Online Reporter
Innocent Kurira
IQEMBU leHighlanders kuliviki lihlanganyele lemikhosi yokunanza usuku lweBulawayo Day, litshengisa ubudlelwano obuqinileyo obukhona phakathi kwedolobho lakoBulawayo leqembu elidume kakhulu kumbali yebhola lenyawo kuleli.
Ngesikhathi idolobho lakoBulawayo ligubha iminyaka engu-132 lasungulwa, iBosso ibe lendawo yayo phandle kweCity Hall lapho abalandeli bebhola, izakhamizi lezivakatshi abathole khona ithuba lokufunda kabanzi ngembali yeqembu eselifikise iminyaka engu-100 lasungulwa.
Ukuhlanganyela kweHighlanders emikhosini le bekungayisikho nje ukuziveza kuphela kodwa, bekuyindlela yokukhumbula ubudlelwano obude phakathi kweqembu ledolobho. Eminyakeni edluleyo, iBosso iphenduke yaba yingxenye ebalulekileyo yesiko, imbali lempilo yabantu bakoBulawayo.
Kusukela ekuphumeleleni kwayo enkundleni kusiya ekubeni liqembu lamakhosi esizwe samaNdebele, iHighlanders isebenzise lelithuba ukuxhumanisa abalandeli balo lembali yalo kusukela ngo-1926.
Okunye okumqoka okwenziwe yiHighlanders yikuvakatsha kwabakhokheli beqembu emahofisini okuqala eqembu eMakokoba njengengxenye yeHighlanders Heritage Trail.
Loluhambo lukhumbuze abantu ngokuqala kweqembu njalo lwabonisa indima enkulu eyadlalwa lidolobho lakoBulawayo ekukhuliseni elinye lamaqembu ahlonitshwa kakhulu kwezemidlalo elizweni.
Ukuvakatshela indawo le kuhlanganise imigubho emibili emikhulu — iminyaka engu-100 yeHighlanders kunye leminyaka engu-132 yakoBulawayo — kugcizelela imbali elethela ukuzigqaja kuzakhamizi.
Kwabanengi, iHighlanders kayisilo nje iqembu lebhola kuphela. Imele ukubambana, imvelaphi, amasiko lesimilo sabantu bakoBulawayo, okuyizinto eziqhubeka zidluliselwa ebantwaneni lakubazukulu.
Ilunga lebhodi yeHighlanders u-Elkanah Dube uthe ukuhlanganyela kweqembu emikhosini yeBulawayo Day kutshengisa ubudlelwano obungasoze behlukane phakathi kweqembu ledolobho.
“Sigubha usuku lwe-Bulawayo ngoba idolobho leli liyinsika yeHighlanders. Iqembu leli lasungulelwa eMakokoba koBulawayo njalo kwaba ngumqondo wabazukulu beNkosi uLobhengula.
“Sinanza lolusuku ngoba loba kungaphi lapho iHighlanders edlala khona imela uBulawayo. Ngakho-ke lokhu kungumcimbi omkhulu kithi,” kutsho uDube.
“Sigubha kanye ledolobho lakoBulawayo kulobudlelwano esikholwa ukuthi buzaqhubeka kuze kube nini lanini ngesikhathi lathi sigubha iminyaka yethu engu-100.”
Umgcinisihlalo weHighlanders uKenneth Mhlophe uvumelane lamazwi la esithi uBulawayo yiyo eyakhulisa njalo yasekela iqembu kusukela lisungulwa.
“Highlanders leBulawayo kulobudlelwano obuqakathekileyo obumelane lesikhathi. Ngesikhathi sigubha iminyaka engu-100, siyakwazi ukuthi indaba yethu ayisoze ilandiswe ngaphandle kokubonga idolobho elisikhulisileyo laseseka kusukela kudala.
“Siyazigqaja ngokuba yingxenye yelifa lakoBulawayo njalo siyathokoza ukuhlanganyela lezakhamizi sigubha iminyaka engu-132 yalelidolobho,” kutsho uMhlophe. Njengoba iHighlanders iqhubeka lemikhosi yayo yeminyaka engu-100 lonyaka wonke, ukuhlanganyela kwayo kuBulawayo Day kube yisikhumbuzo sokuthi umlandu weBosso uxhumene kakhulu lowedolobho lakoBulawayo.
UBulawayo leBosso bayaqhubeka begubha ilifa elakhiwe ngokuzigqaja, amasiko lokubambana komphakathi.
