AMA HIGHLIGHTS NGOKUZALWA KUKA SHEMBE, ISIKHONZI SENHLUPHEKO. 1. UMUZI WAKWA RADEBE. UMalindi Mthimkhulu kwabe kuyinduna kaLangalibalele Radebe inkosi yamaHlubi. Wabe akhe eNtabamhlophe esifundeni saseMtshezi (Escort). Abantu bakwaRadebe babuye babizwe ngokuthi Mthimkhulu. Kulomuzi kwazalwa intombazanyana uYise owayibiza ngokuthi uSitheya. Cishe kuphakathi kweminyaka yo 1830. Lo mtwana wakhula ethandeka emndenini ngenxa yenhlonipho owabe enayo kusukela ekuzalweni kwakhe. Wakhula uSitheya eyintombazane ethandeka kakhulu, engazange atholakale ehlazweni. Waye ligugu elikhulu kubazali bakhe. 2. USITHEYA NEZWI. Kusukela uSitheya engena ebuntombini kwakuthi uma eyedwa ezwe izwi likhuluma, kodwa wayengamboni umuntu okhulumayo, engazi ukuthi lelizwi livelaphi. Izwi laliyaye lithi; "Sitheya Mtanami, ungazoni ebusheni bakho, uyozala isikhonzi seNkosi esithiwa uShembe". Wayengaqondi ukuthi lokhu kuchazani, noma eyixoxa ekhaya abazali babengaqondi ukuthi lokho kuchazani lokhu okubikwa umtwana wabo. Ngelinye ilanga uSitheya esesebenza emapulazini, bevuna ukolweni bewumisa izithungo. Kwabe kunezintombi eziningi, bashiya bahamba bayodla. Kwathi besekudleni kwafika umoya omkhulu oyisiphepho waphephula zonke izithungo. Ekubuyeni kwabo bafica izithungo ziphephukile, kodwa kusele esikaSitheya. Bonke baxakeka naye wamangala ukuthi kwenzeke kanjani. Kwathi sekuntambama ngalo lolosuku labuya futhi lelozwi kuSitheya wezwa sengathi kukhona umuntu ohleli ekhanda lakhe. Lakhuluma, limukhumbuza ngomoya owise izithungo, ukuthi loyomoya ubulethe uShembe. Akazanga ukuthi konke lokho kusho ukuthini. 3. USITHEYA NEMBALI. Emva kwalesehlakalo sezithungo, uSitheya wahamba futhi ngelinye ilanga nezintombi beyotheza ehlathini. Kwathi bephakathi nehlathi bezwa iphunga elimnandi ababengalazi ukuthi liqhamukaphi. Bagijima lonke ihlathi befuna umsuka waleli phunga. Kuso leso sikhathi babona imbali enhle eyabe inezimbali ezinhlobonhlobo yemibala. Zonke izintombi zaya ziphangelana kulembali, kodwa uSitheya yena wazedlula zonke ngejubane naye ephikelele kulembali eyisimangaliso. Wathi uma efika kuyo wayikha, zathi uma zifika ezinye izintombi zambamba zifuna le mbali eyabe isesandleni sakhe. Kwathi esebona ukuthi bayamephuca imbali, wavele wayifaka emlonyeni yonke wayidla. Eseya ekhaya labuya futhi lelozwi. Wezwa umuntu emoyeni ethi: "Sitheya, lokhu obukudla bekungesiyo imbali, kepha uMoya oNgcwele, wena lapha okhalweni lwakho kuyohlala umuntu oyisikhonzi seNkosi" kusukela ngaleso sikhathi waqala wathi uma elele aphuphe ebona abantu abaningi abafake izingubo ezimhlophe behalalisa. Uma evuka eyixoxa lento kungabibikho oyinakayo noyichazayo ukuthi ngabe isho ukuthini. 