GIYA
MBONGI KAMTHWAKAZI
Langelihle
Mthwakaz’ omuhle! Siyadumisa ukudibana njalo kuleli iviki singabaphilayo. Umusa
weNkosi ulathi ngezikhathi zonke.
Wena
oloba inoveli ezangena kumncintiswano uqhuba njani? Ngithemba amacebo kaDr
Ndlovu akuphathisile ekuhleleni ugwalo lwakho.Nxa kukhona okusakuphicayo, buza.
Ungathikazi. Sikhona ukukuhlomulela lokukuhlomisa.
Izindaba
ezibonisa amandla kaNkulunkulu ezimpilweni zethu lazo ziyangena. Silinde
ukwamukela eyakho, sifunde kuyo sibusiseke. Siyababonga kakhulu bonke
asebesilobele ezabo. Siyabusiseka kakhulu ukubona indlela iNkosi esebenza ngayo
ezimpilweni zabantu bayo, ibaphilisa lalapho sebedelile, ibapha ithemba
lekhangelelo elihle.
Mthwakaz’
omuhle, nangu njalo uMartin Mlilo egiya phambi kwethu ngenkondlo yakhe le
esithi:
Martin Mlilo
MHLEKAZI WEZULU
Bayethe Mhlekazi wezulu
Bayethe dondolo lwabakholwayo
Bayethe siphephelo sabalungileyo,
Wena Mdali wakho konke, phakama!
Wena kukhanya kwezwe, khazimula!
Wena nqaba esicatsha kuyo, bayethe!
Ingqungqulu eyatshay’ amaphik’
eJerusalema
Izingilosi zonke zavungama ngo “Amen!”
Bayethe Mhlekazi wezulu!
Wena litsh’ elaliwa ngabakhi
Lajika laba yinsika yendlu
IDwal’ elimi kuze kube phakade
Izulu yisihlalo sakho sobukhosi
Umhlaba yisigcabha sezinyawo zakho
Amayezi luthuli lwezinyawo zakho
Wen’ ungumthombo wokuphila
Ompompoz’ amanz’ aphilisayo
Isinkw’ esiphilis’ okunaphakade!
UnguJehova Simakade
Isand’ esaqhekez’ amadwala
Insimb’ edl’ ezinye
Umhedl’ osika nxazonke
Owahlukanis’ amathambo lomnkantsho
Umlil’ oqhuqhumbis’ uqothul’ okubi
Sithi, Bayethe Mhlekazi wezulu!
Nkunyayila Ngwenyama yomndeni wakwaJuda
Ebhonge kwavel’ umban’ esigodlweni
sikaSathani
Athuthumel’ aqhaqhazel’ amadimoni
Amadolo onke ayakuguqela
Inlimi zonke zith’ uyiNkosi!
UJohan’ uth’ ufana lejasper
Ilitsh’ okuthiwa yi-emerald
Isihlalo sakho sobukhosi
Sizungezwe ngumchilo wamakhosikazi
Sivuth’ amalangab’ omlilo
Sibayim’ imibani phambi kwaso
Kulengilaz’ elifanisw’ ingqwaqwane
IDwal’ elampompoz’ amanz’ enkangala
Udondol’ olwavul’ uLwandl’ oLubomvu
Lwaminz’ impi kaFaro
Lamhlanje uyindab’ egudwini
Wen’ owakhuz’ imvelo yakulalela.
Bayethe Mhlekazi wezulu!
Wundlu loPhezukonk’ elilesihawu
Elahudul’ umnqamlezo lasisitheka
Lisindwa yizono zonke zomhlaba
Wen’ owaleng’ emthini, lachitheka
Wageb’ ikhand’ entaben’ iGolgotha
Wathi, “Kuphelile!”
Kwasekuzamazam’ umhlaba
Ilanga lakusalutha ngokucima
Izizwe zonke zavuma
Ukuth’ uyiNkosi yamakhosi
Lamhla sesetsheth’ umqhele
Owensindiso lokulunga,
Sithi, Bayethe Mhlekazi wezulu!
Martin Mlilo
AMASU AMQOKA
EKULOBENI INOVELI
Dr Eventhough Ndlovu
Ukulolonga
Umsebenzi Wakho
Sesihlangane
kuliviki lapho ebengithembise khona ukuthi sizaphatha udaba lokuthi uwulolonga
njani umsebenzi wakho uwulungiselela ukuthi uye kozawudinda loba kubahleli
bezingwalo.
