Kukurisa Ndzhaka ya va Pedi
E maninginingini ya matimba ya vona va Pedi kumbe Maroteng, ehansi ka vurhangeri bya Thulare (kwalomu kava 1790—1820), ava tshamela kuya pfilunganyisa vanhu lava avatsama ekusuhi vasechiwa. Va tise ndzhawu yikulu swinene leyi ayi sukela laha namuntlha hinge hile Rustenburg evuhuma dyambu kuya e Lowveld e vupela dyambu, kutani vaya e dzongeni kuya e nambyeni wa Vaal (eka tindzhawu leti tivekaka namuntlha tani hi Waterberg na Soutpansberg), ehansi ko fumiwa hi va Pedi. Va Pedi vakurile hi nhlayo na matimba, kukatsiwa vaakelani votala eka vuhosi bya vona.
E hansi ka matimba ya Thulare, mfumo wa va Pedi wukurile naswona vurhangeri bya Maroteng byifike emaninginingini. Nhlohletelo wa Thulare wufike laha anga hundzuka murhangeri wa ximoya eka mintlawa leyi ayiri ekusuhi lava avangari e hansi ka mfumo wa vulawuri bya va Pedi. Hi 1824, loko Thulare a hundza emisaveni, kuvuye ku fuma nwana wakwe wa jaha eka lava va nhungu, Malekutu, loyi anga ringeta ku ndlandlamuxa nhlohletelo wa va Pedi.
Nhlaselo wale Dzongeni wa va Pedi
Vuhosi bya Malekutu wava Pedi abyi tlhaveriwangi hi sana, naswona kuvikiwa leswaku uvuye a cheleriwa hi un’wana wav a boti wayena. Va Pedi vavuye va pfumala ntshamiseko loko va Nguni vavafikela kusuka edzongeni. Vativi va matimu ava avana hikuva vanga tivi leswaku nhlaselo wuve wa Matabele ehansi ka vurhangeri bya Mzilikazi, kumbe Ndwandwe ehansi ka vurhangeri bya Zwangendaba, loyi nayena anga phatluka eka Zwide endzhaku kaloko atava a hluriwile hi Shaka.
Eka migingiriko leyi hinkwayo, va Pedi ava khunguvanyekile naswona vana va majaha va Thulare, ehandle ka Sekwati, va dlawile. Vahlaseri va vaNguni vatshamile kuringana lembe, laha ava tshovela swibyariwa emasinwini naswona avava tekela tihomu. Mintlawa yotala yalekusuhi yisungule kuva swisiwana naswona kutshembiwa, kuya hi maendlelo ya masiku lawa vahundzuke vanhu lava ava dya nyama ya vanhu.
Sekwati u tsutsumile, na leswi anga kota kuswihlengeleta eka rixaka ra va Pedi, a tsemakanya nambu wa Olifants. Kuringana mune wa malembe valave vutumbelo eka vaakelani na maxaka eka vuhosi bya Ramapulana. Ava endla musecho himinkarhi eka tindzhawu letintsongo leti aku tshama vanhu, laha vanga khoma vavasati na tihomu.
Ekuheteleleni Sekwati utlhele a tsemakanya nambu wa Olifants kutani a sungula ntsindza wakwe e Phiring. Kantsongo ntsongo u hlanganisile swiphemu swa va Pedi leswi aswi hangalakile kutani a endla nakambe ndzhawu ya vulawuri bya Maroteng. U kotile ku alela nhlaselo kusuka eka maSwazi na maZulu, hikuva aya tumbela entshaveni yale kusuhi hiku hatlisa, ekuheteleleni a endla ntsindza wayena e Téate, ehansi ka kuvoyamela kale vuhuma dyambu bya tintshava ta Leolo.
Kurhula Lokunga Oloveku
Hi lembe ra 1845 murhangeri wa mabunu Hendrik Potgieter u tshamile evuhuma dyambu bya Steelpoort, laha anga sungula ndzhawu leyi namuntlha hinge hile Ohrigstad. Hiti 5 July lembe rero Potgieter na Sekwati va sayina ntwanano, lowu nyikaka Potgieter vun’winyi bya misava leyi. Kurhula lokunga oloveki kuvile kona exikarhi ka va Pedi xikan’we na nhlayo leyi ayi andza ya mabunu, laha akutshamela ku hlaseriwa ka tihomu hi va Pedi kutani mabunu vatlherisela.
Va Pedi vakotile kukuma matlhari hi xitalo hinkarhi lowu. Hosinkulu ayi sungule kurhumela mintlawa ya majaha kuva vaya tirha e Cape, Delagoa Bay nale migodini ya diamond e Northern Cape. Hiva 1870s, wanuna un’wana na un’wana loyi avuya ekutirheni a hakela ntsengo wa kwalomu ka £1 eka hosinkulu, leyi ayi tirhisiwa ku xava matlharhi na swibalesa.
Endzhaku ka rifu ra Sekwati kuvile naku pfumaleka ntwanano exikarhi ka vana vayena vambirhi va majaha, Sekhukhune na Mampuru, laha ava lwela vuhosi. Leswi swivange xiphiqo na hivukona bya mabunu, lava ava tisa nxungeto eka vulawuri bya va Pedi. Sekhukhune u hetelele a humelela eka ku lawula ntlimbo lowu awuri kona, kutani asungula kufuma tani hi mudya ndzhaka, leswi aswivonaka hikuva ari na vuswikoti byaku vitana lava lwaka eka swavuhosi na valandzeri, leswaku ata kota ku veka lava kokelaka etlhelo ehansi hi tihosi letinga tsakisiweki hi mfumo wayena.
Sekhukhune ekusunguleni ari na vuxaka na mabunu, kambe kutshukiselana mahlo leswi aswiya emahlweni ehenhla ka misava na vatirhi swi endle leswaku vuxaka lebyi byi fa, hiti 16 May 1876, va Transvaal Volksraad vasusa nyimpi endzhaku kaloko vatwe mahungu ndlela yaleswaku va Pedi valava ku hlasela mabunu eka ndzhawu yavona ya Lydenburg. Mabunu va hluriwile. Tinhweti timbiri leti landzelaka Sir Theophilus Shepstone a hoxa Transvaal Republic hiku yimela va British Crown, xiphemu lexi axi onhiwile hiku hluriwa ka mabunu hi va Pedi.
Endzhaku kaloko nyimpi ya maZulu yiherile hi July 1879, Sir Garnet Wolseley (High Commissioner wa South-Eastern Africa), ari na ntshembo wa leswaku Sekhukhune uta tsakela kurhula, laha anga nwinyika swipimelo swotika, a lava leswaku Sekhukhune a humesa tihomu ta 2 500. Sekhukhune anga pfumelangi swipimelo leswi, laha Sir Garnet anga hlengeleta vuthu ra 12 000 wa vavanuna, kukatsa 8 000 wa tinhenha ta maSwazi. Hiti 28 November 1879, endzhaku ka nyimpi yikulu laha masocha yo tlula 1 000 ya vaPedi vanga dlawa,Sekhukhune u hetelele a hluriwile. Uvuye aya khomiwa e bakwini kutani aya pfaleriwa e Pretoria. Kutani, hindlela leyi, mfumo wa va Pedi wuva wuwile hiku hetiseka.
Translated by Ike Ngobeni