Ukuhambela iNingizimu Afrika: Ukugubha Ngesikhathi Kusabuhlungu

Ukuhambela iNingizimu Afrika okuqala ngempela, kwakungewona esikhumulweni sezindiza, futhi kwakungekhona ngefasitela lehhotela lapho ngiqala ukubona i-Table Mountain, kodwa kwakungaleso sikhathi lapho isikebhe saseRobben Island sisuka kancane ogwini. Umoya wasolwandle waseKapa wawunamandla, kufana nesandla esifaka umuntu emlandweni. Umsila wesikebhe owawusiya kude ne-V&A Waterfront wawusakhanya, kodwa i-Table Mountain yayizole inqamule idolobho ngemumva, amafu ehla esiqongweni, kufana nempophoma emhlophe eyehla kancane. Umhlahlandlela wathi, la mafu abizwa ngabantu bendawo ngokuthi "indwangu yetafula." Ngayibuka imboza idolobho, ngase ngiqonde: ubuhle beNingizimu Afrika, abukaze bube ngukufihla ubuhlungu, kodwa ukwenza ubuhlungu nelanga kube khona kanyekanye.

Into esindayo kunazo zonke eRobben Island ukuthula. Isitokisi uMandela ahlala kuso sasingesikhulu, siphansi, sihlanzekile, phansi kunomcamelo omncane, ekhoneni kubhakede lensimbi. Izivakashi zadlula ngomnyango ngokulandelana, izinyathelo zehlisiwe. Umhlahlandlela owayeyisiboshwa sezombusazwe akazange aqhube ngomzwelo, wavele wakhomba indawo yamatshe wathi abantu abaningi bonakaliswa amehlo yilanga lapho. UMandela kamuva waphuma ejele, akazange enze iminyaka engamashumi amabili nesikhombisa ibe yimpindiselo, kodwa wayenza iba yitafula lezingxoxo. Lokhu kuzwakala kufana nemisho evela kuma-biography amakhulu kuphela, kodwa ukuma phambi kwalelo stokisi elincane, kufana kakhulu nesinqumo esinzima umuntu azenzela sona: angikwazi ukuvumela inzondo iqhubeke iphethe leli zwe.

Ekubuyeleni eKapa, imibala ye-Bo-Kaap yakukhipha kungazelelwe kokumpunga. Imigwaqo engaphansi kwe-Signal Mountain ayikhuphuki kakhulu, kodwa izindlu zazigqame kakhulu: i-mint eluhlaza, i-rose epinki, uphuzi lwelamula, olwandle oluhlaza, kufana nokuthi othile wathatha inkululeko wayenza upende, wayipenda endlini ngendlu. Lapha kwakuyindawo yabantu base-Cape Malay, okhokho babo abaningi balethwa eCape of Good Hope ngokuhweba ngamakholoni. Kuthiwa, ngemva kokuqedwa kobugqila, izakhamuzi ekugcineni zakwazi ukuba nezindlu zazo, ngakho zapenda izindonga ezimhlophe ngemibala egqame kakhulu. Kwakungengenxa yezivakashi ukuthatha izithombe, kodwa ukutshela umhlaba: umnyango wami, iwindi lami, impilo yami, ekugcineni akusayalelwa ngomunye.

Kodwa iNingizimu Afrika ayikuvumeli ukuthi uhlale emaposini kuphela. Endleleni eya eSoweto, izakhiwo eziphakeme zaseGoli zahlehla kancane, eceleni komgwaqo kwavela izindlu zensimbi, izitolo zenyama eyosiwe, izindawo zokulungisa izimoto nemidwebo yasemadwaleni. UVilakazi Street umatasatasa, ngaphandle kwendlu kaMandela kunabantu abathengisa izikhumbuzo, kude izingane zikhahlela ibholo othulini. Amapali ngamatshe amabili, imigqa yasemaceleni ngomcabango. Umfana omncane ogqoke ijezi elidala le-Bafana Bafana, izenzo zezinyawo zishesha, uma edlula umuntu uyahleka. Badlala kungathi akukhona ukuqeqeshwa, kodwa kuyi-instinct: endaweni evulekile engaphelele, banikela umzimba enjabulweni.

Injabulo yaseSoweto ayilula. I-Hector Pieterson Memorial iseduze, izithombe zombhikisho wabafundi bango-1976 zisenza ungakwazi ukukhuluma. INingizimu Afrika izwe eligubha ngesikhathi kusabuhlungu, futhi ibholo yindlela yalo eqotho kakhulu yokuzwakalisa. Alizenzi sengathi izilonda azikho, futhi alikuvumeli umuntu ukuthi ahlale ebuka izilonda kuphela. Lapho ibholo ligingqika, ubuhlanga, izilimi, imali engenayo, umlando kusekhona, kodwa okungenani imizuzu engamashumi ayisishiyagalolunye, abantu bayavuma ukumemeza babheke ohlangothini olulodwa.

