IBHUNGA laMafa eSizwe (National Heritage Council) lithembise ngokufaka imali ekuxhaseni umboniso bhanya-bhanya ocetywayo ngembali kaNkosi Jongumsobomvu Maqoma – igorha elalwa iimfazwe eziliqela likhusela eli lizwe.
Ingqonyela yeli bhunga, uAdvocate Sonwabile Mancotywa, ebetyelele eBhofolo kule veki apho iChief Jongumsobomvu Maqoma Foundation ibibambe umsitho wokuvuselela nokukhumbula imbali ngoNkosi Maqoma okwanyanzeleka ukuba ayokudontsa eRobben Island ngenxa yobugorha bakhe.
Lo msitho uphawulwe ngokuthi kusilwe umqombothi, apho ifatyi ibibekwe phambi kwezithethi ngeli thuba zithethayo.
Ukusilwa komqombothi luphawu lokukholosa nokunika imbeko kwizihlwele.
UMaqoma (1798-1873) wathabatha inxaxheba kwiimfazwe eziliqela ekuquka kuzo imfazwe yasemlanjeni eMthontsi eyaqala ngo1850 ukuya ngo1853. Kodwa uMancotywa uthi okubi kukuba bambalwa abantu abamaziyo uNkosi Jongumsobomvu.
“UMaqoma akabalulekanga nje kuba wayeyinkosi koko wayeligorha lomzabalazo. Kubalulekile abantu abatsha beli ukuba bafundiswe ngeli qhawe,” utshilo uMancotywa.
UMancotywa uthi kwakubaluleka ukuba abantu abazakuthabatha inxaxheba kulo mboniso bhanya-bhanya ngobomi bukaMaqoma, ibengabantu abatsha beli phondo.
“Makuqeqeshwe ulutsha lakuthi apha eMpuma Koloni luzilungiselele ukuze ludlale indima ekubhaleni ngokutsha imbali kaNkosi Maqoma. Ubomi ngoMaqoma mabubhalwe sithi hayi abanye abantu. Ndingavuya kakhulu ukubona ulutsha luthabatha inxaxheba kumboniso bhanya-bhanya ngemfazwe yasemlanjeni eyayikhokelwa nguMaqoma,” kutsho uMancotywa.
UMancotywa uthi ukusekwa kwephiko lomkhosi leANC – Umkhonto Wesizwe – kwakusekezelwe kwindlela ezasilwa ngayo iinkosi zeli eziquka uNkosi Maqoma.
Ingqonyela yeChief Jongumsobomvu Maqoma Foundation, uVuyo Fani, uthi bazimisele ukuqhuba befundisa uluntu ngobomi neengcingane zikaNkosi Maqoma.
UMancotywa uthi ibali ngoMzantsi Afrika aliphelelanga ukuba akuthethwanga ngoMaqoma. Uthi eyona nto yayiphambili kwezimfazwe zooMaqoma yayikukukhusela ubutyebi belizwe.
“Babekhusela umhlaba nemihlambi yabo. Ukufuya akufikanga nabelungu apha. Abelungu bafike sifuyile sikwazi ukuzondla,” utshilo uMancotywa.
Luthatha lubeka usapho obeluthenjiswe ngoncedo kumngcwabo womzali ogetyengiweyo!