UJames James Ranisi Jolobe (1902–1976)

UJames James Ranisi Jolobe.

Ngubani uJ.J.R Jolobe?

Xa sisungula lenyanga yoMsintsi, inyanga equlethe imbali enzulu ngesizwe, inyanga esinika ithuba lokwazi izinto ezililifa esashiywa nazo ngabangaphambili. Vuma sikwazi ngombhali, imbongi, umfundisi nomthandi wolwimi lesiXhosa uJames James Ranisi Jolobe imbongi yase Ndwe.

UJames James Ranisi Jolobe wazalelwa ngomhla wama25 kwinyanga yeKhala ngo1902 kwisithili saseXhalanga phesheya kweNciba. Wayengunyana womfundisi waseRhabe, uJames Jolobe oMkhulu, noEmily Nobethu, owayeyintombi kaMokhohliso wasebaThenjini.

UJolobe wafunda esinaleni saseMthwaku ngakuQoboqobo, emva koko waqeshwa njengomfundisi-ntsapho. Ngo1926 wabhalisela ukufunda kwaNokholeji, apho wafundela ubufundisi. Ukusukela ku1938 ukuya ku1959 wayengumfundisi-ntsapho eLovedale, wayenguye nomfundisi ongaqeshelwanga isigxina elokishini yaseNew Brighton eBhayi kwada kwaba ngu1970. Ngaloo nyaka waba nguMfundisi oMkhulu weBandla lamaRhabe laseMzantsi-Afrika.

Iincwadi azishicileleyo ziquka inovelana yakhe ethi UZagula (yashicilelwa ngo1923, apho uZagula ligama lomlinganiswa oyintloko womntu obhinqileyo), ethetha ngeziphumo ezibi zobugqwirha eluntwini.

Igalelo likaJolobe kwisihobe sesiXhosa liquka ezi ncwadi: Iindlela Ezahlukeneyo (ishicilelwe ngo1928), ingqokelela yemihobe namavo ethi Umyezo (yashicilelwa ngo1936), ingqokelela yemihobe ethi Thuthula (yashicilelwa ngo1938), ingqokelela yamavo ethi Amavo (yashicilelwa ngo1940), ingqokelela yeevesi zabantwana ethi Lovedale Xhosa Rhymes (yashicilelwa ngo1946), ingqokelela yezicengcelezo ethi Izicengcelezo zaseDikeni (yashicilelwa ngo1952), incwadi ethi Ilitha (yashicilelwa ngo1959), nengqokelela yemihobe ethi Indyebo yesihobe (yashicilelwa ngo1970).

UJolobe wabhala nengqokelela yemidlalo endimanye ethi Amathunzi Obomi (yashicilelwa ngo1957), kunye nenoveli ethi Elundini loThukela (yashicilelwa ngo1958).

Wayenguye nomguquli, waye waguqula wazisa esiXhoseni ezi ncwadi: incwadi kaBooker T. Washington ethi Up from Slavery (esiXhoseni wayithiya igama Ukuphakama ukusuka ebukhobokeni, yashicilelwa ngo1951), incwadi ethi Aesop’s fables (wayithiya igama Iintsomi zika-Aesop esiXhoseni, yashicilelwa ngo1953), incwadi kaWaldem Bonsels ethi Maya, the Bee (esiXhoseni wayithiya igama U-Maya: Amahla-ndinyuka enyosi, yashicilelwa ngo1957), nencwadi kaMhlekazi uHenry Rider Haggard ethi King Solomon’s Mines (wayithiya igama Imigodi kakumkani uSolomon esiXhoseni, yashicilelwa ngo1957).

Ewonke uJolobe ufumene la mabhaso ebomini bakhe: iMay Esther Bedford Award ngo1936, iVilakazi Memorial Prize for Nguni Literature ngo1952, iAfrikaanse Pers Boekhandel Prize ngo1953, iMargaret Wrong Award ngo1957, kunye nesidanga sobugqirha-lwazi kuncwadi nefilosofi asinikwe nje ngegama nguNokholeji ngo1974.

Ekubeni uSamuel Edward Krune Mqhayi evunywe njengeMbongi yeSizwe kwisizwe samaXhosa, uJolobe yena uvunywe njengeMbongi yomNqamlezo, ngenxa yokuba imihobe yakhe inento eninzi yemiqondiso yobuKrestu.

Kwincwadi kaLewis Nkosi ethi Tasks and Masks: Themes and Styles of African Literature, eshicilelwe ngo1981, uthe uJolobe wayengomnye wabahlahli-ndlela kwisihobe sesiNtu samaxesha angoku eMzantsi-Afrika.

UJolobe watshata uJean Buthelwa Nongogo eBhayi ngo1937. Bazala oonyana ababini neentombi ezimbini.

Ekuhambeni kwexesha uJolobe uye wabuyela kwaNokholeji, apho wasebenza kwiKomiti yesiChazi-magama sesiXhosa (eyayiza kubizwa liZiko leSizwe loChazo-magama lesiXhosa).

Udlale indima enkulu ekuhlanganiseni nasekuguquleni kwesichazi-magama esitsha esingulwimi-ntathu (isiXhosa, isiNgesi, nesiAfrikansi), apho wayesebenza kunye noMhleli oyiNtloko weso sichazi-magama, uNjingalwazi Herbert Walter Pahl.

UJolobe walishiya eli ngomhla we16 kwinyanga kaCanzibe ngo1976, eswelekele esibhedlele iSt Lucy’s kuTsolo. Wangcwatywa eMthatha.

Olu lwazi yingqokelela efunyenwe kwiincwadi namaziko ahlukeneyo, ezondawo ziquka iYunivesithi yaseFort Hare, uNjingalwazi HW Pahl namanye amaziko.

Intlakohlaza

Ngokubhalwa ngu: James James Ranisi Jolobe

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