Written by a Poet: Sindi Nobuntu (Twitter @Sindi_Nobuntu)
Kukhona umehluko phakathi kukasonkondlo (poet) kanye nembongi (praise singer). Usonkondlo umuntu ocikoza ngamagama asuka emizweni yakhe, ngezinto asuke ezibona noma adlula kuzo. Imbongi umuntu obongelayo, ikakhulu amakhosi, okwazi ukukhulumisa wonke amakhosi asekhotheme, nawo aphinde akwazi ukuxhumana naye. Uma imbongi ixhumana namakhosi isuke ikwenza lokhu njengomthandazo iwabikela ngesimo esisuke sisihle noma sisibi.
KwaZulu izimbongi zashintsha ukubizwa ngaleli gama zabizwa ngeziNyosi. Isizathu salokhu ukuthi uBhejane ISilo uZwelithini kaBhekuzulu wethiwa igama elithi ‘uMbongi’, ethiwa udadewabo uMntwana uNonhlanhla, njengawo wonke amakhosi ethiwa amagama obunsizwa. Izimbongi zase zishintshwa zabizwa ngeziNyosi ngoba kuhlonishwa igama leSilo.
INyosi-ke ingomunye wabantu abadlala indima ebabalulekile ebukhosini ngokugcina umlando wobukhosi. Iyona ephinde ithophe inkosi ngokubikela abantu/isizwe ngobukhona bayo kuleyondawo. Nakuqala ngezikhathi zenkosi uShaka kaSenzangakhona yayingaphakwa impi ingekho iNyosi ezobonga amakhosi. Uma ngaleso sikhathi sekufike iNgonyama, uNdunankulu, izinyanga eziphethe izintelezi kanjalo namabutho, kwakungayiwa empini ingekho iNyosi ezobikela amakhosi ngokwenzekayo nokuyokwenzeka.
INyosi ikwenza lokhu ngokulandela inkosi noma ikuphi la iyakhona ukuze iqophe ezibongweni izigameko ezinhle nezimbi ezisuke zenzeka. Ingakho iNyosi ihlala eduze nenkosi khona izophinde iqophe ngobugagu, isebenzisa ulimi lobunkondlo ngokuphawula ngalokhu abantu abakuthandayo nabangakuthandi. Ngakho kusemqoka ukuthi inkosi iyisondeze eduze iNyosi khona izoqonda abantu bayo.
IziNyosi ziyaveza futhi izimo inkosi ebhekana nazo, nanokuthi izithatha kanjani lezo zimo. Isibonelo, kuyavela ezibongweni zeLembe uShaka kaSenzangakhona ukuthi kwathunyelwa abantu besifazane ukuthi bamchukuluze njengenkosi yangaleso sikhathi, kodwa akabenzanga lutho ngoba wayebhekana namadoda ngqo isikhathi esiningi. INyosi uMaxhamama kaSoshaya Sibisi yase iqopha kanje:
“…uteku lwabafazi bakwaNomgabhi abetekula beseMlovini bethi uShaka akayikubusa, akayikubankosi kanti ilapho ezakunethezeka khona…”
Okunye ngeNyosi yeLembe uMaxhamama kaSoshaya, kuthiwa ngesikhathi kukhotheme inkosi uShaka waya esibayeni wafike wathopha inkosi ngezibongo zayo, wabiza namakhosi asakhothama kusukela liphuma ilanga laze lacishe layosithela. Kuthiwa waze woma amathe emlonyeni wagcina eshabalala khona lapho. Ngalesenzo kutshengisa ukuthi wadela impilo yakhe njengeNyosi eyayisondelene kakhulu nenkosi uShaka kaSenzangakhona.
Nazi ezinye zeziNyosi zamakhosi akwaZulu: