Luhambo lwaseNingizimu Afrika: Kubuhlungu nekugubha ngalesikhatsi sinye

Luhambo lwaseNingizimu Afrika lwacala ngempela, hhayi esikhumulweni setindiza, noma ngephandle kwefasitelo lelihhotela ngesikhatsi ngibona iTable Mountain kwekucala, kodvwa ngesikhatsi umkhumbi waseRobben Island uhamba kancane. Umoya welwandle eKapa unamandla, kufana nesandla lesidvonsela umuntfu emuva. Umkhumbi sewukhashane kakhulu ne-Victoria & Alfred Waterfront kusakhanya, iTable Mountain yetama kuhlala ngekuthula emuva kwelidolobha, emafu ehla esicongweni, kufana nemanzi lamhlophe lahamba ngekutsi kwebhodo. Umholi watsi lamafu abitwa ngekutsi 'yindvwangu yetafula' ngemaXhosa. Ngayibuka ibekwe ngaphezu kwelidolobha, ngase ngiyabona: buhle beNingizimu Afrika, akukaze kube kufihla buhlungu, kodvwa kwenta buhlungu nelilanga kube khona kanyekanye.

Lokunzima kakhulu eRobben Island kuthula. Lekamelo laMandela bekungasiko lokwedlulele, lincane, liphansi, lihlobile, phansi kunelucansi loluncane, ekhoneni libhakede lensimbi. Tivakashi tagcotjwa emnyango, umsindvo wetinyatselo wehlisiwe. Umholi lowake waba sipolitiki wayengeni emoyeni, wakhomba nje endzaweni yematsa watsi labanyenti lapha boniwa ngemehlo lilanga. UMandela waphuma ejele, akazange agenta iminyaka lengu-27 ibe yimpindziselo, kodvwa wayenta yetafula letingcoco. Lesi sivakala njengetfoli letibhalwa etincwadzini tebantfu labakhulu, kodvwa uma umi ngaphambi kwalelo kamelo lincane, sifana kakhulu nesinqumo lesinzima umuntfu lasenta kuye: Ngeke ngivumele inzondo ichubeke ibuse lelive.

Emuva eKapa, imibala ye-Bo-Kaap yakudvonsela ngaphandle kwebuluhlaza. Imigwaco ngaphansi kweSignal Hill ayihambi kakhulu, kodvwa tindlu tiyakhanya: luhlata lwemakhambi, luhlata lwetimbali, liphuzi lelamula, luhlata lwelwandle, kufana nekutsi umuntfu athatse inkululeko wayihlukanisa ngekudla, wayipenda emuva kwendlu ngendlu. Lapha bekungumphakatsi weCape Malay, bokhokho labanyenti baletfwa eCape of Good Hope ngekuhwebelana ngetigcili. Labanye batsi, ngemuva kwekukhishwa kwebugcili, bahlali bekugcine bengabanikazi betindlu tabo, ngalokho bapenda tindonga letimhlophe zaba yimibala legqamile. Bekungekho kutsi kube kuhle etivakashini, kodvwa kwakungukusho emhlabeni: umnyango wami, lifasitelo lami, kuphila kwami, akusaphetfwa ngulabanye.

Kodvwa iNingizimu Afrika ayikuvumeli ume esitfombeni. Endleleni yekuya eSoweto, tihlahla letiphakeme taseGoli tahamba kancane, emgwacweni kwavela tindlu temacanshi, ematafula enyama yoke, tindzawo tekulungisa timoto, kanye netindonga tekudvweba. UVilakazi Street uyaphilisa, ngaphambi kwendlu yaseMandela kunebantfu batsengisa tikhumbuto, kungakashane bantfwana badlala ibhola. Emagoli enziwa ngematje lamabili, imitsetfo yekuhamba. Umfana lomncane bekagcoke ijezi leBafana Bafana lendzala, tinyawo takhe tishesha, wadlula umuntfu wase uyahleka. Bebadlala kungafani nekucecesha, kodvwa kufana nemvelo: endzaweni lengaphelelanga, kupha umtimba enjabulweni.

Injabulo yaseSoweto ayisindvo. Isikhumbuto sikaHector Pieterson sisedvute, titfombe tekuhlubuka kwebafundzi nga-1976 kusamenza umuntfu angakwati kukhuluma. INingizimu Afrika live lelibuhlungu nelijabulako ngalesikhatsi sinye, kanti ibhola yindlela yekukhuluma ngekuthembeka. Ayente shengatse tilondza atikho, futsi ayikuvumeli umuntfu agcile kuphela etilondzeni. Ngesikhatsi ibhola lijikijelwa, inhlanga, lulwimi, emaholo, umlandvo kusekhona, kodvwa okungenani emaminithini langu-90, bantfu bayavuma kumemeta ngekubheka ngalunye.

