Kuxwebile kwikhaya likaOom Ray

IKHAYA legqala lomzabalazo uRaymond Mhlaba, kwilali yakuNondyola eBhofolo, lixwebile futhi lithwaxekile kwinto echazwa ngoomakhelwane njengokufulathelwa kwezizalwane zeli gqala ziinkokeli zeANC ezixhamla inkululeko ngenxa kaMhlaba.

U-Oom Ray, indlela abizwa ngayo uMhlaba, uchithe iminyaka engamashumi amathandathu kwinkonzo yesizwe. Kule minyaka kuquka engamashumi amabini anesihlanu evalelwe eRobben Island.

Xa sibekela bucala izigaba, uOom Ray – ngokwezopolitiko – ukwinqanaba looGovan Mbeki, Nelson Mandela, Walter Sisulu, Robert Sobukwe, Oliver Reginald Tambo, Elias Motsoaledi, Ahmed Kathrada ukubala nje abambalwa.

Ngaphandle nje kukaTambo, ezi ziinkokeli ezaziyinxalenye nendumasi yetyala laseRivonia ngeminyaka yoo1960. Kwankqu nakwiphulo likarhulumente waseMpuma Koloni lokuqaqambisa iingqwele zephondo (Home of Legends), igama likaOom Ray liyavela.

Kodwa xa utyelela kwikhaya apho kukho inkaba kaOom Ray, ugangwa ziimpawu zentlupheko, ukuswela ithemba kwanenkxwaleko ngenxa yokunqongophala kophuhliso.

Indlela eya kwikhaya likaOom Ray imbi kangangokuba intatheli nomfoti wephephandaba I’solezwe bade bayishiya kumgama weemitha ezingamakhulu amabini imoto abebehamba ngayo, kuba kunzima ukufikelela ngayo kweli khaya.

Ukufika kwethu kule lali sibuze kubantwana belali abancinane ukuba kuphi kwatat’ uNdobe.

Ukuphendula bathe: “Kukulamzi unexande elinamazinki angapeyintwanga.” Kweli khaya sifike kukho uNomhle Mhlaba (71), ongumtshana kaOom Ray. Umama kaNomhle wolekelana noOom Ray, kodwa ngenxa yokuba uOom Ray wayemthanda uNomhle – wacelwa kuba egcine ikhaya lakwaMhlaba – ebembiza njengomntwana wakhe.

UNomhle, ohlala nabantwana bakhe abathathu, uthi eli xande bahlala kulo lakhiwa nguOom Ray ngethuba ebuya eluvalelweni eRobben Island. Intlupheko idlala ngabo kuba akukho mntu uphangelayo.

“Apha kweli khaya ndihlala nabantwana bam abathathu, sonke asisebenzi. Siphila ngemali yenkam-nkam yam. Kukhe kuphele ukutya, sihambe sicela ebantwini,” utshilo uNomhle.

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