IBUYISELWE ekhaya yanikwa iSilo uMisuzulu kaZwelithini imikhonto yamabutho kaZulu ayeyiphethe ngesikhathi seMpi yaseSandlwana ngo-1879.
UMajor John wethule imikhonto koNgangezwe lakhe ngesikhathi kunomcimbi wokukhumbula iMpi yaseSandlwana eNquthu, ngoMgqibelo. ISilo samukele imikhonto sinoNdunankulu kaZulu inkosi Mangosuthu Buthelezi.
Umlando uveza ukuthi iSilo uCetshwayo kaMpande saphaka izinkumbi zamabutho zahlangana namaNgisi zawehlula ngoJanuwari 22, 1879.
NgoMgqibelo amabutho kaZulu nawamaNgisi anikwe ithuba lokungcweka ekhombisa okwenzeka ngesikhathi sempi.
Bekuqhuma umkikizo uvela etendeni ebelinenqwaba yabantu abangadinwanga yilanga ebelishisa.
Kulo nyaka kuphela iminyaka engu144 kwaqopheka umlando odume umhlaba wonke wokunqoba kukaZulu.
UMajor John obethula imikhonto ubizelwe esiteji ehamba nelinye isosha bedlubhe umfaniswano wabo bakhuleka kokaNdaba. Baqale bethula okuthile okuyindilinga ebomvu abathe kuwuphawu loxolo base bethula imikhonto.
“Okwesibili esifisa ukukudlulisa yimikhonto eyacoshwa lapha eSandlwana ngesikhathi sempi, sibone kuyinto enhle ukuthi ibuyele ekhaya ngemuva kweminyaka engu-144 kwaba nempi,’’ kusho uMajor John ekhuleka eshaya indesheni.
Umphathi wohlelo uMntwana uThulani kaGqikazi wasendlunkulu uthe le mikhonto yiyona impela eyayiphethwe ngamabutho wancoma amaNgisi ngokukwazi ukubeka into isikhathi eside kangaka.
Omasipala bendawo bakhombise ukuweseka nokuwuthakasela kakhulu umcimbi womgubho wempi bejabulela nokunyathela kweSilo endaweni yabo. IMeya kaMasipala wesifunda uMzinyathi uMfundisi Petros Ngubane yethule izipho yathi uMasipala waseNquthu unyathelisa iSilo ngezinkomo ezimbili.
UMasipala waseNquthu uphinde wanyathelisa uNdunankulu kaZulu uShenge ngenkomo. UMzinyathi unyathelise iSilo AmaNgisi abuyise imikhonto kaZulu eyawagwaza eSandlwana ngezinkomo ezimbili noShenge wathola ezimbili. Amakhosi akhiphe inkomo nawo enyathelisa iSilo.
Imeya yoMzinyathi uNgubane imemezele ukuthi kunezinhlelo zokwakha umgwaqo osuka eSandlwana ubheke eShiyane nalapho okunomlando khona kaZulu.
Umcimbi ubuthanyelwe yizikhulu ezehlukene zikahulumeni kukhona nowayengumengameli uJacob Zuma onikwe umsebenzi wokuvala umcimbi ngamazwi okubonga.