4. USITHEYA EGANA UMAYEKISA. Kwakulusiko lakwaZulu ukuthi umuntu uma esezoganwa atshele abazali bakhe, babonisane ngentombi afuna imgane nokuthi abazali babe nombono ngentombi abayithandayo bona. Kanjalo noMayekisa, wazisa uyise uNhliziyo ngokuthi sesifikile isikhathi sokuba aganwe, kodwa kwathi uma ebikela uYise wathola ukuthi unenye intombi emoyeni wakhe, leyontombi kwabe kunguSitheya. Kwathi lapho uNhliziyo etshela indodana yakhe uMayekisa ukuthi inhliziyo yabe isigxile kuSitheya, uMayekisa wavumela phezulu wathi; "intando kababa ayiphumelele, eyami inciphe". UNhliziyo wavuka ngakusasa wathatha izinduku zakhe wehlela emfuleni lapho kukha khona abakwaRadebe. Wafika wacosha amatshe amancane ayisithupha anemibala emihle wabe esekhuphukela khona njalo kwaMthimkhulu. Lemizi yabe ingaqhelelene kakhulu. Wafika uNhliziyo wakhuleka esangweni ekuseni. Kwathi ukuba babingelelane noRadebe, babuzane impilo wabe esewathela phansi uNhliziyo amatshe phambi kukaRadebe. Wethuka uRadebe wathula emangele ebuka amatshe ukuthi kwenzakalani. Wathatha uNhliziyo wathi: "Yamuke nazi izinkomo zakho wena wakwaMthimkhulu". UMalindi wabuza ukuthi ufuna bani. Waphendula uNhliziyo wathi: "Ngifuna indodakazi yakho uSitheya". Wabizwa uSitheya, kwathi uma efika wayesekhuluma uRadebe ebuka amatshe wathi: "Sitheya mtanami yamukela nazi izinkomo zami ezifika noNhliziyo kaMzazela". USitheya waphendula ebhekise kuyise wathi: "Wena baba uyabathanda yini labantu?" Waphendula uMalindi wathi: "Yebo mtanami ngiyabathanda". Yabe isithi indodakazi kaMalindi "Intado yakho baba ayenzeke kimi" Washo qede zagobhoza izinyembezi kuSitheya, esekhumbula izethembiso akathenjiswa zona kusukela engena ebuntombini zokuthi esiswini sakhe kuyohlala isikhonzi esithiwa uShembe. Yacelwake lentombi yakwaRadebe, zakhokhwa zaphelela izinkomo zelobolo bagcagciselana kahle ngomthetho wakwaZulu. USitheya wabe eyinkosikazi yokuqala kaMayekisa. UMayekisa wagcina enamakhosikazi amathathu 5. ABATWANA BAKAMAYEKISA KUSITHEYA. Njengoba sekushiwo ukuthi uSitheya wabe eyinkosikazi yokuqala kaMayekisa, uSitheya wazala abatwana abalishumi ngokulandelana kanje: 1. Nonyanga - intombazane 2. Bheshu - umfana 3. Jubindaba - intombazane 4. Sichwe - intombazane 5. Mdliwamafa - umfana 6. Qedizwe - intombazane 7. Nokwazi - intombazane 8. Mziyonke - umfana 9. Tutu - umfana 10. Zikholise - intombazane Lokhu kusho ukuthi uSitheya wazala abafana abane namantombazane ayisithupha. 6. UKUZALWA KUKA SHEMBE. Noma uMdliwamafa waba ngowesihlanu kunina, kodwa bonke laba batwana ababengaphambili kwakhe babefa bebancane, cishe ukuthi wathi ezalwa uMdliwamafa babengasekho bonke. UBheshu yena wafa esanda kuzalwa nje. Nodadewabo ababemlandela bafa bebancane kakhulu. Ngokwezintshumayelo zikaShembe zo-1920, uShembe wazalwa ngo-1856, kodwa ezinye izincwadi zithi wazalwa phakathi kwa 1865- 1870. Laphake sizothatha amazwi akhe okuthi wazalwa ngo 1856. Kwathi uSitheya eseganile kwaShembe wabe usuyaphela lomoya nalelizwi elabe lihlala likhuluma naye. Sekuyizinyanga eziyisithupha uSitheya ekhulelwe uMdliwamafa labuya ngamandla