Okokuqala
engifisa ukuthi ngikudlulise yilokhu:
- Kuqakathekile ukuthi ngemva kwakho konke, usubhale waqeda wasuthiseka ngendaba yakho ebumba ugwalo lwakho, wulolonge umsebenzi wakho ucoleke. Izikhathi ezinengi abalobi abaziphi isikhathi sokuthi balolonge umsebenzi wabo. Lokhu kusuka kuwone ngendlela emangalisayo ngoba kufana nje xathu lokuphakululela abantu inkobe ezilumelayo. Lanxa bezithanda kangakanani, zibakhanga ngoqhatshi olumnandi, ukulumela kwazo kuvele kuthundubeze ukuzithanda kwabo kunyampise inhliziyo zabo. Kwenza bangazithakazeleli lezo nkobe ngoba zingadleki. Unjalo-ke lomsebenzi ongalolongwanga. Usuke ungasaluzwa uluvu lodaba logwalo ngenxa yokuthi luyingxabangxoza nje.
- Ukulolonga umsebenzi lokhu ungakwenza wena ngokwakho, loba ucele omunye umuntu ukuthi akubalele, loba ucele abantu abalekhono lokuhlela izingwalo bakuhlelele kahle.
- Kuyimvama ukuthi kungasuthisi ukuthi uphelele ekuzilolongeleni ugwalo lwakho wena wedwa, ngoba nxa kunguwe umlobi, usuke ungawanzeleli amaphutha akho. Yikho phela besithi iqaqa kalizizwa ukunuka. Amehlo akho lengqondo yakho, kusuka nje abale lokungekho kube sengathi kukhona. Ngakho-ke, kuqakathekile ukuthi udinge omunye umuntu loba ababili ukuthi bakukhangelele umsebenzi wakho.
- Kumqoka njalo ukuthi ubale okulotshiweyo usemtshineni, uphinde ubale kusephepheni, ngoba kuyenzeka ukuthi amehlo lengqondo kukuyenge ungaphelela ekubaleni ngendlela eyodwa, ikakhulu nxa ube ukade ubalela emtshineni.
- Nanku okunye okumqoka okumele ukukhangelisise nxa usulolonga umsebenzi wakho. Khangela ulimi olusebenzisileyo. Hlolisisa ukuthi usebenzise isiNdebele esiyiso, akulakukiliza, awenzanga amaphutha, awusebenzisanga ulimi olungafanelanga, olungabe luhlambaza njalo lungasikubhala okuqondileyo kwesiNdebele. Luyahlabusa yini ulimi lwakho? Luyakuphathisa yini ukuyivuthisa indaba yakho? Luyibeka sobala yini? Lwenza indaba yakho ilandeleke kuhle na?
- Khangela njalo ukuthi abalingiswa bakho ubethule kuhle. Ungasuki ubahlanganise kucine kungasacaci ukuthi indaba ihamba njani.
- Bona njalo ukuthi okumele kubhalwe ngendlela efananayo kuyahambelana kulo lonke ugwalo. Kwenza indaba ihleleke kuhle umlobi angaze athi, “Hawu, kanti lapha-ke!
- Bona ukuthi indaba yakho ivuthiwe njalo iphekeke kuhle okukuthi akukho okungona ubumnandi bayo. Akumelanga iphonguphelela emoyeni, basale ababalayo bezibuza ukuthi kanti pho?
- Bona ukuthi nxa usufika kubanga lokuthi ususenza isinqumo sokulwethula kwabazaludinda loba kubahleli, wena ngokwakho, labanye abakusizayo ngokuthi yindaba elomnkantsho, lonke nje lisuthiseke ngendlela olumise ngayo. Akungabikho ozasola ngokulolongeka kwalo ugwalo. Iphutha lokungalolongeki komsebenzi wakho lenza abazaludinda labahleli babone engathi awukhathali nje ngokwenzayo. Esikhathini abanye bavele nje balubuyisele kuwe nxa bangavele babone ukuthi alulolongekanga. Kubanzima lokuthi balukhangelele kwelakusasa ngoba basuka bakubone njengomuntu ongelathando lalokho okwenzayo.
Sesifike
emaphethelweni esigaba sakuqala sokwabelana amasu abalobi bemibhalo
yokuzibumbela sikhangele ikakhulu amanoveli. Asihlangane kwelizayo sisabelana
amasu amqoka ngokuloba inkondlo.
