Lo mhla kwinyanga yoMsintsi wabekelwa bucala nguRhulumente woMzantsi Afrika emva kokuzuza inkululeko ngo’1994 njengosuku olukhethekileyo lwabantu beli lizwe ukuze bakwazi ukubhiyozela iinkcubeko zabo ngokohlukana kwabo. Njengelizwe elalicinezelwe iminyaka emininzi, uRhulumente [emva kuka’94] wabona kufanelekile ukuba makubekho usuku lokubhiyozela inkcubeko – eyona nto ebalulekileyo nakwesiphi na isizwe esiphilayo.
Ethetha ngosuku lokuphehlelelwa kolu suku ngo’1996, umongameli wokuqala wenkululeko, uNelson Rholihlahla Mandela, wathetha wenjenje: “Urhulumente wenkululeko wabona kufanelekile ukuba kubekho usuku lwenkcubeko njengeholide. Senza njalo kuba sasisazi ukuba inkcubeko yabantu ngokwahlukana kwayo inamandla wokwakha ngokutsha eli lizwe.”
Isizwe esimnyama sagululwa yonke ikcubeko yaso saze saqhelaniswa inkcubeko nempilo yaseNtshona eyabethelelwa ezingqondweni zabantu njengeyona iphucukileyo kunazo zonke ehlabathini.
Namhlanje abantu abadala nolutsha bazimase umsitho wokubhiyozela olu suku eSteve Biko Centre, eGinsberg, cebu kuhle kwidolophi yaseQonce.
Injongo yokuhlanganiswa kwabantu ibikukuzama ukukhuthaza amaXhosa ukuba ayixabise inkcubeko yawo – kwangaxeshanye bekufundiswa abantu ngokubaluleka kwenkcubeko ebomini babo.
Izithethi eziphambili ebezizimase lo msitho, umnu.Mlawuli Tyatyeka noMphilisi uLulama Mpahla, ziphawule ngezinto ezibalulekileyo. I’solezwe lincokole bucala noNeliswa Simuku – obeyinxalenye yalo msitho – intokazi ebhongo kakhulu ngobuXhosa nemvelaphi yomntu omnyama. Le ntokazi yaseMandzothweni eyazalelwe kwilali yaseNjingini, kuCentane, ihlabe ikhwelo kwikumkani yamaXhosa, uZwelonke, ngelithi makubekho intshukumo ayenzayo ngolwimi lesiXhosa elisecicini lokubhanga ngenxa yokungathethwa kwalo kakuhle.
“Uyabona ke ngale mini yenkcubeko nokuzingca ngamasiko nezithethe zethu; abantu abaninzi baye bacinge ukuba eyona nto ibalulekileyo sisinxibo – kanti ingaphezulu kwalo nto. Ulwimi lwethu, isiXhosa, eyona nto ingamandla, ndiyabona luyathanda ukufuna ukulahleka. Alusathethwa kakuhle nalapha koonomathotholo. Akwaba ikumkani yethu uZwelonke angadibana nabasemagunyeni kulungiswe isiXhosa.
Nathi emakhaya kufuneka sibafundise abantwana bethu, nokuba bayazazi ezinye iilwimi – kodwa kubalulekile ukulazi ulwimi lwenkobe,” utshilo uSimuku.
Ephawula ngezinto ezinokunceda abantu kwicala lempilo nangentlonipho, uMandzotho, uthe abantu mabakutye ukutya okwakusetyenziswa kudala ngoba kukona kusempilweni ngaphezulu koku kwale mihla.
“Sonke masihloniphane, ngoba, apha esiXhoseni – akukho nto ibaluleke ngathi yintlonipho. Izinto ezifana nodlwengulo lwabantu lungaphela ukuba singazifundisa ukuhlonipha. Singabantu abachubekileyo thina maXhosa – masibuyele ekuchubekeni kwethu,” uvale ngalo mazwi uSimuku, obevathe isinxibo sakwaNtu ukusuka entloko ukuya eluzwaneni.
Baphume bebokoboko enkundleni abanchase uMandla uNtlanganiso