Kula mnyaka ka1917, kolwaa lwandlekazi ludume ngengqele eqhaqhazelisa amazinyo ngokumangalisayo, ulwandlekazi iAtilantikhi, oobawomkhulu bethu ababe ngamakroti bakhothama bazibeka iinqawa kuloo nqanawa yodumo iSS Mendi.
Ukuzika kwaloo nqanawa kubaliswa kudandalaziswe kuloo mbongontuthuzelo uthwele ubucikokazi bukabawo uNgxekengxeke Mqhayi, nonesihloko esithi “Ukuzika okanye Ukutshona kukaMendi.”
Ngenxa yokuphuma kwemiphefumlo yabo khokho bethu kolo lwandlekazi luphakathi kwelizwe laseFransi nelizwe laseNgilane, amangcwaba abo awaziwa.
Okukhoyo nokubonakalayo kwizwe loMzantsi Afrika ngokubanzi ngamatye ezikhumbuzo kwanemifanekiso eqingqiweyo eyakhiwe ngeenjongo zokukhumbula loo maqhawe.
Imifanekiso yala matye iyabonwa kumaphondo afana neMpuma Kapa; iGauteng kunye neLimpopo, kuba kaloku phakathi kwezizwe zakwantu ezazilapho, amajoni angamaXhosa ayekho, ekho namaZulu; abeSotho; abeTswana; amaKhoi; amaSan; amaNdebele namaSwati.
Phakathi kwezo ndwalutho zezithwalandwe zafela emfazweni, ubunkokheli bendlu entsundu babusezandleni zikabawo uDyobha, uIsaac Wawuchophe.
Phakathi kwamajoni ezinye izizwe zeAfrika, namaXhosa ayephume ngendlu esiya kulwa kuloo mfazwe yehlabathi yokuqala, esiya kuncedisa amakoloniyali ayephethe izwe loobawomkhulu esuka kwilizwe lamaNgesi, iBhilitane.
Phakathi kwamaqhawe ayengamaXhosa ayelapho, ndingakhankanya la majoni akowethu alandelayo: Oobawo uBadlana; Bangani; Dyushani; Gwatyuza; Jamangile; Jongilanga; Khuse; Luhlongwana; Luputini; Mdunyelwa; Mehlomane; Ndaba; Nxazonke; Qaba; Songca; Tshotsha; Tywalana; Wawuchophe; Zenzile; Zinyusile nabanye abaninzi endingenakukwazi ukuba khankanya ngenxa yomthamo endiwusikelweyo.
Nantsi imibuzo endinayo ke zidwesha zakuthi: Xa aba khokho bethu baswelekela emkhathweni okanye elwandle, ingaba lithetha phi igazi labo? Xa beswelekele elwandle, umoya wabo ungalandwa phi ngomphafa kwaye liphi ihlazo ekubeni xa sifuna ukuthetha nabo siye kunqula, sicenge sicamagushe kule ndawo bawela kuyo?
Ndibuziswa yinto yokuba kukho abantu abanovakalelo lokuba linyala ukuya kucamagusha elwandle nasemlanjeni, kodwa thina eyethu inkolelo iyasichazela ukuba amanzi omlambo, amanzi echweba, amanzi ezibuko namanzi olwandle, ahlonipheke kakhulu kangangokuba negqirha elithwase apho libekelwe kweyona ndawo iphezulu kwabo banentwaso.
Ndivumeleni ke ndininike eyam impendulo kule mibuzo yobudenge ingentla. Ngokwawam amava ndiyinto yasemaNgwevini, ndithe ndikhapha umzala owayethwasela ubugqirha ndikunye nesanuse sakhe sakwaSukude kulaa mlambo weNgxingxolo cebu kuhle eMooiplaas, ndaphawula imiqondiso eyayibandakanya amadada, izirhubuluzi, amazwi ayephuma ngqo emanzini apho, kuquka nokwamkelwa komrhumo weenkozo zombona; amazimba; iintanga zethanga necuba lesiXhosa nebhekile, zinto ezo ezathi xa zisamkelwa kuloo mlambo, endaweni yokuhamba zihle nomsinga, suka zawukhawulela zingachithakali, zilandela emva kwamadada, zaya kujikeleza zazika kule ndawo kutshone ngqo kuyo amadada. Kusenjalo kwabuya itshintshi siphiwa nathi.
Xa kunjalo, singatsho njani ukuba akukho mpilo nabomi phantsi kwamanzi, singatsho njani ukuba igazi labo batshona emilanjeni bazika naselwandle alithethi kuloo manzi?
Yiva ndikutyele mzi kaNtu, rhoqo mna ndisisiqu ndisiya kungxola ndikhwaze ndithethe emilanjeni naselwandle, soloko ndisiva ukundumzela kunge kuyombelwa xa ndifika apho naxa ndiphethuka ndigoduka.
Rhoqo ndihamba kwintlabathi yolwandle ndithe chu nenkosikazi yakowethu nengumntwana wewele, ukuba ayingxengxezanga yacela indlela ngokuphosa imali eziinkozo, iye ityabuke iinyawo nemilenze, kuba kukho inkolelo ebubunyani ethi iwele nenzala yalo zamkeleka kuphela elwandle xa zicele indlela.
Ndisemtsha ndihambile nezikolo kwimilambo efana neGqili, kude kufuphi naloo dolophu yaseAlivane, ndiyile kumlambokazi iZambezi kwelo laseLimpopo, ndaze ndakuthanda ukuya kukhahlela loo maqhawe angoobawomkhulu bethu babhubhela baze bawela kumlambo iNxuba kwezo mfazwe zemida namaNgesi, phakathi kweRhini neNgqushwa.
KwiGqili baninzi abantakwethu namaqhawekazi akowethu azika apho xa ayewelela kwelo laseLesotho esiya kuzibandakanya nemikhosi yedabi lenkululeko kumazwe aseAfrika.
Kumlambo iZambezi baninzi oobawomkhulu noomakhulu bethu ababulawa ngokungenalusini ngexesha lokunaniselana ngamakhoboka phakathi kwezizwe zaseNtshona, ukuze emva kokubulawa baphoswe kuloo mlambo kuphele kuthi nya ngabo.
Xa ndandikukhenketho kule milambo, rhoqo xa kusihlwa kwakubonakala kuqhuma, nangentseni kwakubonakala kuqhuma kwaye nanjengamntu uyaziyo into yokuba amawethu alele apho, babesithi abanye ngeli lixa besithi babona inkungu, phofu bebangwa kukuba namehlo lawo abo enkungu ngenxa yokuthinjwa ngamasiko nenkolo yasemzini, abe awam amehlo ebona ukuba phantsi kwaloo manzi, amawethu ancazelana ngecuba ayatshaya, kubasiwe kuba nalapho ubomi abumanga buyaqhuba.
Nokuba uyakholwa okanye awukholwa, elam lithi, indaba yotyelo ayikholi, kwaye ndiyaphinda, igazi lookhokho bethu ababhubhela emilanjeni naselwandle, kwezo ndawo bawela babhula kuzo, igazi labo liyathetha!
Camagu!
Kubanjwe abarhanelwa abangama84 kwisithili saseSarah Baartman