Imbali yamaXhosa ivaleleke etyholweni

Kwisithuba esingangeminyaka emithathu, okanye ngo2023, ukubhalwa kolwimi lwesiXhosa kuza kube kugqiba iminyaka engamakhulu amabini.

Ukubhalwa kolwimi lwesiXhosa kuqale ngo1823 eTyhume eDikeni, apho uJohn Bennie wabhala ushicilelo oluthi “Iinkomo zonke zezikaThixo”. Emva koko ushicilelo lokubhalwe ngesiXhosa luye lwanabela eLovedale Press kwaseDikeni. Iindawo ezifana neQonce, Makhanda kwanePalmerton (Lusikisiki) nazo zaye zashicilela okubhalwe ngesiXhosa, zigxile kakhulu kwizinto zenkolo yobuKrestu.

Kodwa xa uya kwisiza ekwakushicilelwa kuso eTyhume, kunzima ukufikelela, uvalelwa ngamatyholo. Xa uya eLovedale, ufika isakhiwo sinendawo yokugcina izidumbu.

“Yintoni le igwenxa ngathi? Kutheni singenokuthakazelela imbali yethu? Kutheni siyeka imbali yethu itshabalale ngolu hlobo?” kubuza uNjingalwazi Pamela Maseko, ophethe icandelo lezoLuntu (Humanities) kwiYunivesithi yaseMntla Ntshona (NWU).

UMaseko ebethetha eGinsberg eQonce apho iSebe lezeMidlalo, uLonwabo, ubuGcisa neNkcubeko, eMpuma Koloni, belibambe indibano yeentsuku ezintathu zokuphonononga iilwimi.

UMaseko yinxalenye yeqela eliphanda ngamafa oncwadi lolwimi lwenkobe eMpuma Koloni. Iziphumo zolu phando kulindeleke ukuba zithiwe thaca kwindibano eza kubanjelwa eNelson Mandela Bay kule nyanga yeNkanga.

Lo Njingalwazi uthi eyona nto ibasika inimba yimbali yamaXhosa esecicini lokutshabalala ngenxa yokuswela ukukokoswa.

“Into yokuqala ukubhalwa ngokusesikweni ngesiXhosa yile ithi ‘Iinkomo zonke zezikaThixo’ kwaye yashicilelwa eTyhume. Amamishinari athatha eyona nto ibalulekileyo emaXhoseni, imfuyo, bebonakalisa ukuba ‘le nto asiyo yenu nani, yekaThixo’.

“Sikhe sazama ukuya kule ndawo inesiza (eTyhume) seyona ndawo yokuqala eyathi yashicilela isiXhosa. Asizange sikwazi ukungena ngenxa yokuvalelwa ngamatyholo. La ndawo lilifa lamaXhosa, kodwa zange sikwazi ukungena. Into esayibonayo ngamangcwaba wamamishinari. La mangcwaba nawo ayadilika,” utshilo uMaseko.

Umphathiswa uFezeka Nkomonye uthi nangona nje iLovedale Press iliziko elizimeleyo, bakumalinge okuxhasa ngezimali ukuze kugcineke imbali yeli ziko. “Isebe likwaceba inyathelo lokwenza iLovedale Press ibe yindawo yembali (museum),” utshilo uNkomonye.