Umlobi
nguDr Eventhough Ndlovu ongumbalisi lomkhulu weDepartment of African Languages
and Literature e-University yeZimbabwe.
UMUSA
WANSUKU ZONKE
Ukholo Lwakho Lugxile Ngaphi?
UMphostoli omkhulu, uPhawuli uthi, “… Siphila ngokukholwa, hatshi ngokubona” (2
KwabaseKhorinte 5:7). Ayisikho esikubonayo ngamehlo, kodwa yilokhu
esigxilise ithemba lethu kukho okumqoka. Kulengoma esiyihlabelayo kanenginengi
emacaweni ethi yona:
Ukholo
lwami, ngonyuka nalo,
Ngilubambe
ngesandla, ngiyongena nalo
Ekhay’ezulwini.
Noma
kunzima, ngiyonyuka nalo
Ekhay’ezulwini.
Kulezikhathi engithi, Hmmm, yaaa! Umuntu
owaloba ingoma le wayekholiwe isibili. Uthi ukholo uzalubamba ngesandla.
Siyakwazi ukuthi ukholo luyinto esingayiboni ngamehlo, njalo esingeke siyithi
xhaka ngezandla. Kodwa luyinto ekhona esiphila ngayo.
Ukuphila ngokholo kutsho ukulandela
izindlela zikaNkulunkulu loba kunzima, loba kulumela, loba kubuhlungu.
Asiluboni ngamehlo ukholo, kodwa siyakholwa ngezingqondo zethu lezinhliziyo
zethu. Ukholo lubakhona ngokuthemba uNkulunkulu. UJesu wakhuluma kubafundi
bakhe wathi, “Ngakho ngiyalitshela ukuthi
loba kuyini elikucelayo ngomthandazo, kholwani ukuthi selikwamukele, sekuzakuba
ngokwenu” kuMakho 11:24. Ilizwi leNkosi liqinisekile. Njalo Yena kehlulwa
lutho. Wenza senelise. Yikho-ke ukholo lwethu lugxila kuye owazi konke.
Kodwa, bakhona esengibezwe kanenginengi
besola, bebalisa ukuthi konke okubi okwenzakalayo emuntwini kungenxa yokuba
lowo okwenzakala kuye engelakholo. Sengike ngizwe njalo abathi umutu nxa
ephakathi kwenkinga ethile, uzwe besithi kalakholo olwaneleyo, kungakho. Uzwa
besithi kakhuleke ngokukholwa lowo. Ogulayo bathi kasili ngoba engelakholo.
Kungafiwa emulini, bathi belungekho ukholo. Konke okusuka kuhambe kubi kuba
ngenxa yokuthi lowo ulokholo olufipheleyo. Hmmm, bathandekayo! Kunzima lokhu.
Kusuka kuhlukuluze njalo kukhube abakholwayo, ngoba bayabe bethandaza ngokholo
lwabo lonke olugxile eNkosini uNkulunkulu.
IBhayibhili, eliyilizwi likaNkulunkulu
alikutsho ukuba nxa sikholwa asiyikuvelelwa yizilingo lezinhlupho. Alitsho
ukuthi okubi kuzasiceza. Sintshungubala phakathi kwazo izinhlupho ngoba iNkosi
ilathi. Ukholo lwethu lugxile kuyo.
Singena ezimoteni, lemabhasini,
lezindizeni, sihlale, siwozele, size silale sihoqe ngoba silethemba elikhulu
lokuthi lo otshayelayo uzasifikisa lapho esiya khona. Lithemba elikhulu lelo.
Siyabe sivele sikholwa sisuka sithandazile, ukuthi sizakuyafika lapho
esiyakhona. Siyabe sikholwa ngokwethemba iNkosi uNkulunkulu.
KumaHebheru 11:1, ilizwi lithi, “Ukukholwa yikuba leqiniso lalokhu
esikulindileyo njalo kuqinisekile ngalokho esingakuboniyo.” Banengi ekadeni lalamhlanje abenza
izimangaliso ngenxa yokholo lwabo. Kanengi uJesu Khristu wayesitsho kulabo
ayebasilisa ukuthi basila nje ngenxa yokholo lwabo. Ithemba ababelalo
laliyikuthi lokho abakucelayo kuzakwenzakala loba bengakuboni ngamehlo. Ukholo
lwabo lwalugxile kuNkulunkulu ophilisayo.
