‘IsiNgesi masishiywe emsebenzini’

UGqirha Nokuzola Mndende.

Ngokubhalwa nguGqirha Nokuzola Mndende

Kubalulekile ukuba kweli xesha sikulo lenkululeko singabantu abantsundu sizingce kwaye sithande ukuluphuhlisa ulwimi lwethu lwenkobe.

Kaloku kuthiwa ulwimi lusisibane nentsika yenkcubeko yomntu ngamnye. Lo onto ke ithetha ukuthi xa ungalwazi ulwimi lwakho lwenkobe ufana nje nezintyatyambo zithengiswa ezitalatweni zingenangcambu zazo nezithi zikhawuleze zibune nokuba ziyankcenkceshelwa, kuba kaloku azinangcambu.

Ungamhle ngokwembonakalo uthethe isiNgesi usikhuphe nangempumlo kodwa awusoze ube liNgesi, kwaye nenkcubeko yawo soze uyigqibe nokuba ungabalahla abakokwenu uzixube namaNgesi, ayakusoloko ekukhumbuza ekubonisa ukuba awungowawo.

Wokhumbula kaloku nangomfihlo wekumkanikazi yawo eNgilane, zothuka izizwe xa kukhokheliswe ibhokhwe. Ewe kubalulekile ukuba isiNgesi sisifunde, kwaye sisithethe emisebenzini kuba lulwimi lwezorhwebo, kodwa ekhaya nakwiintlanganiso zethu sisodwa, isingesi masishiywe emsebenzini.

Ndibuye ke ndize kulwimi lwethu lwenkobe, ulwimi ulungenacalucalulo ngesini. Umzekelo esiNgesini kuyacalucalulwa, kukho igama lomtshana oyindoda negama lomtshana olibhinqa (nephew & niece). Ukanti ke esiXhoseni umntwana wodade wenu ngumtshana wakho ke qwaba, nokuba usesiphina isini.

Kwakhona sibaninzi abathi nokuba sesithetha eso siNgesi sixakane nento kwizimelabizo zobuni (gender pronouns). Kaloku nalapho isingesi siyacalucalula sinesimelabizo somntu oyindoda (he) nesimelabizo somntu olibhinqa (she), ntoleyo engekhoyo esintwini kuba ziyafana. Intombi (i), inkwenkwe (i).

EsiXhoseni umntwana womnye wabazali bakho nokuba nohlukene ngowuphi, umzekelo nohlukane ngomama okanye ngotata, ngumntakwenu lowo. Kodwa esiNgesini kudalwa uqhekeko nobudlelwane obuchithayo kuba uzakumva umXhosa selekhala ngodade olicala (half-sister) okanye umntakwabo olicala (half-brother), into ethi asizalani ncam.

Abatwana bethu namhlanje ingakumbi iintombi ziqhathwa ngaba bafana bangafuni kusebenza, nabelungu apho ingumfazi odleka kakhulu, bathi abafuni kulotyolwa kuba yintengiso leyo. Loonto ke isuka kulaanto yokuba besebenzisa isilungu kwizinto zethu. Kaloku sona isilungu sithi ilobola lixabiso lomtshakazi (bride price), okanye basebenzise eligama lamaNdiya lithi yidowry (ilobola lamandiya).

Phofu ke kumaNdiya lelobola yawo (dowry) ikhutshwa ngabazali bentombi bekhuphela kulondoda. Xa lendoda ungafuni ilobole uzakwendiswa njani kokwenu, bakudityaniswa njani abakhozi? Niyabona ke ukuba oluthando lwesintu nilubhekisa egedukeni kuba ningafuni ukuxabisa ulwimi lwethu oluthi lutolike imntlalo yethu, nakukhala oko.

Ndibuye ndize kumagama athi asokolise xa sifuna ukuguqula into ethile yemontlalo yethu, ubone ukuba umkhondo ulahleke mpela. Umzekelo alikho igama lesiNgesi elichaza ukuphehla isilawu.

Kaloku ukuphehla isilawu asikokuzamisa (to stir), apha sisebenzisa Ixhayi nesilawu, loo magama omabini awaguquleki kuba okokuqala Ixhayi asiyofolokhwe njengoko abanye betolika njalo ufike besithi yifolokhwe yomthi. Ukuphehla ke mfundi uze ukhumbule ukuba kudibanisa wena abakokwenu, nokunqula, ukuzithoba, nokucela nokuziphilisa.

Ndingadanga ndinabe kakhulu qha bendikrobisa nje ukuba kuninzi okulahlekayo okuthi kunxulumane nempilo yethu kuba sibaleka isiXhosa sethu. Omnye uyaxakwa kukuchaza xa kufuneka eyokwenza intambo kokwabo.

Umntwana womXhosa abhideke xa umxelela ukuba kufuneka enze intambo eyenziwa ngosinga nobulunga, ngeloxesha omnye ugulela loontambo.

Kuyafana ke nokuzama ukunxulumanisa izinto ezingafaniyo kuba mhlayimbi sifuna zifane nezasentshona. Umzekelo kukho abantu abafanisa ifuku nelagumbi lokubelekela esibhedlela (labour ward). Azifani ezindawo tu, inye into kukuba umntu obhinqileyo athi abelekele khona. Kodwa ngokwenkqubo nesithethe umohluko mkhulu. Umzekelo efukwini kungena oomama abadala nalo ulunywayo kuphela.

Ukanti ke esibhedlele kungena umongikazi omdala nekrwala lomongikazi eli ligqiba kufundela oku kubelekisa, kungena nogqirha oyindoda. Efukwini yindawo yokunqulela kuba kaloku kwamkelwa lomntana mtsha kwilizwe lookhokho bakhe. Efukwini kuyaqinisekiswa ukuba inkaba yomntwana ingcwatywa ngokwesintu ukuze singazali amatshipha.

Thandani ulwimi lenu nizokubona ukuba alucalucaluli ngasini, lunothando, luyamanya. Kunjalonje nolutsha lungatsho lubone ukuba ngamampunge la kuthiwa isintu siyacinezela, esi sicinezelayo ngoku sesi sidibene nobukoloniyale. Ndisatshaya.