UNkosi Maqoma akafanga usaphila

IBINGUMSITHO obuzinyaswe ngabaphila phantsi kwesizathu, bewenza ngovuyo olukhatshwa yintshisakalo yokufunisa ngobuni babo.

Imozulu ibikrelekrele phezulu kusasa, kodwa yatshintsha ngesaquphe emva kwemini yadyudyuza ikhatshwa yiloo ngqele. NgokwesiNtu oku kuphawula ukuvuma kwamanyange ngetheko elo. Kaloku kule Ntaba kaNdoda, kwakusaya kucelwa imvula mandulo.

Noxa nje imozulu ibikhatshwa yimvula, kodwa abantu abakhange babenakuzisola ngokubuthelana kwiNtaba kaNdoda kuQoboqobo ukuya kukhumbula uNkosi Jongumsobomvu Maqoma ngomnyhadala ongqamene ngqo nokungamafa eli lizwe. Amathambo kaMaqoma alapha kule ntaba, noxa nje yena wayebhubhele eRobben Island.

Hayi wonke umntu unolwazi oluthe gabalala ngeli qhawe lakwaRharhabe elakhokela iimfazwe zokulwela ubunini bethu – umhlaba nemfuyo. UMaqoma wakhokela nditsho imfazwe yasemlanjeni, elephuzelisa ngomkhonto ezikhusele ngekhaka nangogoqo kwabo belungu beenkanunu neengadla-ngadla ezithi zakutsho kube ngathi kuzongoma izulu.

Enkosi kwiNtinga Ntaba kaNdoda ngokuququzelela lo mnyhadala. Igqiza lephepha-ndaba I’solezwe lifike kule ntaba kubaswe umlilo kwizakhiwo eziluqilima ezakhiwa ngurhulumente kaLennox Sebe. Sifike bemamele isicatshulwa segqala lombhali kwanentatheli uFred Khumalo, kwincwadi ayibhale ngokuzika kwenqanawe iSS Mendi. Bebetyiwa lingcume kucaca ukuba kudala ubasiwe umlilo. Ath’ amaXhosa obaleka umsi udlala nje ngexesha lakhe, kuba uyakulandela.

Emva kukaKhumalo, kungene imvumi yakuCentane uMthwakazi walidlakaza iqonga eli kucaca ukuba udibene ngqo nemimoya yakwaRharhabe. UMthwakazi, ephelekwa liqela iNtlantsi Xhorchestra yaseNgqushwa, wenze uncuthu ngeengoma eziliqela, eshiya abantu bengqungqa bambi befuna nangakumbi kwezongoma zakhe zikhatshwa liqela lakhe lentambula eliphehlwa ngemva sisakhono esingummangaliso.

Wamhle umsitho weentsuku ezintathu (23-25 kweyoMsintsi), kwangqina neciko lakwaRharhabe uNkosana Zolile Burns-Ncamashe. “Banethamsanqa abo kubo, ekuxhokonxwe izazela zabo ukuze bakwazi ukukhulelwa livuso lokuzazi okokuba bangoobani na. Nathi maNgqika siyazingca ngeenkumbulo zobugorha bukaMaqoma kaNgqika,” utshilo uBurns-Ncamashe.

“Kufuneka nathi ngokunokwethu sithi sikhumbula ubugorha bukaMaqoma, inyok’ emnyama ecand’ iziziba. Yinkosi ke leyo eyazibalula ngokulwela ikhusela inkululeko, kaloku kufuneka sikhumbule ukuba abelungu mhla bafika kweli lizwe bafika sikhululekile,” kutsho uBurns-Ncamashe.

UKhumalo uthi ebeze kulo msitho emva kwesimemo esisuka kuMazibuko Jara ongumlawuli kwiNtinga Ntaba kaNdoda. “Abantu balibele ngoMaqoma. Ndicinga ukuba lixesha lokuba abantu bakhunjuzwe ngoMaqoma,” utshilo uKhumalo.

UMaqoma uzelwe ngonyaka ka1798 ze wabhubhela eRobben Island ngo1873 emva kokubanjwa ngabacinezeli. ERobben Island, uMaqoma wayekunye nowakwakhe uNkosazana Katyi Maqoma. UMaqoma wathabatha inxaxheba kwiimfazwe eziliqela ekuquka kuzo imfazwe yasemlanjeni eMthontsi eyaqala ngo1850 ukuya ngo1853.

UJara uthi lo mnyhadala ubujolise ekuphawuleni iminyaka ekwikhulu elinamashumi amane anesine (144) wabhubhayo uMaqoma.