Kholeka Shange
Kulesisikhathi sesigemegeme somqedazwe ekuthiwa phecelezi i-Corona noma i-Covid-19, u-Zoë Modiga usipha ikhambi elilapha ingqondo, inhliziyo, nomphefumulo. Lenyoni enhle (kwasho ihubo eliyintandokazi ekuthiwa Ukuhlabelela) yaseMgungundlovu iqopha imilando yokhokho bethu ngokuhlabelela okuthokozisa thina esidabukileyo…thina esicindezekileyo…thina bantu esilwela inkululeko.
Uma ikhuluma ngomlando wayo njengomhlabeleli ongusaziwayo, lentokazi iyasho ukuthi umculo wayo ungenxa wezimfundiso eyakhuliswa ngazo. I-biography elotshwe ngalo leliciko ithi ugogo, umkhulu, kanye nomphakathi wase-Mbali (okuyilokishi laseMgungundlovu) wagqugquzela “the retention of African stories and culture” (phecelezi ukugcinwa kwemilando nezindlela zokuphila nokwenza zase-Afrika). Lamazwi acishe afane nalawa ashiwo umbhali waseshashalazini, umlingisi, nomlandi wezindaba uGcina Mhlophe ekhuluma ngogogo wakhe omzalayo uNozincwadi. Encwadini yakhe eqanjwe ngokuthi Zimnandi Ngokuphindwa uMhlophe, uchaza kabanzi ngendima eyadlalwa ugogo wakhe ekumfundiseni ngokubaluleka kwezindaba, izinganekwane, izinsumansumane kanye nemilando yabantu. UMhlophe uthi:
“Ugogo wami kwakungumuntu wokuqala ukungixoxela izinganekwane. Wavula umqondo wami wangikhuthaza ukubona izinto ngamehlo engqondo: ngaze ngazibona ngempela lezo zingwenya ezihlekayo nezimfudu ezindizayo ayekhuluma ngazo. Ngangizithokozela ngisho izinganekwane zakhe ngamaZimuzimu esabekayo – abantu ababedla abanye abantu, nezidalwa eziningi ezenza imigilingwane. Ngenxa yendlela ugogo ayengixoxela ngayo lezi zindaba, ngasheshe ngafunda ngisemncane ukujabulela izilimi nokuwaqonda amandla azo”.
Akulona iphutha ukuthi umhlabeleli uModiga aqambe i-album yakhe entsha “Inganekwane” (ephume ngezi 26 enyangeni kaNtulikazi) bese ekhuluma ngogogo wakhe. Uma ulandela amazwi kaMhlophe, kusobala ukuthi ugogo ungumuntu obaluleke kakhulu ekufundiseni ngesisindo samabali nemilando. Futhi, udokotela uBabalwa Magoqwana naye ubhala kabanzi ngobukhulu bukamakhulu (okusho ukuthi “gogo” ngesiXhosa) emphakathini. Esahlukweni sakhe esiqanjwe ngokuthi Repositioning uMakhulu as an Institution of Knowledge: Beyond ‘Biologism’ towards the body of Indigenous Knowledge, u-Magoqwana uthi ugogo “is an institution of knowledge that transfers not only ‘history’ through iintsomi (folktales), but [is] also […] a body of indigenous knowledge that stores, transfers and disseminates knowledge and values”.
Okushiwoyo uMagoqwana lapha ukuthi ngendlela aqukethe ulwazi ngayo ugogo, angaqhathaniswa nendlu yemfundo. Phela, uma ucabanga indlu, awukwazi ukungacabangi ngesisekelo, insika, nophahla ngokuba ilona elibangumkhuseli wabantu nezinto. Ngamanye amagama, ukuba isalukazi akuphathelene nokuguga komzimba kuphela, kodwa kumayelene nokwazi nobuhlakani. Leliphuzu ave libaluleke kakhulu ngoba uMagoqwana uyasho ukuthi siphila emhlabeni wamaKepitali athi umuntu ongasiyena umsebenzi oletha imali nomnotho akayilutho. Okusho ukuthi lokhu “ukungabi lutho” kukagogo kuyilumbu elilimaza umphakathi wabantu. UMagoqwana, uMhlophe kanye noModiga bayamphakamisa ugogo osephathwa njengomuntu ongasenandima emphakathini. Bahlonipha ubuntu bakhe ngokumenza umuntu omkhulu emhlabeni.
