SARILI AND MTIRARA Although there was a simmering tension between abaThembu and amaGcaleka they never came to blows. One day Sarili incited by his followers made a challenge to Mtirara. At that time the great place of abaThembu was at Mvane. We are told that on the appointed day the equally powerful adversaries almost clashed on the plain at Mvane. On the day previous to the appointed one amaGcaleka had camped overnight across Cacadu (White Kei River), not far from the present day Bram Nek. Mtirara sent out scouts among whom there was Maguda of the Ndlane clan, whose descendants are resident at Goso* today. When they were at the Bram Nek pass they came across Sarilis scouts, who had alighted from their horses. Maguda without wasting a minute, attacked these men who were busy roasting meat. He took them unawares. The men ran for their lives. Maguda brought their horses to Mtirara saying that Sarili had camped on this side of Cacadu, and he was coming. The proof of his advancing march were the horses which he had managed to capture. On the following day, Mtirara sent Ncambaca, the son of Mkentane of the Cwera clan, to Sarili to ask him to delay his attack after crossing Bram Nek, for a whole day, in the meantime he (Mtirara) would go to fetch some fatted oxen from Nkonkobe+ to present him. The son of Hintsa waited. On the following day amaTshatshu and amaNdungwane were seen approaching from the pass at Ndimangeni. The majority of the people were on horseback. There were multitudes of people stretching from the great place. The son of Hintsa simply decided to return home without putting up a fight. That showed abaThembu respected Mtirara as their father, more so that amaTshatshu had responded to his call.
Posted on: Sat, 24 Jan 2015 09:56:37 +0000
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