Olwakho ukholo lugxile ngaphi mzalwane?
Ungatsho ngokuqiniseka uthi olwakho ukholo uzalubamba ngesandla loba kunzima
wenyuke lalo usiya ekhaya ezulwini?
Asithandaze: Nkosi, ngisiza ngilugcine ukholo lwami
lugxile kuwe loba kunzima, lamhla lanininini. Amen.
Barbara Nkala
STORIES
OF FAITH
On
Friday, 30th August 2019, I had the privilege of attending a dear
sister and fellow writer’s book launch at Meikles Hotel, in the Stewart Room.
Pastor Imelda Tsumba was launching her 38th book, ABORTION HAS
CONSEQUENCES. The room was packed
with guests.
The
main Guest Speaker was the well-known Apostle Langton Gatsi of One-Way
Ministries. He had brought along a woman from Mutare, Mavis Tsikiwa, who told a
touching testimony, before making his presentation. I saw the hand of The Good
Shepherd that orchestrated the whole story.
The
people below graciously gave me their time, and related a story packed with
lessons. Read on and be blessed by this story of amazing grace.
SHEPHERD,
AND SHEPHERD AND THE SHEPHERD
Pastor Tafadzwa Masunda
“I heard a baby crying in the toilet!”
“What?”
“There’s a baby crying in the
toilet,” said my sister with urgency.
I quickly sat up from a tired
deep sleep. This was the first night of our 2015 church conference; One Way
Ministries, at Muyengwa Homestead in rural Rusape. There were delegates from
Mutare and Harare. My husband and I were the Senior Pastors in charge of this
conference. I wrapped myself well and my sister and I rushed to the less used
toilet, and we could clearly hear the intermittent strained cries of a baby as
we drew closer. Other women who had been disturbed from sleep as my sister
shook me awake trailed behind us.
As
we shone our phone torches into the pit, there was a newly born baby,
miraculously lying face up on its side, left arm uplifted on the waste matter
sludge. There were gasps of disbelief and shock; and screams that woke more
people up. Deep anger reigned and there was commotion all around as men tried
to rescue the baby.
“Who
on earth did such an outrageous thing! Let’s stop all the women from coming out
and check who the culprit is,” I said to my sister and two other women in
leadership. So, we hurried back and went from room to room examining all the
child-bearing women and girls. After checking a few women among those who slept
in the kitchen, one woman spoke up before we got to her.
“It’s me!”
We all stopped in our tracks. I
shone my torch on her face, anger welling up in me, and was further dismayed.
How can it be? This was the woman who was singing beautifully in the Praise and
Worship team. I had seen her working hard all day long. How could it be? There
was complete pandemonium as everyone poured out their contempt and disgust on
the woman.
It took my sister, Catherine
Mukombachoto, the major sponsor of the Rusape congregation who had come all the
way from South Africa, to calm the situation.
She said, “No, no, no! There is something
wrong with us people. Why did this poor woman not share her burden with any one
of us? Why should anyone ever contemplate committing suicide, or dumping an
innocent baby during a church conference? It means she was afraid. She feared
being judged. People, I think we all need to pray and repent from our bad
attitudes that drive the suffering to such dastardly acts.”
Catherine said a lot more and
really spoke to our hard hearts. There was a lot of sniffing by the time she
finished her strong rebuke.
FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: Little Shepherd, Shepherd, Pastor Tafadzwa Masunda, and Mavis
Mavis Tsikiwa’s Story
I married Anthony Marinyu in 2002, and
we had four lovely children. In 2011, we all went to try out life in
Mozambique, his home country. He fell sick and four months later he passed on.
That was the beginning of my woes.
Anthony
had written a note that said, “If I die, please take all my children and go
back to Zimbabwe.” We had been renting a house in Mutare which had been our
home. When we got back, all the furniture, the car and other property had been
sold by his brothers, without my knowledge. This was a huge blow. My sisters
came to my aid and persuaded my destitute widowed mother to allow us to stay
with her. She was not happy at the prospect of five more mouths to feed, from
meagre means. Though the rejection hurt, I understood her plight. I used to do
piece jobs in other people’s gardens to care for my children. In 2012, I was an
ardent church goer after receiving Christ as my Lord and Saviour. I
participated in the church choir.
