“Andazi ukuba ndingathi ndiziva njani ngayo yonke le nto. Emva kweminyaka engama-35, noko lixesha elide elo!” kutsho umhakhulu uNongqalelo Kondile xeshikweni sincokola ngokubuyiswa komphefumlo kaBhut’ Sizwe. Impilo ayikho ntle, ngomhla wesihlanu kweyeSilimela ebegqiba iminyaka engama-80. Usakuphakamisa igama likaBhut’ Sizwe uye ubone kwasebusweni bakhe ukuba intlungu isekhona.
USizwe Kondile ngunyana wakhe owaduka ngonyaka ka-1981 eKomatipoort kufuphi naseMozambique. Wayeneminyaka engama-23 ngoko esandulukugqiba izifundo zakhe zobugqwetha eFort Hare. Emva kwezifundo zakhe waya elubhacweni eLesotho, apho wayokusebenzisana namanye amalungu eAfrican National Congress (ANC).
KweyeKhala koka-1981 waxhwilwa ngamapolisa karhulumente wengcinezelo aseMzantsi Afrika. Emva kokumthatha bayokumvalela, bamngcungcuthekisa ngokumxhaphaza bezama ukumnyanzela ukuba abeyimpimpi yabo; achaze ukuba iANC yenza ntoni.
Emva kwenyanga bemzama babona ukuba uKondile akagungqi. Ngomhla weshumi kweyeThupha 1981 bathi bamncamile, kwaye bazakumkhulula.
Bamthatha baya naye kwifama eseKomatipoort. Ngelo xesha kwakubonakala ukuba wayonzakele kakhulu, esopha nangaphakathi entloko. Bagqiba kwelokuba ukuze bangaziboni benemeko “efana nekaBiko” mabamtyise ityhefu, bamdubule phambi kokuba bamtshise abeluthuthu.
La mapolisa, ekhokelwa nguDirk Coetzee, namanye aseMpuma Koloni alinda into engangeeyure ezisixhenxe ukuba umzimba wakhe utshe ubeluthuthu. Belindile nje babesela utywala besoja nenyama ecaleni. Kwathi cwaka emva koko.
Yathatha into engangeminyaka elishumi ukuba kuvele inyani. Oko umama wakhe ehleli ethembeni emkhangela nakoomaLesotho kuloo minyaka. Wayokuyibhaqa kumaphephandaba ukuba unyana wakhe wabulawa ngamapolisa engcinezelo.
Iinkcukacha ezithe vetshe zavela kwiKomishoni yeNyani noXolelwaniso koka-1996. Loo komishini yadibanisa ababulali neentsapho zabo. Kwenziwa nezithembiso zokuba amaxhoba neentsapho akuxhaswa ngurhulumente malunga nempilo. Nto athi ayikenzeki umama kaKondile.
Kule veki iphelileyo isebe lezobulungisa nosapho lakwaKondile luye laya eKomatipoort ngelithi bayokulanda umphefumlo kaSizwe. NgoMgqibelo kuye kwabanjwa inkonzo yesikhumbuzo kwiCawe yamaTopiya eNew Brighton eBhayi.
Umhakhulu uNongqalelo Kondile khange akwazi ukuya ngenxa yokukhathazwa yimpilo; ngelakhe akazi ncam ukuba uziva njani ngokubuyiswa komphefumlo kanyana wakhe. Ubomi abukatshintshi; uxolo yinto enzima kodwa ukuze usapho luqhubeke kufuneka lamkele ukuba ubuyile uSizwe.
USteve Barker umchaze njengeqhawe uRayners ongcwabe iPolokwane City