Untsikane

UNtsikana wasungula umbutho wokuqala wamakrestu angam’Afrika pha ngeminyaka ye-1815. Wayekwangumbali wokuqala ngesixhosa obalaseleyo waekulo ecawa, kwaye iinno lakhe elibalaseleyo liyavela kwiincwadi ezininzi zamaculo ecawa zalemihla. UNtsikane lo wazalwa pha ngeminyaka ye-1780 kwiziswe sikaNgqika owayongamele amaRharhabe, wabaliphakathi ngokomnombo. Wayekhona xeshikweni iwhite settlement ye Eastern Frontier isanda kwaye kukho ungquzulwano phakathi kwamaXhosa nalamasetilane matsha. Utata kaNtsikane, uGaba wayenesithembu njengenkoliso yamaXhosa phambi kokuba aguqulwe (Bokwe 1914,4). Umama wakhe uNonabe wayengumfazi wesibini. Umfazi wokuqala wayenesikhwele waza wathyola uNonabe ngobugqwirha, uNonabe wanyanzeleka ukuba abaleke asindise ubomi bakhe. Emveni kwenyanga ezimbalwa uNtsikana wazalwa. Utata kaNtsikana waya kumlanda xa wayeneminyaka elishuni elinesibini. Njengoko uGaba wayezele intombi kumfazi wokuqala, uNoyiki wamamkela njengonyana wakhe. UNtsikane ukhule esolusa umhlambi katata wakhe kwaye efunda nokuzingela. Xeshikweni elulutsha, uVan Der Kemp weLondon missionary society waza kulenginqgi ihlala uNtsikana. Ukusuka ngowe-1799 ukuya kowe-1801 lemissionary yazama ukushumayeza kodwa impumelelo yayo yabancinci. UNtsikane waqala ukuwuva kuye lomyalezo wobuKrestu. UVan Der Kemp wawushiya umhlaba kaNgqika waya kuhlala eGraaff-Reinet. Imfazwe yalandela kwi-eastern frontier phakathi kweenkosi eziitshatsheleyo zakwaRharhabe, uNgqika noNdlambe. Le mfazwe yaphela kwidabi lase-Amalinda apho uNgqika wohlulwa khona. Amajoni kaNdlambe ahlasele iGrahamstown ngowe1819 (kwi frontier war yesihlanu) kwaye umda wamiliselwa phakathi komlambo iKeiskamma ne Fish river. Zange kwafika missionary kwingingqi kaNtsikane de yabangowe-1816. Yayingumfundisi uJoseph Williams, owavula imissionary station ecaleni komlambo iKat.

Emveni kobukhwetha nokungena ebudodeni, uNtsikana wathwalelwa abafazi ababini. uNontsonta owabangumama kaKobe, uNomamto owabangumama kaDukwana nabaninawa bakhe ababini. Ekuswelekeni kukatata wakhe, uNtsikana wafumana ilifa. Ngelixesha uNtsikane wayeneembono. Wayenenkunzi yenkomo awayeyithanda Kunene, yayilubhelu inamacokoza amhlobhe ineempondo ezinkulu igama layo inguHulushe. Ngenye intsasa wavukela ebuhlanti waya waphawula imitha yelanga ekhanya ukodlula eminye ikhanya kwicala lale nkunzi. Wakhangela imvelaphi yalemitha. Xa ebuza uKobe owayemi ecaleni kwakhe ukuba usibonile na esi sehlo, ukobe waphendula ngelithi hayi andibonanga nto. UNtsikana wamangaliswa sesisehlo. Kwenzeka omnye ummangaliso kwangaloomini emtshatweni. UNtsikana waya waguduka nosapho lwakhe, kwalapha endleleni waya wavasa imbola yakhe. Akekho owayekuqonda okwenzekileyo kuye. Ekuhambeni kweentsuku waqala wandumzela iculo elaphela iliculo lakhe lecawa. Waxelela abantu ukuba kumele bathandaze, waqala ngoko ukubamba inkonzo rhoqo. Wathi mabangalimameli ela xhwele uNxele. Oku yaba sisiqalo sebandla lakhe. UNtsikane akazange ahlale eMission kodwa wayemndwendwela umfundisi uWilliams, nasekuswelekeni kuka Williams waqhubekeka endwendwela umfundisi uBrownlee. Phambi kokuba asweleke ngonyaka we-1821 wayecinga nzulu ngokuyokuhlala kwimissioni iChumie (Hodgson 1981,6). UNtsikana wabhala amaculo ecawa amane, elona laziwayo leli lakhe. Onke asafumaneka kwiincwadi zale mihla zamaculo ecawa.