EMKHUZE kusenyakatho-mpumalanga yeKwaZulu-Natal. UMkhuze yigama lomfula, kodwa ngesikhathi kwakhiwa idolobha, nalo laqanjwa ngoMkhuze.
Idolobha laseMkhuze liyikomkhulu likaMasipala wesiFunda uMkhanyakude. Izivakashi ziyithanda kakhulu indawo yaseMkhuze, lokhu kufakazelwa wukuthi ziningi izindawo zokulala ezikhona. Uma usuka eThekwini uya eMkhuze, uhamba u-350km, uma usuka KwaNongoma u-76km, eHluhluwe u-50km, oPhongolo u-65km, eJozini u-25km.
Abavela eSwazini, eMozambique, eGauteng, nasesifundazweni iMpumalanga, badlula eMkhuze uma bengena kweleNdlovukazi uMthaniya. Idolobha uMkhuze lingaphansi kukaMasipala waseJozini.
Indawo yaseMkhuze inezintaba zoBombo (oBonjeni), kanti ingaphansi kobukhosi bakwaMyeni (oMdolomba). Laphaya kunentaba, ebizwa ngokuthi iTshaneni (intaba yomlando). NgoNhlangulana (June) wango-1884 kwaba nempi phakathi koSuthu olwalweseka iSilo uDinuzulu, lulwa nesizwe saKwaMandlakazi, abalandeli boMntwana uZibhebhu kaMaphitha.
USuthu lwalugqishe namaBhunu, kanti uMandlakazi wawelekelelwa ngamaNgisi. USuthu lwanqoba kule mpi yaseTshaneni, iSilo uDinuzulu sasikela amaBhunu amapulazi njengenkokhelo njengoba ayesisizile kuliwa.
Intaba iTshaneni uma uyibuka ifana netshe kanti iseMkhuze. Yingakho ezibongweni zeSilo uDinuzulu kuthiwa: “Gijimani ngazo zonke izindlela, niyobikela abakwaLubelo (Mngomezulu), abakwaNtini (Jele/Gumbi), nabakwaVuma (Myeni), ukuthi amanzi oMkhuze bangawaphuzi ngoba uDinuzulu usegwaze impi yema, njengegama likadadewabo uSimiso.” Lezi zizwe yizona ezingasemfuleni uMkhuze.
Umfula uMkhuze isizalo sawo basikhomba phezulu eNgoje, ngasentabeni amaPhondwana, lapho kwakhe khona abantu bakwaNkosi (oNdlangamandla).
Ezinye izinto eziheha izivakashi, zithutheleke eMkhuze, wukuthi kuneziqiwu zezinyamazane nezilwane zasendle. Kunehhotela lodumo eMkhuze, elaziwa ngeGhost Mountain Inn, okunezindaba eziningi ezixoxwa ngalo.
Leli hhotela liseshashalazini lapho okwalwela kulona impi yaseTshaneni yango-1884. Isiqiwu iMkhuze Falls and Game Reserve, kulapho iSilo uMisuzulu kaZwelithini esabulala khona ibhubesi, esagoqwa ngesikhumba salo, ukuqinisekisa ukuthi ngempela siyiNgonyama kaZulu, okuwusiko olwenziwayo.
Ukufika kwabakwaMyeni eMkhuze
Kunezigodi eziseMkhuze ezingaphansi kobukhosi bakwaMyeni. Lezo zigodi esaseNkukhwini, eTshaneni, kwaMhlekazi (kunemizi yakwaFakude kulesi), naseZimbidleni, zingaphansi kobukhosi bukaNgwenya wakwaMyeni.
UDuma kaNgwenya (igama lomuntu, hhayi isibongo), nguyena umuntu wokuqala wakwaMyeni okuthiwa wafika evela KwaMpukunyoni, wakha ngaphansi kwezintaba zoBombo, ezansi nomfula uMkhuze.
Abozalo lwakwabo, uNsinze nomndeni wakhe, bezwa ukuthi uDuma kaNgwenya usethole indawo eMkhuze, bawela uThukela, bayokwakha eduze kwakhe ngaphansi kwezintaba zoBombo. UMdolomba ngenye yamadoda akwaMyeni. Wasikelwa yiSilo uMpande izwe ngoba wayeyiphisi, ezingelela iSilo. Izwe elanikwa le ndoda yakwaMyeni, lisabizwa ngokuthi kuKwaMdolomba namanje. UVuma, wasendlini encane yakwaMyeni, wakha ngaphansi kwezintaba zoboMbo.
ISIHLABANI SASEMKHUZE
NGUMroza Fakude, owaba ngumculi kamaskandi wokuqala ukuhlukanisa unyaka emsakazweni Ukhozi FM ngengoma ethi, Van Damme.
IMITHOMBO ESETSHENZISIWE:
IMaputaland Tourism Journal.
UMnu Mduduzi Myeni.