leli phupho eliyisibonakaliso kuSitheya. Kwakuthi uma elele abone abantu abaningi bembethe izingubo ezimhlophe, bese kuvele lelozwi owabe elizwa eyintombi lithi: "Wena uyozala umuntu oyoba isikhonzi senkosi". Wavuka waxoxa ngaleli phupho izikhathi eziningi, kodwa akekho owamnaka, babevele bamhleke nje. Kwaze kwafika isikhathi sokuzalwa kukaShembe enaleliphupho. Lapho esezelwe uShembe uyise wamqamba wathi uMdliwamafa ngoba wabe eyinkosana yakhe njengoba uBheshu washona esanda kuzalwa. Kwathi kuyisemkhulu elele kwafika umuntu ngephupho wamtshela ukuthi lo mtwana igama lakhe uShembe. Lokhu kwenzeka uShembe engakazalwa. Kwathi uma esezelwe wabe uNhliziyo esethi igama lalo mtwana uShembe. Igama elachuma elokubizwa ngoShembe okunokubizwa ngoMudliwamafa. 7. UKUKHULA KUKASHEMBE. Njengoba uSitheya wabe eshonelwa abatwana noShembe wakhula engumtwana ohlala ngokugula. Waqala ukuhlupha eseqala ukugijima. Wagula kakhulu ngalesi sikhathi. Kwathi abazali bakhe sebethukile wavele wabonakala esephangalele. Unina waba nokudideka, akaze wazi ukuthi lelizwi ebelilokhu likhuluma naye lalichazani. Esephangalele kwabizwa omakhelwane ukuba bazokumba ingcwaba. Kwathi lapho beqeda ukumba, kwafika umfana evela ekweluseni wafika wabika kuMayekisa ukuthi enye yezinkomo zakhe ifile. Lapho bembuza ukuthi ibulawe yini wabika ukuthi bayibone iwa nje edwaleni yafa. Kwathi uma kuzwakala lesigameko bethuka kakhulu bonke abantu. Kwase kuthunywa omunye umuntu ukuba ayobhula esangomeni, uLukhozana Mahlobo. Wathi uma efika uLukhozana isangoma samtshela ukuthi akahambe etshele uMayekisa ukuthi akangakhathazeki ngoba ukufa kwenkomo kwakubuyisa ukuphila komtanakhe. kwathi lomuntu othunyiwe engakafiki ekhaya, kwathi laba ababelinde isidumbu somtwana babona ingubo eyembese isidumbu isinyakaza. Kwamiswa ababemba ngoba kubonakala isidumbu sinyakaza. Bonke abantu babuyela endlini ukuzobona lo mhlola, kwatholaka isidumbu sikaShembe sinyakaza, ukuphila kwabuya kancane waze waphaphama ekufeni. Ebuya uLukhozana esangomeni wafika umtwana esephapheme. Lagqitshwa ithuna waphila uShembe. Kwathi lapho uShembe cishe eseneminyaka eyi-5 kuyaya kweyi-7, edlala ngobumba nabanye abatwana, wakha izinkomo zobumba njengabo bonke abatwana. Khona lapho wabe esekhuluma nalo lolubumba elutshela ukuthi aluhambe njengokwenza kwazo zonke izingane. Khona lapho ubumba lwavele lwanyakaza lwahamba njengokusho kwakhe. Izingane ezabe zikhona lapho zethuka kakhulu, zagijima zayobika emakhaya ngalesi senzo sikaShembe. Kwaduma yanke indawo yaseNtabamhlophe ukuthi umtakaMayekisa ukwazi ukukhuluma nobumba lumphendule, kwathi uma kubikwa kunina lesi siga wavele wathi akumangalisi lokho ngoba yena uyazi ukuthi lomtwana ungowezimanga. Kwabikwa naseNkosini uLangalibalele, yaduma izwe lonke. SIZOQHUBEKA LAPHO USHEMBE ESEHLALA EPULAZINI LOMLUNGU U CONRAD GLEBE, LA KULAPHO AQALA KHONA UKUKHULUMA NONKULUNKULU.