanga ezimbili. Abantu bayagula iminyaka lezinyanga bebonakala ukuthi bayagula. Abanye babasuke bacake baze baqothuke lezinwele. Abanye njalo imilomo iyaphenduka ibebomvu babenjengabantu abalamangwambi.

Kodwa uVundla ugule inyanga ezimbili kuphela. Kazange acake loba aqothuke inwele. Akusiye lo obexoxa loNhliziyo nyakenye ethi uhlolise igazi lakhe laphuma limsulwa lingelamagciwane?

Indaba yokufa komngane wakhe uNhliziyo ayizange imphathe kuhle. Wazibuza imibuzo eminengi nengi kodwa akaze azuza isisombululo. Yebo kambe njengejaha elisakhulayo njalo elisebenza umsebenzi olemali, uJosefa ubeyinkonjwa kodwa bekungelasibonakaliso sokuthi angabulawa ngumkhuhlane lo osuqede umhlaba, umkhuhlane othelelwanela emacansini. Bebekhona ababalisi ababili loba abathathu abesebegule okweminyaka besiya ezibhedlela babuye baphume.

Bebelazo zonke inkombisa ezibalwayo ezalo umkhuhlane. Kodwa bonke bebesawadla amabele. Besekusithi lo umuntu obeqine kakhulu engabonisi impawu zokugula kube nguye osehamba kuqala? Ngenyanga ezimbili nje kuphela?

Esigabeni sakoSiyaminsale lapha abekhona amantombazana ambalwa ayeke athandana laye uJosefa. Amantombazana lawo abegulile njalo esefile. Bobathathu bebefe ngokugula ngezifo ezingaqedisisekiyo. Bonke bebegula-gule badlula kulo umhlaba. Owokucina wabo ubebhubhe nyakenye phakathi komnyaka. Ubemncinyane kulabo bonke kanti ke ubeke wafunda lakulesisikolo.

Kwakuthe ekuqedeni kwakhe ibanga lesikhombisa wahlala-hlala iminyaka embalwa ekhaya wasesiya dinga umsebenzi edolobheni laseHwange. Ubesiza nje ekhaya bafike babonane loJosefa. Kodwa ukuza kwakhe kokucina ubesegula. Kagulanga ke okuya ngaphi wasesedlula.

Ukudlula kwakhe emhlabeni uKhethani kwamangalisa abanengi. Inengi labantu lalisolela ukuthi wayedliwe ngumkhuhlane wakuzo lezi insuku. Njengabo onyanewabo laba ababili ababhubha mandulo ababethandana loJosefa abantu babexokozela ngokuthi uKhethani laye ubulewe ngumkhuhlane womhlaba wonke.

Lindaba yayethuse abantu abanengi ngitsho laye imbala uDikhwela ngokwakhe yayimethusile. Yikho nje okwakubangele ukuthi ngenye imini alume indlebe yomngane-mnewabo uJekiseni Nhliziyo. Babekade belokhu bexoxa ngayo indaba yokudlula kukaKhethani emhlabeni lapho uDikhwela azizwa esebikela uNhliziyo ngokuya hlolwa kwakhe igazi ezinyangeni ezimbalwa ezazedlule. UJekiseni yena wayembuzisisile umngane-mnawakhe ukuthi kwakungani wayekhethe ukuyahlola iHIV.

Wayemphendule ngokuthi wayeke wahlaselwa yinyongo waze wacabanga