“Judgement
delivered ngesiXhosa nangesiNgesi”, Eso sisihloko sebali elipapashwe
liphephandaba laseKapa, iCape
Times, ngomhla
wesibini kwinyanga yeKhala. Ngoko nangoko, kwabamnandi entliziyweni yam ngoba
isiXhosa sanikwa indawo esifaneleyo yenye yeentsika zedemokrasi kweli lizwe
elizijongela phantsi iilwimi zabantu abamnyama. Ibali belingesigwebo esiwiswe
nguJaji uMandisa Maya kwiNkundla ePhakamile yezibheno kwimbambano ebiphakathi
kwe-AfriForum ne-Unisa (iziko lemfundo ephakamileyo) ngolwimi lwe-Afrikaans.
Kwiminyaka emine edlulileyo, i-Unisa yathatha isigqibo sokuguzula i-Afrikaans,
yashiya isiNgesi njengelona lwimi ekuza kusetyenziswa lona xa kufundiswa
abafundi. Abantu abathetha i-Afrikaans zange bayamkela lo nto. Yiyo lo nto
bagqiba kwelokuba babhenele enkundleni. Mandime ngokwenziwe yi-AfriForum
ndithethe ngomsebenzi omkhulu nobalulekileyo owenziwe yiJaji yenkundla
ephakamileyo. Isigqibo sikaJaji Maya sokuwisa isigwebo ngesiNgesi yinto eqhelekileyo
– kodwa ukukhupha isigwebo ngesiXhosa yimbali engasoze ilityalwe eMzantsi
Afrika futhi yinto efuna ukuqhwatyelwa. Ukubhala kwakhe isigwebo ngesiXhosa
kuqinisa iinzame zamatshantliziyo alwela ukufunqulwa kweelwimi zethu bantu
abamnyama. UJaji Maya wenze umsebenzi obalulekileyo ngethuba kukho
isitshingitshane “samagqobhoka” afuna kubekwe isiNgesi phambili nangona ilelona
lwimi elikhuselweyo eMzantsi Afrika emva kokunyanzelwa ebantwini abamnyama ngeentsuku
zengcinezelo. Ndiyithandile indlela isigwebo esibhalwe ngayo: kusetyenziswe
isiXhosa esicacileyo futhi esilula kakhulu.
Ukusetyenziswa
kweelwimi zabantu abamnyama kunomda ezinkundleni zaseMzantsi Afrika. Lo nto
ithetha ukuthi zange kubekho nguqu kwicala leelwimi emva kuka-1994 ngoba
isilungu iye yasesona sisetyenziswa kakhulu nangona ingelolwimi labantu
abaninzi eMzantsi Afrika. Eyona nto endivuyisayo kakhulu ngokwenziwe nguJaji
Maya kukuba kuya bonisa okokuba isiXhosa singasetyenziswa nakweliphi na
inqanaba kwaye intetho yamagqobhoka ethi: “Ungenza ntoni ngesiXhosa”, yingcingane
eyingozi – kodwa eyaphelelwa lixesha ebantwini abayaziyo le nto kuthiwa yinkululeko
epheleleyo yokuphila. IsiXhosa sithethwa ngabantu abaphakathi kwezigidi
ezisibhozo kweli lizwe – kodwa aside sifumane indawo yaso. Phofu ayisiso sodwa,
nezinye iilwimi zabantu abamnyama zitsala nzima. Ukusetyenziswa kweelwimi zethu
kakhulu ziiNkundla, nguRhulumente (kuzo zonke izigaba) nangamaqumrhu azimeleyo –
yinto ekwakumele yeenziwa ngo’94 ukuze kufunqulwe umgangatho wazo.
Ukusetyenziswa kweelwimi kudala amathuba emisebenzi. Ngeke ibonakale lo nto
ebantwini abaninzi ngoba bavalwe amehlo sisiNgesi esifanayo nje nezinye iilwimi
ezikhoyo. Abantu abamnyama bachitha izigidi zerandi ebantwaneni abafuna
bathethe isiNgesi ngenxa yengcingane ethi: “Kufuneka wazi isiNgesi ukuze
ubonakale njengomntu okrelekrele”. Ngelishwa, yimfundiso leyo eyasenza izidenge
singaqondanga. Uqoqosho lufuna abantu abanolwazi nezakhono. Ezo zinto
ezikhabani nalo naluphi na ulwimi emhlabeni. Thina samkela ukwenziwa oopkobhana
ngabantu abalawula uqoqosho abangenawo nomncinci umdla ebantwini abamnyama
ngaphandle kwamandla wabo.
Ngaphezulu
kwezinto zonke, ukusetyenziswa kweelwimi zethu ezinkundleni kunokwenza umahluko
omkhulu ngoba kungenza umsebenzi wazo (iiNkundla) ubelula futhi ugqibelelise
nenkqubo yobulungisa kweli lizwe. Ndazi kakuhle okokuba iitoliki ezinkundleni zethu
ziyazama ukuncedisa abamangalelwa, abetshutshisi neeJaji – kodwa ukuba abantu
bangafumana ithuba lokuzithethela ngqo, kungancipha ukulahleka kweenkcukacha xa
kuxoxwa amatyala. Ukusetyenziswa kolwimi lomntu ngamnye kugqibelelisa ubuyena
umntu. Inkululeko yabantu abamnyama iya kugqibelela mhla kwaze kwahlonitshwa
inkcubeko yabo emakhaya, kwiindawo zoshishino nakwaRhulumente. Ndizama ukuthi
indlela abadalwe ngayo abantu akufanelanga isuswe kubo elizweni
elikhululekileyo. Ukusetyenziswa kwesiXhosa yijaji yinto enkulu ngoba inqabile
futhi kungakuhle ukuba nezinye zingenza njalo kwiindawo ezisebenza kuzo. Abantu
abamnyama batyaphe bacinge ukokuba kuthiwa isiNgesi masingasetyenziswa ke xa
uthetha ngeelwimi zabo ngoba baqhathwa kwathiwa azinamsebenzi. Naluphi ulwimi kufuneka
lusetyenziswe ukuze lube namandla. Ndifuna ukubulela umsebenzi omhle owenziwe
nguJaji Maya owongula inkungu emehlweni wabantu abaninzi. Nokuba umntu ufunde
kangakanani, ukusebenzisa ulwimi lwakhe akumthobi isidima. IsiNgesi
ne-Afrikaans ziilwimi ezisetyenziswayo kushishino, kwaRhulumente nakwezemfundo.
Umbuzo: Kutheni ezabantu abamnyama zingasetyenziswa? Yonke into ixhomekeke
kuthi. Asinakusithela ngabantu abamhlophe ngoba bona basibonisa indlela kwezabo
– kodwa thina asifuni ukuyihamba ngoba sifuna ukufana nokuvakala njengabo.
URonwen Williams ucelela inkxaso yabalandeli beChiefs nePirates!