Ngubani uJohn Knox Bokhwe?

UMongameli weli uCyril Ramaphosa xa ebesenza intetho yombutho weANC yaminyaka le, udize ukuba baza kunikezela lonyaka kwinkumbulo ngobom negxathu elenziwe nguMfundisi uJohn Knox Bokwe (1855-1922). INkulubaphathiswa yeMpuma Koloni nayo xa ibisenza intetho yayo yobume bephondo iphinde yawutsolisa lo mcimbi wokukhumbula ubawo uJohn Knox Bokhwe. UMfundisi uJohn Knox Bokhwe ebengumqambi nentatheli edlale indima enkulu kwimeko yentlalo ingakumbi kulwimi lwesiXhosa ngokubhala kwakhe. Uninzi lwamaculo enkonzo yamaRhabe abhalwe nguMfundisi uJohn Knox Bokhwe. Nguye oqambe iculo lodumo elisetyenziswa kumazwe amaninzi aseAfrika elithi Plea for Afrika, waqamba neculo elithi Vuka Deborah. Phakathi kwemisebenzi yakhe uBokhwe usebenze kusapho likaGqirha James Stewart, kungeli xesha apho afunde khona ukudlala ipiyano neogani. Ngenxa yobudlelwane bakhe nosapho lakwaStewart eseyinkwenkwana wafumana ithuba lokusebenza njengomthunywa eLovedale. Ngonyaka ka1897 usebenze njengonobhala kaStewart eLovedale esisiququ esifunda yonke into anokuyifunda. Ukusukela ngonyaka ka1869 ukuya kunyaka ka1872 wangena njengomfundi waseLovedale. Ungenelele kuTengo Jabavu basungula iphephandaba Imvo Zabantsundu eQonce.

Ngonyaka ka1916 uBokhwe ebekho kwiqela lezifundiswa ezasungula iYunivesithi yaseFort Hare neyayisaziwa ngokuba yiSouth African Native College ngelo xesha. UJohn Knox Bokwe wazalelwa kwilali yakwaNtselamanzi kufutshane neziko lemfundo laseLovedale, engoyena mncinci kubawo uCholwephi neNkosikazi yakhe uLena Bokwe. Uyise uCholwephi ngomnye wabafundi bokuqala ukufunda kwiziko lemfundo eLovedale, logama unina uLena ezalwa kusapho lakwaNxe, usapho lwamagqobhoka aziwayo ngelo xesha. UBokwe uqale isikolo eneminyaka elithoba efundiswa nguWilliam Kobe Ntsikana ongumzukulwana woMprofeti uNtsikana. Ngonyaka ka1878 uBokwe uzimanye ngeqhina lomtshato noLettie Ncheni owayekwasebenza kwikhaya lakwaStewart ukukhula kwakhe. Ngoncedo lukaGqirha Stewart ngonyaka ka1870 wasungula iphephandaba elalisekelezelwe eLovedale. UBokwe ukhe wasebenza njengomlawuli weposi yaseLovedale okwabangela ukuba kufumaneke inkonzo. Ngo1892 uBokwe umenywe kwalaseSikotilani naseNgilane eshumayela ezicaweni ekwachaza umsebenzi waseLovedale. Ubhale amanqaku amaninzi kumaphephandaba aquka Imvo Zabantsundu neeNdaba exoxa ngemiba eyahlukeneyo.

Emva kweminyaka emine ebhala njengonondaba, uBokwe waziqaphela ukuba ubizo lwakhe lisebufundisini, waza waqalisa indlela yokubanguMfundisi. Ngo1900 waqalisa ukuba nguMvangeli eshumayela kwingingqi yakuTsolo. Ngonyaka ka1906 uqale ukusebenza njengoMfundisi kwinkonzo iFree Church, emva koko wasungula isikolo sabantwana eDyoki ngenjongo zokukhuthaza ukufunda. Ngexesha ebengumfundi eFort Hare usebenze kwiikomiti ezininzi esenza imisebenzi eyahlukeneyo ekhuthaza ukuthandwa kwemfundo luninzi. Ngo1916 uBokwe wonyulwa njengonobhala wombutho wootitshala, iNative Teachers Association eTranskei. Ngonyaka ka1920 wanyanzelwa ukuba athathe umhlalaphantsi ngenxa yempilo, oku kwamnyanzela ukuba abuyele kufutshane kwaNtselamanzi. Iminyaka yakhe yokugqibela usebenze etolika amaculo ukusuka esiNgesini ewasa esiXhoseni encedisa uGqirha Henderson. Walishiya eli limiweyo ngomhla wamashumi amabini anesibini kwinyanga yoMdumba ngo1922 ekhayeni lakhe kwaNtselamanzi. Isizukulwana sakhe siyafumaneka eMaclear nakwezinye iindawo zelizwe loMzantsi Afrika.