INKOSI MAQOMA – INQHAWE ELINESIBINDI LESIZWE SAMAXHOSA
By Lilitha Mdakana
Ambalwa kakhulu amagorha embali yaseMzantsi Afrika akhunjulwa ngesibindi namandla afana neNkosi uMaqoma. Eyinkokeli eyaziwayo yamajoni namaqhinga omkhosi wamaXhosa, uMaqoma waba ngomnye wabaphathi abanempembelelo enkulu ngexesha leMfazwe zoMda (Frontier Wars), efumana udumo njengomkhuseli ongenoyiko wabantu bakhe nomhlaba wabo.
Ezalwe malunga no-1798, uMaqoma wayengunyana weNkosi uNgqika kwaye wakhulela kwixesha lokuqina kwamaxhala phakathi kwesizwe samaXhosa nabahlali abafika kumazwe aseMpuma besiya kumhlaba wamaXhosa. Njengoko iingxabano ezimalunga nomhlaba neenkomo zazisiya zisiba mandla, uMaqoma waphuma phambili njengenkokeli ehloniphekileyo phakathi kwamaRharhabe.
Ngokungafaniyo nezinye iinkokeli zexesha lakhe, uMaqoma wayaziwa kungekuphela nje ngesibindi sakhe edabini, kodwa nangobuchule bakhe bamacebo emfazwe. Wayeyazi kakuhle imida neentaba zaseMpuma Koloni, kwaye wakusebenzisa oko ukukhokela ukuxhathisa umkhosi wamakholoni. Indawo yakhe yokuzikhusela eZintabeni zaseAmathole yaba ngumqondiso wokuzimisela kwamaXhosa ekukhuseleni umhlaba wawo.
Kuzo zonke iiMfazwe zoMda, uMaqoma wadlala indima ephambili ekukhuseleni umhlaba wamaXhosa. Ubuchule bakhe bokuhlanganisa amajoni nokugcina ukuxhathisa umchasi owayezixhobile kakhulu bamnika imbeko kubantu bakhe. Kubantu abaninzi bamaXhosa, waba ngumqondiso womzabalazo wokukhusela inkululeko kunye nendlela yabo yokuphila.
Nangona kunjalo, iminyaka yongquzulwano yashiya amanxeba anzima kuluntu lwamaXhosa. Njengoko ulawulo lwamakholoni lwaluqhubeka lusanda, uMaqoma wagqibela ngokubanjwa waza wafakwa entolongweni. Kamva wathunyelwa eRobben Island, apho wachitha khona iminyaka yakhe yokugqibela evalelwe.
INkosi uMaqoma wasweleka ngowama-1873, kude neentaba neentlambo awayezilwela ukuzikhusela. Kodwa ilifa lakhe lahlala lihleli. Namhlanje, ukhunjulwa njengelinye lamagorha amakhulu embali yamaXhosa — indoda eyala ukunikezela ngesazisi, umhlaba, nesithunzi sabantu bayo.
Ibali leNkosi uMaqoma alisiwo nje elomfazwe nokuxhathisa. Libali lobunkokeli, imibingelelo, kunye nokuzimisela okungagungqiyo kwikamva labantu bakhe. Igama lakhe lihlala likrolwe kwimbali yaseMpuma Koloni nakwibali elibanzi lomzabalazo wenkululeko nokuzimela eMzantsi Afrika.
INkosi uMaqoma — iqhawe elingazange livumele imbandezelo icime isibindi salo.
