Isizwe sakwaGwala eMaphephetheni Abantu baseMaphephetheni, kwaGwala, babeyingxenye yakwaDlamini ngesikhathi kuﬁ kwa eHlathini likaDlamini ePhakwe kuqhanyukwa ngaseSwazini kade kufudukwe uZulu wonke esuka eNkabazwe yeZwekazi i-Afrika lapho sekuyizwe laseSudan khona okuyindulo yamaZulu wonke nokulapho impucuko yomhlaba wonke yasungulwa khona. Kwathi-ke sekwehlukaniselwana izindawo ePhakwe, abakwaGwala banikezwa indawo yabo eduze kwentaba yasoPhisweni enhla kwesizwe saseMakhabeleni buqamamana nesizwe sakwaDlamini. Umuntu wokuqala esizwa ngaye nguMphephethe okwathi ngenzalo yesende lakhe kwadaleka isizwe saseMaphephetheni. UMphephethe kwezinye izindlu wazala oVilakazi noNzimande.Bayizihlobo ngalokho kwaGwala kwazise uGwala uyinkosana kaMphephethe. NguGwala owaba yinhloko yabo bonke abagcina beyisizwe saseMaphephetheni. Ngakho-ke uma kwenziwe umsebenzi wamadlozi kwakuye kuthiwe: “Nina bakwaGwala yizani nonke nizokudla. Naku ukudla kwenu”. Kuthe ngokusetshenziswa kwezangoma kwaguquka ngenxa yokuthi isangoma sasisho ukuthi ngubani owayengathokozile emadlozini akwaGwala bese inkulumo ibhekiswe kuye. Kwakuye kuthiwe sibani bani kasibani bani, uyise wakhe okwakugxilwa nakuye uma kukhona ngokwezangoma amashwa okuthiwa adalwa ukungathokozi kwendodana yakhe. Kugcinwe-ke ngoGwala ngoba engumuntu wokuqala. UMphephethe wazala uGwala, wazala uNombanjwa, wazala uMkhondo, wazala uDliwa, wazala uKhondlwane, wazala uMshika owayephinde aziwe ngoMaphinda, wazala uMajiya, wazala uMyeka, wazala uKamangwe. Lolu hlu ngolwendlunkulu yakwaGwala eMaphephetheni. Bayizihlobo nabakwaVilakazi nabakwaNzimande ngokuthi bonke bevela esendeni likaMphephethwa.Ukuhlanganiswa kwabakwaGwala noZulu wonkana Ngenkathi iNgonyama uShaka ihlanganisa izizwe zamaZulu ukubhekana nezitha zabelungu ezase ziqalile ukuhlasela kwaXhosa (1778-1887), isizwe sakwaGwala sasibuswa nguMshika kaKhondlwane. Ngaleso sikhathi kwakuthi uma inkosi yesizwe ishonile kwaGwala isidumbu sayo sonyiswe njengoba kwakwenziwa eNkabazwe lapho izidumbu zezingonyama zazonyiswa zigcinwe ezindlini ezazaziwa ngokuthi ngamaPhiramidi okulapho oFaro izingonyama zama-Afri endulo babethunwa khona imizimba yomisiwe. Ngakho-ke ukonyiswa kwezidumbu isizwe sakwaGwala sasikuthathe lapho sakugcina sakwenza noma sekuﬁ kwe lapha eNingizimu Afrika.Inqaba yabakwaGwala oPhisweni Abantu bakwaGwala babethembele kakhulu enqabeni yabo yasoPhisweni. Le nqaba yintaba enxazine ende kakhulu kanti kunzima ukuﬁ ka ethafeni layo phezulu kwazise kunamadwala ashelelelayo emaceleni. Phezulu kulithafa elikhulu. Kwakuthi-ke nxa kuqhamuka izitha zizohlasela isizwe sakwaGwala siqoqe izimpahla zaso okwakumbandakanya ukudla sikhuphuke ngeleli siyohlala phezulu ethafeni lasoPhisweni isitha sihlekwe usulu. Kwathi-ke uma impi yeNgonyama uShaka iﬁ ka izobahlasela, bakhuphukela khona phezulu entabeni njengokwejwayelekile. INgonyama uShaka yajuba ibutho layo elalivutha uphondo ukuthi liyobadiliza