UMqhayi waseNtabozuko!

Kwekhu! Izinto ziman’ ukwenzeka, kodwa zibuye zidlule! Ezalapha eMzantsi Afrika zithi zimbi, zikhwinisa, zidlule kube ngathi akwenzekanga nto. Xa kunje ndikhumbula loo Ngxekengxeke yasemaZimeni, unyana kaZiwani noQashani, into kaMqhayi nowaziwa ngeNtabozuko.

Xa kunje ebeya kuphakama angoyiki ngokoyikiswa, ahlomle agadlele esithi “le nto kakade yinto yaloo nto, thina nto zaziyo asothukanga nto, kuba kaloku sibona kamhlophe sithi bekumelwe, sithethe engqondweni sithi kufanele.”

UKrune Mqhayi ebeya kubonga kutshawuze imibane xa ilizwe loMzantsi Afrika lambethwe lihlazo lokugxagxanyiswa kwamanina ngenyanga yawo, ihlazo lokuphangwa nokubulawa koosaziwayo, kwanehlazo lokungabikho kozinzo kumbuso welizwe nakwezopolitiko ngokubanzi.

Zidwesha zakuthi, ubawo uMqhayi andimthetheleli, kodwa ndithi wayengumntu, nanjengamntu wonke ke enazo iindawo abuthathaka kuzo, kuba ke phantsi kwelanga, akekho umntu ogqibeleleyo.

Ubuthathaka bakhe babungahambi bodwa nanjengaye nawuphi umntu, kuba kubulumko bakhe, kwisakhono sakhe sokubhala ngosiba ekunye nabanye oovulindlela abafana nooJolobe, Jordan, Siwisa, Qangule, Bongela, Soga, Mgqwetho, Tamsanqa, Satyo, Mtuze, Ngcangata, Jadezweni nabanye abaninzi, isiXhosa sibonakele sikhula, siphuhla, saqhubekeka sibhalwa ngethemba lokuba sakufundwa sifundiswe, ukuze siphile ngonaphakade! Ngelo galelo, sithi camagu Mzima, sithi camagu nto kaMqhayi.

Achane ucwethe amazwi athi ababhali bangaphambili, phofu nabanye kule mihla siphila kuyo, babeqhanwa ukuze babhale ngokohlobo iziphatha-mandla nemizi yoshicilelo eyayithanda okanye inqwenela ngayo. Kubabhali abaninzi ke yenzekile le nto.

Zikho kunjalo nje ziliqela izibhalo namabinza kaMqhayi angazange ashicilelwe kuba kuloo mabinza nezibhalo wayenyemba, ethwaxa kwaye eyitshica kanobom into ejongela phantsi imveli yethu bantu bantsundu, kangangokuba xa kunokukhe kuthelekiswe kwincwadi yakhe ethi Ityala lamawele, le yashicilelwa mandulo, nale ishicilelwe ngoku kuhlaziywa uncwadi lwethu, kuya kufunyaniswa ukuba kule yamva, kukho amanqakwana angekhoyo kule indala, manqakwana lawo athetha banzi ngokubaluleka kwethu maXhosa ekwayameni kubuntu bethu, kumasiko ethu nakwimveli yethu.

Ngaphezu koko, sazi sonke thina baphandi neengcali zeelwimi zesintu ukuba imisebenzi kaMqhayi yenye ebenegalelo kuqulunqo lwendlela enokulandelwa xa kubhalwa isiXhosa.

Mveni kwiphepha lama-64 ale ncwadi ndithetha ngayo xa eziveza ukuba nangona wagqobhoka njengabaninzi ababefunda phantsi kwezandla zabefundisi, yena ukwazile ukuvakalisa ukuba abefundisi bezikolo zecawe kunye namakoloniyali bafike sinenkolo eyeyethu, nkolo leyo igxile kwingqiqo yobuXhosa nobu-Afrika, uthetha enjenje: “Thina besisithi xa oobawo besandulele, singene ngabo kuQamata. Kuthi uQamata lo ube mkhulu, kangangokuba singabi nabo ubunganga nobugagu bokuya ngokwethu ebusweni bakhe. Thina maXhosa, besinika iminyanya yakowethu imbekokazi, siyixhelele, sicenga ukuthethelelwa kuQamata.”

Ingaba la mazwi abonakalisa ukusilahlekisa ukuze siwele kwinkolo ethile, ngaphezu kwaleyo yayigxininisa kwintlalo yookhokho bethu?

Mveni nangoku abonga iTshawe laseBhilitane, uthi nangoku ebonga ekuveza ukugqobhoka kwakhe egqobhokela kubuKrestu (nto leyo singenakuyigxeka simsole ngayo kuba yayisisigqibo sakhe, ngezizathu ezikholise yena), asebenzise isikweko esibangela avakale ngathi le nkosana yaseBhilitane uyilinganisa okanye uyifanisa nale yethu iliTshawe, kanti ngalo lonke elo xesha uyayintlama, kuba xa ukhothama lo mbongo, uvela kanye ngqo apho akhoyo, athi “kodwa Bhilitane uze nebhotile neBhayibhile, uze nomfundisi exhag’ijoni.” Olu chasaniso alusebenzisa apha lwalatha kakuhle ukunganeliseki kwakhe akuveza phandle esidlangalaleni ukuba amakoloniyali eze kuthi ezimele ngenkolo yawo, kanti ngalo lonke elo xesha aze kusithathela konke okwethu.

Nanko nakula mbongo usihloko sithi Usilimela, evakalisa udumo lwesiko lethu ngelithi, “Nina niseBhritane, Jamani namaBhulu (ngamanye amazwe amakoloniyali), thathani iKhwezi kuba nibantu bangakwaziy’ukwabelana, nisuke nenz’imfazwe.

Thina mabandla kaPhalo siza kubambana ngeSilimela, yona nkwenkwezi inkulu, inkwenkwezi yokubala iminyaka yobudoda.” Ingaba kule miqolo uNgxekengxeke, unyana wamaZima uphakamisa enye inkolo nentlalo engenye ukogqitha inkolo nemveli yethu?

Kuphando olwenziwe ngumbhali ophume izandla ubawo uMncedi Mbambo, nowayengumsasazi kuMhlobo Wenene FM, kwiphepha awakhe walinikezela kwinkomfa yephondo leNtshona Koloni kaALASA (African Languages Association of Southern Africa) ngo2004, wavakalisa ngendlela uMqhayi awanqunyanyiswa ngayo eLovedale College kuba wayesilwela, ethethelela kwaye ekhusela isiko lolwaluko.

Uphando lwalo bawo, noluthetha banzi ngobukhosi bakwantu, bukhosi bakwantu obo babumhloniphile bumxabisile uMqhayi, lufumaneka kwithala lala Yunivesithi yaseStellenbosch.

Andigqibi kunjalo nje andigwebi, kodwa ndithi indima kaMqhayi yayinkulu ekuphakamiseni isiXhosa, ekuqinisekiseni ukuba isiXhosa nobuntu bethu ziza kuphila ngonaphakade, ngaphandle kokuba zakuyekelwa sithi.

Sonke sineziphene kobu bomi, kodwa xa sinokuhlala apha kwiziphene, siyeke ukukhetha okwakhayo nokuphilisayo emntwini okanye entweni, asiyi ndawo, kwaye sakubhanga sitshabalale.