Le-album ekuthiwa Inganekwane iqukethe okuningi, kodwa okuwucu kuwowonke amaculo ukubaluleka kokubungaza lapho umuntu aphuma noma lapho akhulele khona. Ukukhula kukaningi kodwa iningi elikhulele emakhaya nasemalokishini ase-Azania liyayazi indaba yokuxoxwa kwezinganekwane ogogo. Njengayo i-album lena kaModiga, inganekwane iqala ngelithi “kwasukasukela”.
Kulesisikhathi ngibona kubalulekile ukusho ukuthi noma abantu abaningi betolika lesisisho ngesiNgisi bethi sisho u “once upon a time”, mina ngiyakuxwaya lokhu. Lo “once upon a time” uyisisho esiphelele esingadingi mpendulo. Kanti “ukwasukasukela” uyadinga lo olalele ukuthi akhulume. Akujwayelekile ukuthi lo oxoxa inganekwane avele angene endabeni engakamuzwa lo olalele ethi “cosi”. Emva kwaye lo “cosi”, lo oxoxa indaba ub’esethi “kwakukhona”. Bese lona olalele ethi “sampheka ngogozwane”. Ugozwane ke ibhodwe elincane. Ikulo ke lelibhodwe lapho indaba iyophekwa khona ize ivuthwe. Futhi ngeke ivuthwe umlaleli engakavumelani nalo oxoxayo ukuthi ngempela “cosi cosi yaphela”.
Engikushoyo ukuthi laba abasincelile isiNgisi abayazi indaba yokushikizisana nalona oxoxayo. Uma oxaxoyo esethe “Once upon a time” uqedile! Akunakudlala phakathi koxoxayo nolalele. Kuthule kuthe du kuyoze kuyophela indaba! Yikho ngikhala ngithi ewu, sengathi kungaba nenye indlela engatolikwa ngayo indaba ka “kwasukasukela”. Noma, mhlawumbe asikho isidingo sokuyitolika lendaba ngoba noGcina Mhlophe imbala uthi “Manje-ke, ngenxa yokuthi sengisebenzisa ulimi lwesiNgisi uma ngibhala, ngike ngixakeke ngingazi ukuthi ngiwubeke kanjani umbono wami ngoba Okunye akulula ukukuchaza”. Okucacile ngamazwi kaMhlophe ukuthi uma abantu bebhala ngesiNgisi bengasincelanga, kuba nzima ngempela ukuyichazisisa indaba. UModiga wenza umsebenzi oncomekayo ngokucula ngolimi akhule ngalo. Izingoma zakhe zenza kube lula ukuthi aqondwe abantu abafana nogogo nomkhulu wakhe…okuyinto ebaluleke kakhulu.
Njengoba besengishilo phambilini, le-album imumethe okuningi impela. Uma ulalela lengoma ethi UMdali, uyabona futhi uyezwa ukuthi uModiga uthi umuntu wenyama negazi uyisidalwa. Uyacula uthi:
UMdali
Wadal’ uMdali
Wadala abantu
Ebadala ngemicabango yakhe
Lengoma igcizelela ukubaluleka komphefumulo otholakala emzimbeni womuntu. KuModiga umphefumulo ovela kuMdali uyisipho okungamele neze sithathwe kancane. Lokhu kusemqoka kakhulu ngesikhathi sobhubhane, ingcindezi, nokucwasa esibhekene nakho singabantu be-Azania.
Umculo kaModiga usasixwayiso ubuye ube samlolozelo ofika ngesikhathi esibucayi kwasa mqambi maculo uReuben Tholakele Caluza. UCaluza wabona kufanele ukuthi ashaye ingoma ngesikhathi esibi sesifo ekwakuthiwa i-Spanish Flu emhlabeni wonke. Ngonyaka ka 1918, waqamba iculo owalibiza i-Influenza. Yasho ingoma yakhe yathi:
Ngonyaka ka 1918, saqedwa ukufa,
kubizwa ngokuthi kuyi i-influenza.
Yaziqeda izihlobo esizithandayo,
Abo mama, nabo baba, nosisi, nobhuti.
Kweminye imizi kwaqothulwa kwangasala noyedwa.