abaseMaphephetheni kumnyama kubomvu. Nempela lelo butho lacaca intaba ngezandla laze layoﬁ nyelela phezulu, isizwe sakwaGwala sanqotshwa. Kulokho kuhlaselwa iNkosi uMshika kaKhondlwane Gwala yasala enkundleni kodwa abantu abaningi baseMaphephetheni bagcina bezimbandakanye noZulu wonkana.UMajiya kaMshika uphikelela eMakhabeleni Enye ingxenye yaseMaphephetheni eyayiholwa nguMajiya kaMshika yaphikelela eMakhabeleni. Kuthe leyo ngxenye iselapho kwaqhuma impi yabakwaMkhize kaZihlandlo kaGcwabe ngaseNkandla yabahlasela. Sebenqontshiwe ngabakwaMkhize, uZihlandlo wakha umuzi wakhe waseNyakanye ebangeni elingamakhilomitha amane ukusuka oPhisweni. Kuleyo mpi nabaseMaphephetheni uMajiya kaMshika wasala enkundleni kuliwa nabakwaMkhize. Umfowabo kwaMyeka kaMajiya uMgwaduyana naye washona washiya amadodana amabili, uMadikane owayelanywa nguBafako. Ngakho-ke ingxenye yabakwaGwala eyayisinde kuleyo mpi yabaleka yaphikelela eMkhambathini iholwa nguMyeka indlalifa kaMajiya. Ngenkathi behlakazeka besesendleleni ephikelele eMkhambathini babehamba kanzima kwazise uBafako owayezalwa ngumfowabo kaMyeka uMgwaduyana owayengasekho emhlabeni wayemilwe yithumba elibi ethangeni. Lelo thumba lamqala behamba khona ehlane sebeyishiyile imizi yabo. Izinyanga zakwaGwala zase zenze yonke imizamo yokulelapha ithumba kodwa kunhlanga zimuka nomoya. Ithumba laqhubeka laba likhulu.Ukuﬁ ka kukaMajiya njengeMamba Kwathi sebelahle ithemba besakhungathekile ukuthi babezokwenzenjani emadlangaleni ababewakha ohanjweni lwabo, uBafako elele nje kwelinye idlangala, kwangena imamba kulelo dlangala. Abantu babaleka bathi galo yephuka, unina kaBafako ekhala ethi inyoka izobulala umntwana. Leyo mamba ayizange yethuswe ngabantu yaphikelela kuBafako yaﬁ ke yabeka umlomo wayo isikhashana phezu kwethumba likaBafako yanyamalala. Abantu baseMaphephetheni bathatha izinduku bayobhula ukuthi ngabe ukungena kwemamba endlini kade kusho ukuthini. Izangoma zabatshela ukuthi imamba eyayiﬁ ke yabeka umlomo wayo phezu kwethumba likaBafako kwakulidlozi likaMajiya. Zathi uMajiya wayezokwelapha ingane yakhe ithumba. Kuyaziwa-ke ukuthi ngokwenkolo yesiZulu idlozi liziveza kubantu kwesinye isikhathi ngesimo senyoka kodwa engenamathumbu.Yingakho-ke endaweni yaseMakhosini utshani bakhona babungashiswa kwesatshelwa ukushisa izinyoka ezazisesimeni samadlozi ezingonyama ezilele lapho. Okubalulekile ukuthi ngemuva kokungena kwemamba endlini nokubeka umlomo wayo phezu kwethumba likaBafako waphila qinqo nethumba elalisethangeni lakhe lanyamalala. Ngakho-ke isizwe sakwaGwala sihamba sedlula emahlathini amnyama nasemifuleni eyingozi idlozi likaMajiya lalilokhu libahlenge njalo kuzo zonke izingozi. Bagcina beﬁ ke endaweni yaseMkhambathini lapho bakha khona eningizimu yomfula uMngeni. Kulapho uMyeka azinza khona nesizwe sakhe. Okwethusa abakwaGwala ngokuﬁ ka kukaMajiya iNkosi yabo ukuthi umzimba wayo wabe sewusesimeni senyoka. Bona ababewejwayele ofanana nowabantu bonke.