Ngekuhlwa eStellenbosch, tivini tivula lenye iNingizimu Afrika. Esiheni, kukhanya kunelinye, emabhodo ema-oki, tindlu letimhlophe, emagilebhisi lapruniwe, konkhe kuhle njengetitfombe letindzala taseYurophu. I-Pinotage ingilazini inemushukela kanye netitselo letimnyama, kukhashane tisebenti tiphetsa lilanga, titfunti tato tidvotjwe lilanga. Kuhle kwalapha kuza nemuntfu loyinkimbinkimbi: emakoloni, umhlaba, basebenti, kuklanywa kwengcebo, konkhe kufihlakele emuva kwebhodlela. Ukushona kwelilanga kunelinye, kodvwa kunelinye akusilo imphendvulo. Into lekhumbulekako ngeNingizimu Afrika, kutsi ayikaze yehlukanise umhlaba nemlandvo.

Ngalobo busuku ensimini yewayini, bantfu bacula kancane, umphewu wengilazi ucabanga umugca wekugcina wekukhanya, kufana nekukhanyisa tilondza letindzala.

Ekuseni ngelilanga lelilandzelako ngaphindze ngaya eTable Mountain, emafu amhlophe awehla etindzaweni letiphakeme, lidolobha, itheku, iRobben Island, kanye nemapulazi ewayini kaphetshaya zonkhe tacindzetelwa phansi kwaba yimaphu lenkhulu. Uma umi esicongweni ubuka iKapa, kunesikhatsi lesikhulu lesingakholakali: esandleni sinye lwandle, ngalesinye lidolobha, ngalesinye ijele lelidzala, ngalokunye tindzawo letinemibala. Bumatima beluhambo lwaseNingizimu Afrika nabo bakule ndzawo. Kunzima kusho nje kutsi kuhle, ngoba eceleni kwebuhle kunokungalingani; futhi kunzima kusho nje kutsi kunzima, ngoba eceleni kwebuhlungu kuhlale kunebantfu bacula, badansa, bavula emalahle, bajikijele ibhola.

Ngako-ke ngesikhatsi umlayeto weNdebe yeMhlaba wa-2026 ufika ngekutsi iBafana Bafana ingene emacembeni langu-32, angizange ngetuke kutsi lelive litawuvuka lifana nekubanekwe umbane kabusha. Ibhola laseNingizimu Afrika lalikhishwe emhlabeni ngekubandlulula, futsi sikhatsi lesidze lakhuluma, laphuma, lancishiswa. Kodvwa ngalobo busuku, emabha, ematekisi, emsakatelo, kanye netitolo letincane emakhoneni eSoweto konkhe kwakumemeta ligama linye. Ukuvuka kweBafana Bafana akusiko nje kutsi tintfo tetemidlalo, kufana nesitatimende lesifikile: sisekhona, singahlula iminyaka leminyenti, kodvwa ngeke sihlale singekho.

Kamuva ngahlangana nemshayeli emgwacweni waseKapa logcoke ijezi lelicembu lesive. Watsi, iNdebe yeMhlaba ya-2010 yenta umhlaba wabona iNingizimu Afrika, futsi iNingizimu Afrika ngesikhatsi i-2026 ingena emacembeni langu-32, yenta iNingizimu Afrika yaphindze yatibona. Efasiteleni, imibala ye-Bo-Kaap yadlula, emafu eTable Mountain aphindze ehla. Wenyusa umsakatelo, umhlaziya aphindze adlala umgomo, lizwi lakhe lihlukumezekile. Angizange ngiyiva kahle inhlanganisela yesiZulu nesiNgisi, kodvwa ngeva kuhleka.

Ngesikhatsi ngisuka eNingizimu Afrika, engcondvweni yami bekungekho ndzawo yekuvakashela yinye, kodvwa tinomoro letihlangene: kuthula lokungafuni kusuka lekamelweni laseRobben Island, imibala lememetako elubondzeni lwe-Bo-Kaap, tinyawo tebantfwana baseSoweto lebetishesha elutulini, ingilazi yewayini lebeyingakaphela ngelilanga eStellenbosch, kanye netindzawo letiphezulu teTable Mountain letifaka lidolobha. INingizimu Afrika akusiyo indzawo yekuvakashela lelula, kodvwa yindzawo yekwenta umuntfu ajule. Ifundzisa bahambi: kubuyisana akusikho kukhohlwa lokwedlule, kodvwa kukhumbula, uhlale ukulungele kuphasisa ibhola kumuntfu loseceleni kwakho.