ISIZWE saKwaMlaba, oXimba, saziwa ngokuthi singabantu abazithandayo, amaqhathanzipho oqobo. Abanye abantu bathi yingakho izintombi zakwaXimba, zingawesweli umendo. Kuthiwa ingaba buhlungu ebusweni, ime kabi, intombi yakhona kodwa lokho kugqitshwa wukuthi iyazithanda.
OXimba, sibathola beseluShiselweni, eSwazini, lapha ababezinze khona isikhathi eside, beyizingane zikaNyawo (igama lomuntu). Abanye abantu bathi abakwaMlaba ngabeSuthu, kanti cha, bangabeNguni baseMbo, yize bake bazinza eLesotho, bebalekela izimpi.
UMlaba kwakuyigama lomuntu, uXimba kwakungenye yamadodana kaNyawo. Ekufudukeni kwabo abakwaXimba, bengena ezweni leNdlovukazi uMthaniya, sibathola befikela eBaqulusini, eVryheid, bakhosela esizweni sakwaZwane, eNtshenteka, phakathi kwezintaba iHlobane neZungwini.
AbakwaXimba, babeqapheleka ngoba izindlu ababezakha zazifulelwe kahle ngobunono, besinda kahle, izibaya zezinkomo zabo, zibiyelwe kahle, zithothene kahle. Umuzi wakwaXimba wawungawubuzi, wawubona ngokuhleleka kwawo, wakhiwe kahle ngobunono.
OXIMBA BAFUDUKELA EMTSHEZI
AbakwaXimba, bahlala kahle eBaqulusini, abathuthanga ngoba kukhona abaxabene nabo. Imfuyo yabo, yayisifuna amadlelo aluhlaza nasabalele, ngakho bafuduka nabo njengezinye izizwe.
Bafuduka baze bayofika eMaNgweni, eMtshezi, phela basebethathwa njengengxenye yesizwe sakwaZwane, yize bengahlobene. AMaNgwe nabakwaZwane, wumndeni owodwa, yikho ekufikeni kwabo abakwaXimba, bafikela esizweni saMaNgwe, eMtshezi. Baphinde basuka eMtshezi oXimba, bayokwakha ngaphansi kwezintaba zoKhahlamba, ngenxa yokuthi imfuyo yabo yase yandile. Bazigibelile izintaba zoKhahlamba, beqela eLesotho.
Ekufikeni kwabo eLesotho, base beholwa nguMlaba (igama lomuntu). Baphinde basuka eLesotho, bafudukela eMsunduzi, eNatali. Uzalo lukaMlaba olwasala eLesotho, lwaseluzibiza ngoMolaba. UMolaba abangebeSuthu, bangabantu ababodwa nakwaMlaba. Indlela yoXimba, yayithi eSwazini, eHlabane, eMtshezi, eLesotho, eMsunduzi, bagcina sebeseMkhambathini naseMahlabathini.
ABAKWAMLABA EMSUNDUZI NASEMKHAMBATHINI
Inkosi ephethe isizwe sakwaXimba njengamanje (2025), yiNkosi uSimingaye kaMsinga kaManzolwandle Mlaba. Inezinkantolo ezimbili, eMkhambathini (KwaXimba), enye inkantolo yesizwe sayo ingaphansi koMgungundlovu District Municipality. Into eyenza lokho, ukuthi ngesikhathi befika abakwaMlaba, eNatali, sebesuka eLesotho, bafikela esizweni sakwaZondi, eNdlini yaseNadi, enhla nomfula uMsunduzi.
Bahlala iminyaka enhla nomfula uMsunduzi, bagcina sebebekwa baba yizinduna zakwaZondi. Baba yizinduna zeNkosi uNsele kaGasa kaGagashe Zondi (eNdlini yaseNadi). AbakwaMlaba laphaya eMsunduzi, bakha umuzi waseNtendeni, inxuluma labo. Ngesikhathi sebethutha eMsunduzi, bahamba bayokwakha enhlanganweni yomfula uMngeni noMsunduzi, ezansi nawo, eMkhambathini (Camperdown).
Kuthiwa into eyayenza abakwaXimba bacebe ukuthi izintokazi zakhona (amadodakazi abo) ayegana, alotsholwe ngenqwaba yezinkomo, ngoba ayengamanono, futhi ekhuthele.
EMkhambathini, bafikela eNkosini uMfulathelwa kaLudaba Majozi, isizwe samaQamu sabathanda laba bantu bakwaXimba, yize umholi wabo uMlaba, wayesekhothamele eMsunduzi. AbakwaMajozi (aMaQamu) abasikela indawo eyagudla umfula uMngeni, bagcina sebeyisizwe esizimele. Ngaleso sikhathi sase sikhona nesizwe sakwaMdluli, KwaNyavu, khona laphaya eMkhambathini.
UMQUNDANE MLABA ISETHENJWA SABELUNGU
UMqundane kaMabhoyi Mlaba, wayeyisethenjwa sabelungu. Babemthanda ngoba wayeyindoda ehlanzekile, ehlala njalo ephucile ekhanda. Abelungu bakhuluma neNkosi uMfulathelwa kaLudaba Majozi, yaseMkhambathini, bacela abantu abazoba yizinduna zabo, abathembekile.
