Zivakele, zabanga usizi iindaba zokuba lingahle livale iziko loshicilelo lakudala iLovedale Press eDikeni nelaqala ngonyaka ka1861, laza lashicilela ezona ziphambili iincwadi ezibhalwe ngolwimi lwesiXhosa.
Omnye wabalawuli nabanikazi beLovedale Press uBishop Nelson Mnqumevu uyakungqina ukuba ukuvala eli ziko kungenzeka ngenxa yenzima abadibana nazo.
“Asifumani nkxaso, kudala sihamba sicela inkxaso, ingeniso yehle emva kwenguqu ezenziwe lisebe lezemfundo ebesikade sishicilela iincwadi zalo, ingeniso ayikho, sisenalo ithemba lokuba kuya kuvela uMsamariya olungileyo,” ucacise watsho uMnqumevu.
Ukusukela ngonyaka ka1900, eli ziko lishicilele iincwadi eziphambili zesiXhosa eziquka “Ingqumbo yeminyanya” kaAC Jordan, “Ityala lamawele” lika SEK Mqhayi. Emva ko1994 uhlile umsebenzi owenziwa leli ziko ngenxa yenguqu.
“IiCawa zisaqhubeka ukushicilela kuthi, kodwa incinci loo mali, izibhedlele zazishicilela kuthi iifolda zabaguli, izikolo zazithenga iincwadi zokufundisa abantwana,” uthethe watsho uMnqumevu.
Umhlaba elimi kuwo eli ziko uyinxalenye yomhlaba owathi wanikiswa nguNkosi uTyali wamaTshawe nekwakhiwa kuwo iLovedale College, Lovedale Press neyunivesithi yaseFort Hare.
Umzukulwana kaNkosi uTyali, uNkosana uBanzi Tyali uthi baxhelekile ziindaba zokuba lingavala eli ziko.
“Ngoku sikhangela umfanekiso kaNkosi uTyali, iLovedale Press lelinye lamaziko ebesinethemba lokuba ungafumaneka khona umfanekiso wakhe, zimbi kakhulu iindaba zokuba lingavala eli ziko,” uthethe watsho uTyali.
Umlawuli weli ziko uCebo Ntaka, uthi kudala benyamezele besebenzela ukuba lingatshoni eli ziko lakudala.
“Yiminyaka elishumi elinesixhenxe sisebenza nzima sisebenzela ukuba liqhubeke eli ziko nomsebenzi walo, kodwa iinguqu ezenzeke kurhulumente kwisebe lezemfundo zisibethe kakhulu,” uthethe watsho uNtaka.
Iincwadi ebeziveliswa apha bezithengwa, zisetyenziswa kwizikolo zeMpuma Koloni nangaphandle kweMpuma Koloni kukwashicilelwa neminye imisebenzi ebhaliweyo. Eli ziko lihlawula imali ekumashumi amabini amawaka eerandi ngenyanga kwindawo abasebenzela kuyo, logama kungekho ngeniso.
“Ukuba bezikho izixhobo ezisemgangathweni bekunokwenza ukuba sikwazi ukufumana umsebenzi omninzi, oomatshini bethu esabathatha kwiLovedale Press badala,”uthethe watsho uNtaka.
Igqala lomsasazi elidla umhlala-phantsi uPeter Bacela, ungenelele kwabo bathe bavakalisa intlungu yabo ngokuvalwa kweli ziko lembali lomzi omnyama.
“Yhooo! zindaba ezibuhlungu kakhulu ezi, nguvimba wethu thina bantu bangamathetha-siXhosa lowa, ngokuya bendingumsasazi xa ndikhangela ulwazi oluthile bendisiya phaya ndifike ndiphakule, akumele ukuba ivalwe la ndawo, ukuba kukho bani unokuza ngaphambili ancedise ngemali singavuya, kukhuselwe le mbali,” uthethe watsho uBacela.
Ababezenza amapolisa baphanga usapho, baqhotsa batya inyama yabo!