Lobubuhlungu obabubanga umunyu ngalesiya’s’khathi esizwakala njenge nsumansumane yasemandulo bufikile nalapha ebantwini bakithi abaphila manje. Mhlawumbe uModiga uthunywe nguye uMdali ukukhumbuza abantu abadaliweyo ukuthi bayimiphumela yezenzo nemicibango yakhe uNkulunkulu. UModiga ubuye athi:
Uma singaz’izifiso ezabaphambili
Amaphupho akudala sizowafeza kanjani na?
Lokhu akuhubayo uModiga kuchaza khona ukuthi “Indlela ibuzwa kwabaphambili” (njengembhalo yezaga encwadini ka Sibusiso Nyembezi no O. E. H. Nxumalo okuthiwa yi Nqolobane Yesizwe). Lesisaga esitholakala ezilimini zamaNguni sisho ukuthi “Umuntu kufanele abofuna izeluleko kwabanye” (bheka Inqolobane Yesizwe futhi).
Umculo kaModiga uthatha umuntu umxhumanise noMdali kanye nomphakathi wabantu abadaliweyo. Konke lokhu kusho ukuthi umuntu akayedwa vo kodwa uMdali umphile umndeni omkhulu owenziwe ngomfanekiso wakhe. UModiga uphinde asho futhi ukuthi uMdali akaphisani ngalomndeni kuphela, kodwa uphana nangethemba eliphilisayo. Indaba yethemba ke ave idingeka kulesisikhathi njengoba isaga samaNguni sisho ukuthi “Ithemba alibulali”.
Umsebenzi kaModiga uthanda ukugxila kakhulu ekutheni intsha ibambelela ethembeni ngenkani. Esizulwini, inkani ibonwa njengento esasici kodwa umhlabeleli lona ulinganisa inkani nokuphikelela nokuphokophela. Izisho zesiZulu ezimayelene nenkani zinakho ukukhuza abantu ngalokhu ukuziphatha. Kujwayelekile ukuthi kuthiwe “Amaphikankani afela enkanini” noma “Kwaphekwa yena, kwaphekwa itshe, kwavuthwa itshe kuqala” (bheka Inqolobane Yesizwe). Kepha uModiga uthatha yona lenkani exwaywayo ayiguqule ayenze umkhuba owenza intsha (njengokusho kwamaculo akhe ekuthiwa Intsha ne Sinenkani) “[Inge]sabi lutho” futhi “..ifez’ amaphupho”.
Inganekwane iliqoqo lwamaculo akhombisa khona ukuthi uModiga unesifiso soku “…shintsh’ um’ hlaba” (njekokusho kwakhe engomeni ekuthiwa Isegazini). Umhlaba ke nawo ukaningi. Umbhali wezichazamazwi uMpume Mbatha uyachaza encwadini Isichamazwi SesiZulu ukuthi umhlaba “Izwe esiphila kulo”, “ingabadi”, kanye ne “…siqinti”. Uma uthatha ubheka lezizincazelo zikaMbatha, uyabona impela ukuthi uma uModiga ekhuluma ngomhlaba, uthinta udaba lezwe aphinde athinte neyomhlabathi. Njengentsha ekhulele ezweni elinokucwaswa nokucindezelwa kwabantu abantshontshelwa umhlaba (kakhulukazi ngokumenyezelwa kwe Native Land Act ngonyaka ka 1913), uModiga udikidana nemeko esuka kude futhi ephuthumayo nebuhlungu kakhulu.
Lesisithombe sakhe (esitholakala ku-album yakhe entsha) ephakathi ntshi esibayeni esinezinkomo eziyizinhlobonhlobo, sifana nesikhumbuzo sobudlelwane phakathi kwabantu nomhlaba wabo. Uma uphonsa iso le kude, uyabona ukuthi indaba ayikho esibayeni kuphela, kodwa ihamba ize iyofika le ezintabeni…le emazulwini lapho uMdali adala khona abantu…
…abantu abamnyama.
Kusobala impela ukuthi lentokazi inothando olukhulu lwabantu abamnyama. Iyakhala futhi iyasikhuza eculweni layo elithi Abantu. Iyasikhumbuza ithi:
ASIKHOLWA BANT’ ABAMNYAMA
SIKHETHIWE BANT’ ABAMNYAMA
MASAKHANENI SIZOBONA K’ZOJIKIZINTO
Makubenjalo Modiga, makubenjalo.
UKholeka Shange ungumfundi nombhali othanda izinto ezikhulula umphefumulo