INkosi uMfulathelwa kaLudaba Majozi, yajuba imfowabo omncane uNgoza kaLudaba Majozi, ukuthi abe yinduna kaSomtsewu (Sir Theophelus Shepstone). USomtewu wayesuke eKoloni – (Eastern Cape), engamele izindaba zabantu.
UMqundana kaMbhoyi yena wayethunywa ngabelungu iposi ngoba ngaleso sikhathi babexhumana ngokubhalelana izincwadi. Kunabantu abafunda ezikoleni ezazakhiwe nguBishop William John Colenso (uSobantu). Omunye walabo bantu kwaba nguMntwana uMkhungo kaMpande, owaba ngowokuqala eNdlunkulu kaZulu, ukufunda aze afinyelele kuStandard 6.
Kuthe uma amaNgisi esemnqobile uZulu empini yasoCwecweni (The Battle of Ulundi), ngomhla ka 4 kuNtulikazi (July), wango-1879, uMqundane kaMbhoyi wanikwa izwe eMahlabathini, ezansi neMfolozi.
ABAKWAMLABA EMAHLABATHINI
Ngesikhathi iSilo uCetshwayo sidingiselwe epulazini i-Ode Molen eWestern Cape, umbuso waMaNgisi, waklaya izwe laKwaZulu laba yiziqephu eziyi-13. Omunye owanikwa esinye seziqephu kwaba yiNkosi uMfanawendlela kaTshana Zungu, (uNcwane yenkomo yaseMahenyeni).
Naso isiqephu sezwe lakwaZungu, saphinde saklaywa, yiwona aMaNgisi, asikela uMqundane Mlaba, ngoba embonga ngokuba yisisebenzi sawo esethembekile, eyisithunywa esasazi izimfihlo zabeLungu. Lapho aMaNgisi abeka khona uMqundana Mlaba, kwakuyisigodlo soMntwana uShingane kaMpande, umuzi wasoNkweni.
Phakathi kwamadodana aso iSilo uMpande, esasiwakhonzile kwakunguMntwana uShingana noMntwana uMthonga, unina owabulawa ngoba kuthiwa uMthonga wayencindiswa yiSilo uMpande odengezini lobukhosi.
ISilo uMpande, sithume ithimba ukuthi liyobheka umuzi owawakhiwe nguMntwana uShingana, phakathi nomfula iMfolozi. Izithunywa zabuya zathi cha ziwubonile umuzi woMntwana uShingana. ISilo sabuza ukuthi bafike badla ini kulowo muzi, zathi ziphakelwe imicaza (imifino). ISilo sathi “Hhawu! nindle uphuthu nemicaza kuphela nje.
Kanti kulowo muzi kusoNkweni (unkwe ngelinye igama lendlala), iSilo sasithi kusendlaleni, kulowo muzi- kusoNkweni”. UMntwana uShingana noMntwana uNdabuko, bahamba baphelekezela iSilo uDinuzulu, sidingiselwe esiqhingini iSt Helena ngo-1888.
Umuzi wasoNkweni kaMntwana uShingana kaMpande, waphela, ngoba lapho kwakusoNkweni khona, kwabekwa uMqundana Mlaba waba yinkosi. Ngesikhathi efika eMahlabathini, phakathi nomfula iMfolozi, uMqundana esuka eMkhambathini, wafika nabantu bakwaGwala, abakwaHlengwa (ababephuma eMbo- KwaMkhize), abakwaGoba, abakwaGasa, nabakwaMvubu.
Uzalo lwalabo bantu lusekhona ehlanzeni eNhlungwane, eMahlabathini namanje.
ABAKWAMLABA NJENGAMANJE
Isizwe sakwaMlaba, eMfolozi (eMahlabathini), sakhelene nesakwaMpungose nesakwaZungu. Ingxenye ethile yemayini yasoKhukho, ingaphansi kwesizwe sakwaMlaba. INkosi uSimingaye kaMsinga kaManzolwandle Mlaba, iphethe isizwe saKwaXimba eNumber 9, eMkhambathini, phakathi komfula uMsundizi noMngeni. Indawo yaKwaXimba, yangena emlandwnei ngokuba ngeyokuqala yasemakhaya, eyangena ngaphansi kweDurban Metro (uMasipala weTheku wawusabizwa kanjalo).
Kwakusabambe uMnu Zibuse Mlaba, engumholi wendabuko. Ungomunye wabasungula iCongress of Traditional Leaders (Contralesa), neNkosi uMhlabunzima Maphumulo. INkosi uSimingaye Mlaba, nguyena onguSihlalo weNdlu yabaHoli boMdabu, esifundeni iTheku.
IZIHLABANI NAMAQHAWE AKWAMLABA
• UMnu Obed Thembinkosi Mlaba, ubeyimeya yeTheku amahlandla amabili. Wabayinxusa lakuleli eNgilandi, kusaphethe uMnu Jacob Zuma, eNingizimu Afrika.
• UMnu Vusi Ximba, (ongasekho), wayengumculi onamahlaya, owaze waxoshiswa yiSilo uMdlokombane.
• UMnu Joshua Mlaba, wayengumsakazi kuRadio Bantu, iRadio Zulu, kungakabi uKhozi FM.
•Kuneqembu lomculo, abaKwaXimba, laseNquthu.
IMITHOMBO:
• INkosi uSiphiwe Majozi (Mqamu!), emzini wayo eLions Park, phakathi kweTheku noMgungundlovu (2009).