Ntambama ngokufika e-Stellenbosch, isivini sembula enye iNingizimu Afrika. Esihosheni ukukhanya kuthamba, imiphongolo ye-oki, izindlu zezindonga ezimhlophe, imivini esikwe kahle, konke kukuhle njengomdwebo omdala waseYurophu. Ingilazi ye-Pinotage inephunga likagwayi nezithelo ezimnyama, kude abasebenzi baqeda usuku, izithunzi zelulwa ukushona kwelanga. Ubuhle balapha bunomsalela obucayi: ubukholoni, umhlaba, abasebenzi, ukwabiwa komnotho, konke kufihlwe ngemumva kwebhodlela. Ukushona kwelanga kumnene, kodwa ubumnene akusona isisombululo. Into ekhumbuleka kakhulu ngeNingizimu Afrika, ukuthi ayikaze ihlukanise indawo nomlando lapho ikuthengisela.

Ngalobo busuku emasimini ewayini abantu bacula kancane, ingilazi ikhanyisa umugqa wokugcina wegolide, kufana nokwenza ngisho nezilonda ezindala zithambe.

Ekuseni ngakusasa ngaphinde ngakhuphuka i-Table Mountain, impophoma yamafu yayisehla esiqongweni, idolobho, itheku, iRobben Island namapulazi ewayini akude konke kwakucindezelwe kwaba yimephu enkulu. Ukuma esiqongweni ubuka iKapa, kunomuzwa ongakholeki wokuvuleka: ngakolunye uhlangothi ulwandle, ngakolunye idolobho, ngakunye indawo yejele elidala, ngakunye izindawo ezinemibala. Ubunzima bokuhambela iNingizimu Afrika bulapha. Kunzima ukuthi nje ubuhle bayo, ngoba eduze kobuhle kumi ukungalingani; futhi kunzima ukuthi nje ubunzima, ngoba eduze kobunzima kuhlala kukhona othile oculayo, odansayo, ovula i-braai, okhahlela ibholo eliya ekushoneni kwelanga.

Ngakho ngesikhathi iNdebe Yomhlaba yango-2026 iletha izindaba zokuthi i-Bafana Bafana ingene ngokumangalisayo kuma-32, angimangalanga nakancane ukuthi leli zwe lizokhala kungathi lifakwe ugesi kabusha. Ibholo laseNingizimu Afrika ladonswa ngaphandle kwemidlalo yomhlaba ngubandlululo, futhi isikhathi eside lathula, laphuma, ladelelwa. Kodwa ngalobo busuku, izindawo zokuphuza utshwala, amatekisi, imisakazo nezitolo ezincane emakhoneni aseSoweto wonke umuntu wayememeza igama elifanayo. Ukuvuka kwe-Bafana Bafana akukhona nje izindaba zezemidlalo, kufana nesimemezelo sezwe esephuzile: sisekhona, singahlulwa iminyaka eminingi, kodwa asisoze sangabi khona unomphela.

Kamuva emgwaqweni waseKapa ngahlangana nomshayeli ogqoke ijezi leqembu lesizwe. Wathi, iNdebe Yomhlaba yango-2010 yenza umhlaba wabona iNingizimu Afrika, iNdebe yama-32 yango-2026, yenza iNingizimu Afrika yaphinde yazibona. Ngefasitela lemoto, izindonga ezinemibala zaseBo-Kaap zadlula, amafu e-Table Mountain aqala ukwehla futhi. Wakhulisa umsakazo, umhlaziyi wayedlala kabusha igoli elinqobayo, izwi likhala ngenjabulo. Angizange ngikuqonde ngokuphelele ukuxutshwa kwesiZulu nesiNgisi, kodwa ngakuzwa ukuhleka.

Lapho ngisuka eNingizimu Afrika, engqondweni yami kwakungakona indawo ethile, kodwa amaqoqo ezithombe ezibambene: ukuthula okungafuni ukusuka esitokisini saseRobben Island, imibala ekhuluma kakhulu ezindongeni zaseBo-Kaap, izinyawo zezingane ezijaha ibholo othulini lwaseSoweto, ingilazi engakaphuzwa ekushoneni kwelanga e-Stellenbosch, nendlela impophoma yamafu ye-Table Mountain iboza idolobho kancane. INingizimu Afrika akuyona indawo elula, kodwa iyindawo eyenza umuntu ajule. Ifundisa umhambi into eyodwa: ukubuyisana akukhona ukukhohlwa okwedlule, kodwa ukukhumbula okwedlule, kodwa usafuna ukudlulisela ibholo kumuntu oseduze kwakho.