Nanjengamntu uhla enyuka esebenza kumaphulo okuphuhliswa kwesiXhosa kwizikolo ezahlukileyo kwidolophu yaseKapa, kuquka nokusebenzisana namagosa ezemfundo ajongene neelwimi, xa ndibuza impilo kwabo ndidibana ndize ndincokole nabo, lihlala likho ibinzana elithi “sibethwa sisomiso”. Bambi bavuma ngelithi “sikhona ingxaki yimbalela”, abanye bathi “asiboniswa nto, ingxaki inye kukunqaba kwemvula kweli leNtshona Koloni!” Nakwindawo endihlala kuyo kummandla waseStellenbosch, sithe xa sivuka ngaminazana ithile kungaphumi nethontsi kwiimpompo zamanzi, zavakala izikhalo zisithi, “yhini na le, safa sisomiso!” Ngalo mini ibe lusizi lodwa, umntu kwacaca nokuba uyakwazi ukuhleka nangoku sekukubi. Kaloku abaninzi kuthi baphangele bengaxukuxanga namazinyo la embala, abanye baya kungena emisebenzini bengahlambanga mizimba. Thina booxholovane bakhulele ezilalini, sigube izitena zokwakha sakhuhla amazinyo, acoceka amhlophe qhwa, sangena enkomeni.
KuLwesithathu odlulileyo, umhla wama-24 kule nyanga yoMqungu, bambi kubemi baseNtshona Koloni baye basabela ikhwelo elithi maze kuthandazelwe imvula ngeyure ka-12:00 emaqanda, oku kuthandaza kusenziwa kwiindawo zemisebenzi, emakhaya, nakuyiphi indawo umntu azifumana ekuyo ngale ntsimbi yeshumi elinambini emini emaqanda ngolo suku. Abaninzi kuthi, nabo baqhele ndlela yimbi yokunqula nokuthandaza xa kugquba imbalela nesomiso, sothuke sabamb`ongezantsi xa kusithiwa ubani nobani makabeke phantsi konke akwenzayo ngentsimbi yeshumi elinambini ngolo suku, anqule okanye athandazele imvula. Imbangi yoku kothuka kukuba sikhula sisazi ukuba asinguye nabani na onelungelo lokucela okanye ukuthandazela imvula, kwaye oku akwenzelwa naphi na nanjengoko iziphatha-mandla zeleNtshona Koloni zigunyazisile.
Ukucelwa nokuthandazelwa kwemvula asinto ilula nencinci. Ngenxa yesi sizathu, lo ngumcimbi ohamba nesithozela nesihomo esingathethekiyo. Ukuhlonipheka kokucelwa kwemvula asinto inokusuka ipapashwe eminxebeni kooWhatsapp nooFacebook, nakwiimbalelwano ze-imeyile, koko ngumcimbi othunyelwa amajelo osasazo afikelela kuwonke-wonke, ukuze abo banelungelo lokuya kunqula bangalityalwa kwaye bangashiywa ngasemva. Neemvumi ezibalaseleyo kweli loMzantsi zikuveza kakuhle ukubaluleka kwemvula kwanokucelwa kwayo ngendili nangentlonipho egqithisileyo. Mve uSimphiwe Dana kulaa ngoma yakhe ithi “Mayine”, xa evuma enjenje, “Aziphel`iinyembezi, libalele, imvula mayine, ine izichotho, igalele iintsikelelo.” Aleke umsundulu kuhle nongasekhoyo ubawo uSipho Gumede kwingoma yakhe yodumo ethi “Isomiso”, acule esithi, “Nasi isomiso sigqib`isizwe, Mveli-ngqangi sikhanyisele usiph`imvula, kuphel`indlala.” Kwindlela ezivuma zinqula ngayo zombini ezi mvumi, kucengwa uQamata uMveli-ngqangi asiphe imvula, ukuze kugaleleke iintsikelelo, kuphele nendlala. Umcimbi onjalo ke awufanelanga nabani na, awenziwa naphi na, koko ufanele iinkonde neenkondekazi; izibonda; oonyawontle; iinkokheli zokuhlala kwanabo bayimizekelo emihle entlalweni. Nangoku sekuthandaziwe ngabantu baseNtshona Koloni, cwaka imvula, ayiveli ndawo!
Iya kuthi ukuze ine, kuhlalwe phantsi, kucingwe ngendlela ababesenza ngayo ookhokho bethu, kuze kulandelwe kuloo ndlela. Kwingxoxo yam nomfo onamava wakwaHlanganise uThangana kweliya laseCumakala, ekunye nobawo onguvimba wolwazi lwesiXhosa kula dyunivesithi yaseRhodes, uGqirha-lwazi Mhlobo Jadezweni uChizama, bobabini bathethe ngazwi linye besithi umgaqo-nkqubo wokucelwa kwemvula usuka ebukhosini, kwaye ngumcimbi owenziwa ngokuthunyelwa kweenkonde neenkondekazi ezikwaziyo ukunqula nokuthandaza kwintaba ehloniphekileyo nekunqulelwa kuyo sisizwe.
Zitsho zabuya iingqondo ekubhaduleni, ndakhumbula ukuba sisakhula, bekusithi kwakugquba imbalela nendlala, konyulwe iinkonde neenkondekazi ziye kunqula. Bezisithi zisathandaza apho ezintabeni mbombo zone zomhlaba, ine ngoko nangoko imvula. Imbali ithi kwelamaRharhabe kwakunyukwa iNtaba kaNdoda kuyiwe kunqulwa kuthandazelwe imvula; abaThembu benyuke iSithebe neBumbane; amaHlubi enyuke iMaluti; abeSuthu benyuke iThaba Bosiu; amaZulu enyuke uKhahlamba; baze abaThwa bohlulelane ngeOuteniqua; iObiqua naseHasequa. Bekusithi xa kwenziwe ngolu hlobo, ine imvula kungentsuku zatywala. Abantu baseNtshona Koloni, ingakumbi kwabo bakufuphi nesixeko saseKapa esithwaxwa ngamandla kukunqongophala kwemvula, kumele bazeke mzekweni, kukhangelwe iinkonde neenkondekazi ezikwixabiso lokunqula nokuthandaza, zinyuke intaba yodumo uZixesha (iNtaba yeTafile), kuyiwe kucelwa imvula. Nani baseMpuma Koloni, shukumani kuba isomiso sisemnyango, ngaphandle kokubaluleka kokusetyenziswa kwamanzi ngenkathalo, lungisani ukuhlala nikukhuthalele ukunqula kwezi ntaba ndizikhankanyayo, ukuze imvula inganqabi!
‘MayingabingooNopopi ooCeba, mabasebenze ekuhlaleni njengoko bonyulelwe oko’