Sikhahlela uMama Phyllis Ntantala-Jordan

Ukwenjenje kukukhumbula intsengwanekwazi yesizwe sakowethu uMama Phyllis olele ubuthongo baphakade kweliya laseMelika nge-17 Julayi 2016.

Yena ke uzalwa kwinkundla yakowabo ekuthiwa kuseGqubeni eTyekelebende eDutywa. Usisizukulwana sephakathi lakomkhulu kwaMaqoma, elalini yaseNgcwazi kwingingqi yaseXesi/Middledrift. Kanti ke ooyise-mkhulu bakhonzile nakwaKumkani Sarhili. Nto leyo ebeke isiNtantala eDutywa. Kwelakulo nina icala uMama Phyllis usisizukulwana selinye lamaguquka okuqala, uNoyi Balfour Mgciniswa. Yena ke wazayamisa neLizwi kula mission yase Mkhubiso/Burnshill.

Ikhaya lomendo limgibisele kooThiyane, amaHlubi ayesemile kumaMpondomise aseMbokothwana. Uzimanye noNjingalwazi AC Jordan, (AC) ingqwayi-ngqwayi evunyiweyo kwilizwe jikelele kwizifundo ngeelwimi zesiNtu. Nguye owabhala incwadi yesiXhosa Ingqumbo Yeminyanya nezinye. Ke yena uMama Phyllis naye ubhalile, kodwa apho agqwese khona kukwincwadi ngobomi bakhe, A Life’s Mosaic: The Autobiography of Phyllis Ntantala. Kwesi sibini, ngokwenene iindonga zaziwelene.

Ingcombolo ke ngemilibo yakhe uyinabisa kuhle eyibangula kwiimbali zabantu bakowabo awazibaliselwa ngabakhulu. Oko kukuthi uMama Phyllis ubesisisele senyathi sembali yakwaNtu.

Sakuba sizibambile ke iingcambu zikaMama Phyllis, masive yena ukuba uziqaqambise njani ukusuka mhla wazalwa nge 7 Januwari, 1920, ade abe usithele.

USingaye ngomnye wabantu ababanenyhweba yesikolo kwasebuncinaneni. Naye ke walithabatha ithuba ewayelinikwa ngabazali. Imfundo ephakamileyo wayifumana eHealdtown. Waza wawelela kwaNokholeji ngo1935.

Ngokufutshane iDyunivesithi yaseFort Hare yayiliziko lokuqala labantu abaNtsundu eMzantsi Afrika. Lona lalivulwe ngo1916. Kungoko belibhiyozela inkulungwane kulo nyaka ka2016. UMama Phyllis waye- kwisithoba samanenekazi ayefunda eDyunivesithi ngo1935. Waqala apho ke ukuzibalula njengomnye woovulindlela. Imfundo ephakamileyo ngaloo maxesha yayingadityaniswa nabantu ababhinqileyo. Ngezo ntsuku kwakungekho nendawo yokuhlala kwamabhinqa. Babefane bagityiselwa kwixhobongwana elalayanyiswe kumzi kaNjingalwazi DDT Jabavu; kwasekucelwa uMama uJabavu abelikhankatha labafundikazi abo.

Abo bafunda incwadi yakhe bahle bafumanise ukuba uMama Phyllis iliso lakhe wayelitsolise kabukhali kumba wamalungelo abafazi. Akuba etshatile, ehlala eKroonstad, wayiqaphela wazizoba ngokucacileyo iimeko abafazi babephila phantsi kwazo ezilokishini. Le miba uyiphatha isanqabile ke le yokuthethelela abaseTyhini ngelo xesha. Kanti ke ubezidla kakhulu ngamantombazana akhe asesikolweni, engumzekelo. Nawo ebemxabisile. Iyileyo intwazana ibimbiza “Mistress oaka..” Hayi, “ Mistress oarona”.

Omnye umba uMamaPhyllis awayewuphakamele iinyawo eseKwaNokholeji yayizezembali ezazifundiswa apho ngoko. Wayethabatha inxaxheba kwiingxoxo ezazicombulula ezembali batsho besithi ezembali zaseMzantsi Afrika bubuvuvu ekwakufuneka buguqulwe.

Umsebenzi kaAC uluphose usapho lakwaJordan eFort Hare. Baphinda bafudukela eKapa. UMama Phyllis wathabatha inxaxheba kukwayo lemibhiyozo eyayisenziwa nguRulumente kukhunjulwa ukufika kukaJan Van Riebeeck ngo 1652. Zabuya zanqoza kwakhona xa kwakufakwa iBantu Education. UMama Phyllis waqokela ebiza abafazi ukuba baphakame bakhusele abantwana babo kwityhefu eyayifakwa nguRulumente wezo mini. Abantwana babeza kuthunyelwa ezikolweni, kodwa abazali bazikwaya iikomiti ezazisekwe nguRulumente. Abanye abafazi ababephambili kuloo mzabalazo wezo ntsuku babequka ooMama Annie Silinga, Winnie Siqwana nabanye. Elona galelo lika- Mama Phyllis ziziqwentshana awayezibhalela iphepha iAfrica South. Kulapho wagqiba ukuba wayezakugxininisa kubafazi ababengazelwe nto ekuhlaleni. Waqalisa ngabo badilizelwa amakhaya befuduswa. Icwecwe elilandelayo latsolisa kubahlolokazi ababeziphandela emaphandleni. Inkoliso yaba bafazi babeshiywe ngabayeni ababeyokuxelenga ezidolophini.

Xa umnqantsa wobandlululo wawunyuka, usapho lakwaJordan lancama lathabatha uphum’aphele kweli lizwe. Babangababhaduli kumazwe aseNgilane naseMelika. Abantwana bekhaya nabo kwanyanzeleka ukuba bathabathe ezo hambo.

Ke thina saba silahlekelwe lolo sapho lalunezakhono, nobuchopho obungummangaliso. Ngexesha lokubhaca kwasweleka uAC. Kodwa ngembuyazwe uMzantsi Afrika wabanenyhweba yokuchola-chola kuPallo Jordan, inkulu kaAC noMamaPhyllis. Yena ke uMama wethu wagqama ngakumbi kumazwe asemzini eqhubeka esilwela amalungelo abafazi.

Singavala nje ngokucaphula ku SEK Mqhayi xa akhapha uMama Naniwe Wauchope,

“Taruni makhosikazi

Nonke jikelele

Ndiqala kwawaseKapa

Nasentla kweliPezulu

Qweqwe ndiye kwaZulu

Ndimanzan ‘anyembezana.

Sishiywe ligorakazi

Sesisele sinkangana.”

Mqhayi in J Opland. 2009.Abantu Besizwe, 65.