XA ucinga ngeSS Mendi kuye kuthi qatha umbongo kaS.E.K. Mqhayi owawungokukuzika kukaMendi kufuphi ne-Isle of Wight. Ingaba na ibali lokuzika kukaMendi lona uyalazi? Pha, eRhini, kuMnyhadala wezobuGcisa kaZwelonke sifumane ithuba lokubukela uSabamnye noMendi – umdlalo weqonga kaMandla Mbothwe.
I-SS Mendi yayiyinqanawe eyayisuka eKapa isiya eLa Havre eFrance ngomhla we-16 kweyoMqungu 1917. Kuyo kwakukho amadoda eSouth African Native Labour Corps abangama-805. Inqanawe le yatshona ngomhla wama-21 kweyoMdumba 1917. Kulo nyaka besiqaphele ikhulu leminyaka yatshonayo. Kwabo batshabayo kwakukho amadoda aseLesotho, Transvaal naseBotswana.
USabamnye noMendi ngumdlalo weqonga osukayo nakwiqonga, ungene kumagumbi ngamagumbi neegadi zaseMakana Botanical Gardens. Siboniswa ukuba amadoda angaphaya kwama-600 ngenani arhaxwa njani. Bekunzima mpela ukufumana amatikiti okubukela lo mdlalo ngoba ebephela msinya.“Bendingayazi ukuba ingankulu kangaka le nto yethu!” kutsho uMandla Mbothwe. “Wonke umntu okulo mdlalo weqonga ebeyinxalenye yokuwubhala nam,” uqhube watsho uMbothwe phambi kokuba asicacisele ukuba eli bali likaMendi uzakuqhuba elibalisa nanjengoko ebesele eqalile ngemidlalo efana no Iyazika noNdabamnye noMendi eKapa.
“Asifuni ukuwuyeka lo mxholo kaMendi. Bakhona nabantu abasicele ukuba sizulazule izwe nalo mdlalo weqonga. Sakubona. Kaloku leyo ixhomekeke kwimali. Sakuzama. Libali elibalulekileyo eli. Maninzi amabali ethu esisuke sithi ‘hayibo yenzekile le nto nyani!?’ Ngamabali ethu la. Masiwabalise!”
*Abadlali: Owen Mogane, Thando Doni, Buhlebezwe Siwani, Chuma Sopotela, Koleka Putuma, Lulamile Nikani, Xolani Ngesi, Mongezi Ncwadi, Asanda Hanabe noBabalwa Zimbini.
Meta AI, wamkelekile kwikhaya lethu lesiXhosa!