In 2014 I had a relationship with a man who
was not a believer. He was an extra source of income, but soon vanished into
thin air once he learnt I was pregnant.
My woes increased. I could not tell anyone about my new predicament as I
knew I would be rebuked strongly for the foolishness. I just drifted from day
to day like a zombie, feeling like the scum of the earth. I even wanted to stop
going to church, but, was persuaded to continue fellowshipping.
So
it was that when conference time came in 2015, I still had the secret wrapped
in my heart. I had not registered in any maternity clinic. My plump body hid
the secret, and no one suspected anything. On Day One of conference, I was very
active in all I did. But, that evening, I began to experience some labour
pains, and so I kept going out. The women I was with thought I had diarrhoea.
At about 9:00 pm, when most people were going to sleep, the pains intensified.
I went behind the cattle pen where I sat and writhed alone in agony. The baby
came, and I did not even have anything to cover it.
I could hear some women calling
me as I had gone for too long, but I did not answer. I sat there holding the
baby till the afterbirth also came out. Since nobody knew I was pregnant, I
decided to go and dump the baby in the less used toilet. Nobody would know. I
did just that, went back and got some water to wash and went into my blankets.
Sleep did not come. Hours later, some women came into the room and woke
everybody up.
“Wake
up! We want to check all of you here. Someone dumped a baby.”
My heart thumped so hard I almost
suffocated. They started checking woman after women, and just before they got
to me, I heard myself blurting out in shame, “Mam’, it’s me.”
I was ready to receive any blows
or whatever punishment would be meted out, as I deserved it. (Mavis stops
talking and tears choke her.)
Though I had believed that God
would never hear my prayer because of the sinful act I did, He proved to be
faithful. Later, I prayed like Mam’ Hannah of the Bible. I poured my soul to
the Lord and asked that He may never take me for a wicked woman as I prayed in
anguish and grief, 1 Samuel 1:15,16 (NIV).
I repented sincerely and was sentenced to community service for three
years after my crime. The Lord is merciful and righteous. He saved my precious
son Shepherd and me. Jesus is truly my good Shepherd.
FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: Little Shepherd, Mavis, the
writer (B Nkala) and Shepherd at the Book launch
Shepherd Tore’s Story
There were many people at conference, so
I slept in a car. I had come from the Dzivaresekwa congregation in Harare. It
was about 2:00 am when I heard a commotion all around and woke up to hear
people saying there was a baby crying in the toilet. I rushed to that toilet
and could hear the tired cries of a baby, that rent my heart.
At
first, we got a bucket to try and scoop the baby out, but thought not, as baby
might sink in the smelly sludge and die.
“Let’s
remove the roof so you will be able to pull me out,” I suggested. “I’ll go in!”
Each time the baby cried my heart was wrenched. We had to chip the squat hole
to enlarge it. They tied my feet and I went down. I grabbed the baby’s arm and
they yanked me up. I passed the baby to Munyaradzi Munyengwa, Pastor Tafadzwa’s
brother who had been helping direct me.
It’s
funny that I do not remember being suffocated by the stinking smell. All I
remember is the great relief that the baby was out and in safe hands. I
witnessed that the devil is definitely a thief who only comes to steal, kill
and destroy; but Jesus came that we may have life, and have it to the full;
John 10:10, (NIV).
Pastor Tafadzwa Masunda Concludes Story
Surprisingly, the baby’s face was clean
from faeces. It was a miracle that it did not have any creepy crawly maggots
all over it. We had water ready to wash the baby. In no time it was in warm
clothes and blankets. All women who had babies donated towards the miracle
baby, who was given the names, Shepherd Munyaradzi, after the two main
rescuers.
Very
early the following morning, Baby Shepherd and mother were taken to the nearest
medical centre where the baby was pronounced fit and fine. The matter was also
promptly reported to the police and to the chief, who was very angry about the ‘curse’
brought into his area.
My
favourite scripture for troubled children of God is found in Matthew 11:28
(NIV), when Jesus makes this invitation: “Come to me, all you who are weary
and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
Little
Shepherd is now four, a lovely and healthy miracle that the Good Shepherd
rescued to make us better people.
Asihlanganeni njalo kuviki elizayo
sibusiseke ngalokho iNkosi esibekele khona. UJehova uyisiphephelo sethu lenqaba
yethu. Haleluya!
Ngiyalithanda, njalo ngiyabonga!
Gogo Nkala
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