Noxolo Grootboom: ‘Kunangoku andikakholwa’

UMAKHWEKHWETHA kufundo lweendaba zesiXhosa kumabonakude, uNoxolo Grootboom, wenze umbulelo kwiYunivesithi yaseRhodes esithi akakholelwa ukuba nguye lo uza kowongwa ngesidanga sembeko ngomso (Lwesihlanu).

Le yunivesithi ibhengeze ukuba uGrootboom (61), odla umhlalaphantsi emva kokusebenza ixesha elivisayo kwiSABC, uza kuwongwa ngesidanga sembeko (honoris causa).

Esi sidanga sembeko, Doctor of Letters (D Litt), uGrootboom usinikwa ngenxa yegalelo lakhe ekusebenziseni ulwimi lwesiXhosa njengesixhobo sokunxulumana nabantu belizwe ngendlela enomkhitha kwanokuzingca.

Ingqonyela yaseRhodes, uGqr. Sizwe Mabizela, uthe: “Isizwe sethu simtyala umbulelo nokumothulela umnqwazi okungathethekiyo ngenxa yakwenzileyo ukunika ithemba kuninzi lwabemi baseMzantsi Afrika kumaxesha onxunguphalo. UMam’ uNoxolo ebefunda iindaba ngendlela entle kwanokuzingca.”

“Sicinge ukuba kubalulekile kwiYunivesithi iRhodes ukuba iqaphele igalelo lakhe elivisayo kuluntu lwethu. Indlela yakhe yokuphetha iindaba, ethi ‘Nanga ngobu busuku ningalala nombethe ingubo yemvisiswano, uxolo, nothando. Ndinithanda nonke emakhaya’ iya kuhlala ihleli njengesipho sothando, uxolo kwanenkathalo kwisizwe sethu,” utshilo uMabizela.

Ephefumla malunga neli wonga, uGrootboom uthe: “Kwiminyaka engamashumi amathathu anesixhenxe edlulileyo, umsebenzi wam ebendiwenza ubuphathelene namagama.”

“Ngalo lonke elo xesha, amagama ibisisixhobo sam sokunxulumana nabantu ntsuku zonke, ndichaza iimeko ezithile, iziganeko ezingundabamlonyeni ezindabeni, ukulala ubuthongo bokufa kwamagqala ezopolitiko, ndibala ntoni,” kutsho uGrootboom.

Lo makhwekhwetha uthi eli wonga liwenze omela emqaleni amazwi kuye.

“Andinawo amazwi, ndiswele imilomo ayaba iliwaka. Kunangoku, andikakholwa. Noko kunjalo, ndibamba ngazibini kumzi waseRhodes ngeli wonga indithe jize ngalo. Ndiyabulela Dyunivesithi yaseRhodes. Ndiyabulela nakubemi baseMzantsi Afrika, ndinjenje kungenxa yabo. Ukwanda kwaliwa ngumthakathi,” utshilo uGrootboom.

UGrootboom wazalelwa eCacadu (Lady Frere). Uchithe iminyaka yakhe yobutsha eTyatyorha eHealdtown eBhofolo, apho enze khona izifundo zakhe zamabanga aphantsi (eHealdtown Primary) ze waya naseLovedale Primary eDikeni kuquka nakwisikolo iDavis eGcuwa. Amabanga akhe aphezulu uwenzele eLamplough eGcuwa kwanaseBethel College kwaseGcuwa.

UGrootboom wangena kwiSABC njengomchwethezi (typist), ze watshintshela kwigumbi leendaba encedisa kubavelisi. Utshintshile apho wangumvelisi. Ukufunda iindaba wangena mhla wayengekho emoyeni umfundi weendaba zesiXhosa uThandi Mesatywa, ze wabe kanti uqala kanjalo.