Omhlophe uphikisa abantsundu ngekamva lesiXhosa!

Kunganjani xa kungabanjwa umnyhadala wolwimi lwesiXhosa ngonyaka ka2023, xa ukushicilelwa nokupapashwa kwesiXhosa, kuza kube kugqiba iminyaka engamakhulu amabini?

Lo ngumbono kaNjingalwazi Wilson Francis ethetha kwiYunivesithi iFort Hare eDikeni kwiveki ephelileyo, apho athe wawongwa ngesidanga sembeko (Doctor of Philosophy in Economics).

UNjingalwazi Francis ukhulele eMpuma Koloni. Wafunda eDikeni naseMakhanda phambi kokuba ayokufunda kwiYunivesithi yaseKapa (UCT) apho waphumelela khona isidanga kubunzululwazi. Emva koko ufunde kwiYunivesithi yaseCambridge (eBhritane) apho waphumelela khona ubugqirhalwazi (PhD) phambi kokuba abuyele eUCT njengomhlohli ngo1967.

Kwimvulamazwi yakhe, emva kokwamkela isidanga sembeko, uFrancis ubalise ibali apho wayedibene nabafundi baseFort Hare eRhawutini ze wancokola nabo ngekamva lolwimi lwesiXhosa.

“Kwiminyaka emibini okanye emithathu edlulileyo ndandikwinkomfa yeeyunivesithi eRhawutini. Ngenye intsasa ndandikwisidlo sakusasa, ndabona abafundi baseFort Hare abane behleli etafileni, besitya ibhrakfesi. Ndahlala ecaleni kwabo ndababuza ngombuzo owawunkenteza entlokweni kum.

“Ndababuza ukuba: Ingaba nicinga ukuba likhona ikamva kulwimi lwesiXhosa kweli lizwe?” kwakubuza uFrancis.

“Aba bafundi bane abazange babe becinga kude, banqwala ngelithi akukho kamva kulwimi lwesiXhosa. Batsho ngazwilinye ukuba: Hayi! Ndandothuke kakhulu yimpendulo yabo. Ndabuza ukuba iincwadi ezifana neNgqumbo Yeminyanya zingagululeka lula ngolo hlobo kwimbali yesizwe?” kubuza uFrancis.

Lo kaFrancis uthi isiXhosa sinekamva kwilizwe loMzantsi Afrika.

“IsiXhosa lolunye leelwimi zokuqala ukushicilelwa nokubhalwa kwiAfrika (Sub Sahara). Sithe gqolo ukubona kubhalwa neePhD ngesiXhosa.

“Into eqaphelekayo kukubona ilizwe elineelwimi ezilishumi elinanye lisebenzisa ulwimi olunye – isiNgesi. Kutheni? Okuyinyaniso kukuba ulwimi lwesiXhosa lunembali ngoko ke mna ndibona ikamva.”

Ethetha malunga nokuwongwa yiFort Hare, uFrancis uthe: “Ndizibona ndindiliseke kakhulu ukuwongwa yiYunivesithi yaseFort Hare. Inyaniso yeyokuba ndingumntwana waseFort Hare. Ndikhe ndakho kwibhunga lokwakhiwa ngokokutsha kweFort Hare emva konyaka ka1990.”