KWAKUNGOAGASTI 1936, kwiKomkhulu laseSwazini. URobert noGeorge Nisbet babesandul’ ukudlala umculo orekhodiweyo owalandelwa ziintetho zikaMzalwan’ uJ. F. Rutherford kwimoto enesandisi-lizwi. UKumkani uSobhuza II waba nemincili. UGeorge wathi: “Sakhathazeka gqitha kuba wayefuna ukuthenga umatshini wethu, iirekhodi kunye nesandisi-lizwi sokuvakalisa isigidimi soBukumkani!”

URobert wakhawuleza wacinga waza ebuhlungu wamxelela ukuba ezi zinto azithengiswa. Ngoba? Kaloku ezo zinto zazizezomnye umntu. UKumkani wafuna ukumazi loo mntu.

URobert waphendula ngelithi, “Zezomnye uKumkani.” USobhuza wafuna ukwazi igama laloo Kumkani. URobert wathi: “NguYesu Kristu, uKumkani woBukumkani bukaThixo.”

Ngembekokazi enkulu uSobhuza wathi: “Kuyabonakala ukuba mkhulu lo Kumkani. Andifuni kuthatha nantoni na yakhe.”

URobert wathi: ‘Sandichukumisa kakhulu isimilo sale ngotya [uKumkani uSobhuza]. Yayisithetha kakuhle isiNgesi kodwa ingazicingeli gqitha yaye kwakulula ukuthetha nayo. Ndahlala nayo kangangemizuzu engama-45 kwiofisi yayo, ngoxa uGeorge wayedlala umculo ngaphandle.’

URobert wahlabela mgama wathi: ‘Lathi lingekatshoni elaloo mini, saya kwesinye iSikolo saseSwazini apho safumana amava amnandi. Sashumayela kwinqununu yalapho eyasiphulaphula ngomdla. Sathi sakuchaza ukuba siphethe umatshini saza sacela ukudlalela sonke isikolo inkcazelo erekhodiweyo, yaba nemincili yaza yabiza abafundi abamalunga ne-100 ukuba bahlale engceni baze baphulaphule. Saxelelwa ukuba kwesi sikolo samabanga aphakamileyo amakhwenkwe afundiswa ezolimo, igadi, ukuchwela, ukwakha, isiNgesi, nezibalo; wona amantombazana afundiswa ukuba ngoonesi, ukwenza imisebenzi yendlu, kwaneminye eluncedo. Esi sikolo sasisekwe nguninakhulu wale Ngotya. *

Phofu ke kwangowe-1933, uKumkani uSobhuza wayekuthanda ukuphulaphula oovulindlela ababedla ngokufika apho Komkhulu. Ngenye imini, wada wabiza amajoni awayemgada ali-100 ukuba aze kuphulaphula isigidimi soBukumkani  esirekhodiweyo. Onke azamkela iincwadi zethu awazinikwa ngaba bazalwana. Akuzange kube kudala uKumkani waba nazo phantse zonke iincwadi zethu ezisekelwe eBhayibhileni. Ngaphezu koko, wazigcina kakuhle nakuba iincwadi zethu zazingafunwa yiBritani eyayilawula apho ngexesha lemfazwe yehlabathi yesibini!

Kangangeminyaka emininzi, uKumkani uSobhuza II waqhubeka ewamkela amaNgqina Komkhulu, eLobamba, ebiza nabefundisi ukuba baze kuphulaphula iintetho zethu ezisekelwe eBhayibhileni. Ngenye imini, ngoxa elinye iNgqina lalapho ekuthiwa nguHelvie Mashazi lalixubusha uMateyu isahluko 23, kwaphakama iqela labefundisi elinomsindo laza lamnyanzela ukuba ahlale phantsi. Kodwa uKumkani walinqanda, ecela uMzalwan’ uMashazi ukuba aqhubeke. Ngaphezu koko, uKumkani wayalela bonke ababephulaphule ukuba babhale iindinyana zeBhayibhile ezachazwa kuloo ntetho!

Emva kokuphulaphula intetho eyayinikelwa ngumzalwana onguvulindlela ngesinye isihlandlo, abefundisi abane ababelapho baziguqula iikhola zabo baza bathi: “Asisengabo abefundisi kodwa singamaNgqina kaYehova.” Emva koko babuza lo vulindlela enoba wayenazo na iincwadi ezifana nezo yayinazo iNgotya.

Ukususela ngeminyaka yee-1930 de kwasekufeni kwayo ngowe-1982, iNgotya uSobhuza yayiwahlonela amaNgqina kaYehova yaye ayizange ivume ukuba atshutshiswe kuba engazenzi izithethe zamaSwati. Ngenxa yoko, amaNgqina anombulelo gqitha kuyo yaye axheleka gqitha ukufa kwayo.

Ekuqaleni kuka-2013, bekukho abavakalisi boBukumkani abamalunga ne-3 000 eSwazini. Njengoko eli lizwe linabemi abathe kratya kwisigidi, umvakalisi omnye ujongene nabemi abayi-384. Oovulindlela abangaphezu kwe-260 bebexakekile kumabandla ayi-90, yaye kwiSikhumbuzo sika-2012 kweza abantu abayi-7 496. Lizicacele elokuba, eli lizwe liseza kuba nolwando. Ngokuqinisekileyo abo babedla ngokutyelela eSwazini kwiminyaka yee-1930 babeka isiseko esiluqilima.—Okuphuma koovimba bethu eMzantsi Afrika.