Umkhulu Makhathini wazalwa ngo 1933 ezalelwa KwaZulu. Ngenxa yokufuna ukusondelana nomsebenzi wase akha endaweni yaseNkanyezini, kwaXimba esebenzela edolobheni laseThekwini. Usixoxela ngendaba yabantu abathakathayo noma labo okuthiwa banohlanga lokuthakatha ukuthi lutholakala kanjani nangendaba eyenzeka ngakubo esakhula.
Umuntu owaziwa ngomthakathi kungaba owesifazane noma owesilisa, futhi azikho izimpawu ababonakala ngazo, ngesinye isikhathi umuntu anukwe ngoba abantu bebona ukuba hlwempu kwakhe, kodwa izikhathi sezashintsha sekukaningi kuzwakala izigemegeme lapho kubanjwe umuntu oqotsheni emzini womnumzane. Ngokujwayelekile kuthiwa umuntu othakathayo ufuya izilwane ezifana nemfene notikoloshe okuyizo azisebenzisayo uma enza imisebenzi yakhe yobumnyama. Lezilwane ziyasetshenzwa kakhulu ngemithi ukuze phela zenze lokho ezikutshelwayo noma ezikuthunywayo.
Kuthiwa imbangela enkulu yokuthakatha idalwa ngumona. Umthakathi usuke ebona imfuyo kamakhelwane noma yesihlobo iyiningi, noma izinto zakhe zihamba kahle okungaba ukuthi uma enezingane zonke zibe nenhlanhla yokuthola umsebenzi noma zigane zonke kuthi ezomthakathi zingahanjelwa yilutho kahle. Ukuthakatha kuhlukene izigaba eziningana njengokuthi umuntu athakathe umuntu oyedwa emndenini, noma athakathe umndeni wonke kungaba ukuthi abaphuphise nje abantu bangahanjelwa kahle izinto noma kuze kuphume isidumbu. Isikhathi esiningi abantu abakwazi ukubona ukuthi bathakathiwe kodwa abanye bayabona izinto zingahambi kahle bafune usizo ezangomeni noma kubathandazi.
UMkhulu Makhathini uthi umuntu uhlanga wayengazi ukuthi unalo, ngesinye isikhathi kwakubonakala ngemisebenzi yakhe. Kuthiwa lowo owayesuke ezogcaba omunye akamutsheli kodwa uyamntshontsha engazelele. Ukuthakatha kuyinto yakudala ngoba ngokusolana kwabantu kwakugcina ngokuthi bayisane esigcawini kuyoqulwa amacala. Uma kukhona olahlwa yicala kwakufanele ahlawule noma adingiswe endaweni. Lokhu kwakujwayeleke ukuthi kwenzeke uma umuntu ebanjwe oqotsheni ethakatha.
UMkhulu Makhathini uxoxe ngendaba kamama wangakubo owaba nezigigaba ezinkulu endaweni, esahlawuliswa futhi kunenkolelo yokuthi unemikhovu noma izilwane eziningi. Lomama wayeganele kwaMabaso futhi enezingane, ngeshwa umyeni wakhe washona ngokuzuma kwaba nezinsolo ngokufa kwakhe. Waqhubeka nokwenza imisebenzi yakhe yobumnyama noma esegugile. Kwathi langa limbe lomama emenyiwe kamakhelwane wakhe kunomcimbi, nokuthe uma esephuzile utshwala watshela omunye umama wakwaNkabinde ukuthi akalande ingane yakhe emzini wakhe iyahlupha, iyivila futhi iyatetema. Kuthiwa njalo uma esephuzile wayezinto ayezisho kubantu kusuke umsindo ngoba phela abantu basuke belahlekelwe izihlobo zabo.
Kuthiwa ngelinye ilanga umakoti wakhona engazelele kwangena imfene ephekile, yangena yayohlala ngaseziko ngoba ilambile. Umakoti wethuka kakhulu nakuba wayehlala ezwa ngabanye abantu uma behlangene beya kotheza noma beyokha amanzi bembuza ukuthi uhlala kanjani nomthakathi. Wayehlala emphikela umamezala wakhe, lokhu kuchaza ukuthi umuntu uma engumthakathi akawutsheli umndeni wakhe kuba yimfihlo yakhe yedwa. Ngalesosikhathi lomakoti wayekhulelwe, kuthiwa imfene ibonakala ngoba akekho umnikazi wayo wayevakashele izihlobo esehambe isikhathi ekhaya. Kuthiwa umakoti wayincisha imfene ukudla, ngakusasa uma edlula ngasesihlahleni leso eyayihlala kuso yamhlasela washonela khona lapho. Kwaziswa umyeni kamakoti owafika ekhaya waxabana nomama wakhe.
Kuthiwa indodana yaganwa omunye umuntu yathola ingane okuyiyo ugogo ayinika uhlanga lokuthakatha ngenxa yokuthi namadolo ayeseqinile engasakwazi ukwenza imisebenzi yakhe yobumnyama. Kwathi umzukulu esekhulile esefike esigabeni sokugana yaqala inkinga wayehlala ebanjwa njalo egibela phezu kwezindlu zasemzini. Umndeni wahlangana wavumelana ngokuthi akabuyiselwe ekhaya ngoba wayengabaniki izizathu zezenzo zakhe. Ekugcineni umzukulu wathola ukuthi ugogo wakhe owamgcaba kwasuka ingxabano efuna ukuthi akalususe noma akhiphe umuthi emzimbeni wakhe okungelula ukuwukhipha ngoba nalowomuntu osuke enalo uhlanga uhlala njalo efuna ukuyothakatha.
By: Nelisiwe Hlongwane