UClarence Makwetu wazalwa ngomhla wesithandathu kweyoMnga ngonyaka ka1928, ezalelwa kwilali iHoyita kwisithili sakuCofimvaba.
Ungumntwana wesibini kubantwana abahlanu bakaMinah noGqongo Makwetu. Emva kokuphumelela ibanga lesine kwisikolo sasekuhlaleni, uMakwetu waya kwisikolo esikwiMishini yaseKeilands eCumakala nalapho waphumelela ibanga lesihlanu nelesithandathu. Ngonyaka ka1943 ukuya kowe1945, uMakwetu wayefunda kwisikolo esikuKomani esenza iJunior Certificate. Ngo1946, le ndedeba yaya kwiLovedale yodumo eDikeni apho yaphumelela khona ibanga leshumi.
UMakwetu uqale ukuzibandakanya kwezopolitiko ngethuba lephulo lokunyevulela oontamo-lukhuni (Defiance Campaign) ngonyaka ka1952. Ngonyaka ka1954, wazibandakanya ne-ANC Youth League, kodwa emva koko wabaphakathi kweqela elacebuka kwi-ANC lisiya kuseka iPAC kweyoKwindla ngo1959. UMakwetu wayewuthanda lo mbutho wama-Afrika uPoqo, kuba wawusekezelwe kwiphulo lokubuyisela umhlaba kubanini bawo, abantu abamnyama.
Ngonyaka ka1960, uMakwetu wabanjwa kwisixeko saseKapa, kulandela iintshukumo zokuzibandakanya kwezopolitiko. Kunyaka olandelayo (1961) uMakwetu wabanjwa kwakhona eKapa, waze wathunyelwa kwiphandle ebelisaya kwaziwa njengeTranskei, apho wayalelwa ukuba angaze aphinde athethe ngezopolitiko.
Emva kokuba siphelile isigwebo sakhe seenyanga ezimbalwa kuCofimvaba, uMakwetu wabuyela eKapa. Ekubuyeleni kwakhe waphinda wabanjwa ngo1962, waphinda wathunyelwa emva ekhaya.
NgoTshazimpuzi ka1963, uMakwethu waphinda wabanjwa kwakhona, isizathu kukuba wayethe gqolo ukuthetha phandle ngombutho wama-Afrika Poqo (PAC), mbutho lowo wawuvalwe umlomo ngelo xesha.
Kwesi sihlandlo, ityala lakhe laxoxelwa eNgcobo, waze wagwetywa iminyaka emihlanu wathunyelwa kwisiqithi saseRobben Island. Ekukhululweni kwakhe ngo1968, uMakwetu wathunyelwa kuCofimvaba kwathiwa angakhe aphinde athethe ngezopolitiko kude kube ngunyaka ka1970.
Ngeli xesha ke, wafumana ingqesho kuQamata engumabhalane kwishishini lokwakha izindlu, erhola iR39 ngenyanga. Ngeli thuba lokusebenza kwakhe kuQamata, uMakwetu wafumana ubunini bomhlaba kude kufuphi nale ndawo, waqala ukuba ngumfama. Ngo1976, uMakwetu wabanjwa, akabekwa tyala ze wakhululwa kunyaka olandelayo. NgeyeKhala ngo1977, uMakwetu wabanjwa ngamapolisa ephandle ebelisaya kwaziwa njengeTranskei, wakhululwa emva kweenyanga ezintathu.
NgeyoMnga ngo1979, uMakwetu wavalwa umlomo nguKaiser Daliwonga Matanzima, owayengumongameli waseTranskei, waze wathunyelwa eLibode iminyaka emihlanu. Wabuya eLibode ngo1984, kodwa kwabonakala ukuba ubukho bakhe abuthandeki, nto leyo yanyanzela ukuba abanjwe iinyanga ezine ngo1986.
UMakwetu wonyulwa njengomongameli wePAC kweyoMdumba ngo1990, nto leyo yamenza ukuba abe- bubuso bePAC ngethuba lovoto lwentando yesininzi ngo1994. Ngo1996, uMakwetu wagxothwa yiPAC kuba isithi urhuqele eludakeni umbutho.
UMakwetu, obethanda kakhulu ukulima nokufuya, usweleka etshate noMandisa benabantwana. Phumla ngoxolo mQocwa, Zikhali-mazembe, Bhizana, Bilisa, Butsolo-bentonga, Tiyeka, Abantu bakuloZembe latshona nomphini walo, Izinto zooNomshwaka, Inkomo zikaJojo, Ujobela wasemajojweni, Intak’ erhuq’ idyasi ngokomfundisi!
Kuvulwe isikolo esixabisa iR106-million KwaMaxhama