“UBUNINZI bethu sifumene izikhundla, safumana ubabazo, kodwa akekho namnye kuthi onesikhokelo nondiliseko olunokogqitha le ndwalutho – uWalter Sisulu.”
La ngamazwi walowo wayesakuba nguMongameli woMzantsi Afrika uNelson Mandela.
UMandela wawathetha la mazwi ngomhla wesixhenxe kuCanzibe ka2003, iintsuku ezimbini emva kokubhubha kukaSisulu.
USisulu, inzalelwane yaseQutubeni eNgcobo, ebezakugqiba iminyaka elikhulu elinesihlanu ukuba ebesaphila namhlanje, nanjengoko wazalwa ngomhla weshumi elinesibhozo kuCanzibe ka1912.
USisulu sisiswenye seANC esichithe iminyaka engamashumi amabini anesithandathu kwisiqithi iRobben Island emva kokugwetywa ngo1964 ekunye neenkokeli ezifana noMandela, Raymond Mhlaba, Govan Mbeki, Ahmed Kathrada nabanye.
Umhlalutyi wezopolitiko uNjingalwazi Somadoda Fikeni umchaza olu hlobo uSisulu: “Igalelo lakhe liquka ukufundisa ngezopolitiko nobunkokeli kwinqwaba yeenkokeli zeANC. Wayengumqolo owabangela ukuba iinkokeli eziliqela ezifana noMandela zifumane izakhono zokukhokela. Uyisebenzele kakhulu iANC engajonganga nzuzo.”
“Xa ndandibambe indibano noKathrada kwiminyaka emithathu edlulileyo, ndabuza ukuba yintoni efanele ukwenziwa ziinkokeli zeANC ukuguqula imeko emaxongo efana nale siyibonayo kwiANC naselizweni. UKathrada wathatha umzuzu ejonge ecaleni, wabuya wazokujonga kum kwakhona. Into awayithethayo inye – kukuba ukhumbula iingcebiso neengcamango zikaSisulu,” kutsho uFikeni.
UFikeni uthi uSisulu, ngomnye kwiinkokeli ezimbalwa, othe wakwazi ukujongana neemfuno zosapho lwakhe, abe kwelinye icala ezabalazela ilizwe. “Ezinye iinkokeli ziye zohlulakala ukuzenza ngaxeshanye ezi zinto,” kutsho uFikeni.
Usihlalo weANC eNgcobo uGqirha Bulelani Lali, uthi indlela yokulandela kumzila ofana nokaSisulu kukuba basebenzele uluntu bengajonganga nzuzo.
“Ukuba ujonga imeko umbutho wethu okuyo, ufumanisa ukuba abantu abasayithembanga iANC. Sibonwa njengeenkokeli ezinobuqhophololo, ezingajonganga iimfuno zoluntu. Utata uSisulu nezinye iinkokeli, babengabonwa ngolu hlobo. Endaweni yoko, babenika ithemba eluntwini,” kutsho uLali.
ULali uthi eNgcobo kwakhiwe iziko lokunika imbeko kuSisulu, uGqirha Alfred Bitini (AB) Xuma nezinye iinkokeli.
UXuma, inzalelwane yaseNgcobo, ukhe wanguMongameli weANC iminyaka elithoba ukusuka kunyaka ka1940. Kweli ziko laseNgcobo, kwakhiwa imifanekiso eqingqiweyo kaSisulu, Xuma nezinye iinkokeli zale ndawo.
Noxa nje ebengekaqiniseki ngosuku, uLali uthi bazakubamba umsitho wesifundo ngobomi bukaSisulu ingaphelanga le nyanga.
Ngo1991, emva kokuba iANC ivulwe umlomo, uSisulu wonyulwa njengosekela mongameli walo mbutho, sikhundla eso aqhube kuso de yangunyaka ka1994. Ngo1949 ukuya ku1954, uSisulu wayengunobhala weANC.
sithandiwe.velaphi@inl.co.za
Kuvulwe isikolo esixabisa iR106-million KwaMaxhama