Uhambo lwaseNingizimu Afrika: Kanye kubuhlungu, kanye kugujwa

Uhambo lwaseNingizimu Afrika lwaqala ngempela, hhayi esikhumulweni sezindiza, futhi hhayi ngesikhathi sokuqala ukubona i-Table Mountain ngewindi lehhotela, kodwa lapho isikebhe se-Robben Island sisuka ogwini kancane. Umoya wasolwandle waseKapa uqinile, kuhle kwengathi isandla esiphushela umuntu emuva esikhathini esedlule. Ngemva kwesikebhe, i-V&A Waterfront eyayikude kakhulu yayisakhanya, kodwa i-Table Mountain yayithule ifihliwe ngemva kwedolobha, amafu ehla esiqongweni, njengempophoma emhlophe eyehla kancane ephahleni olusibacaba. Umhlahlandleli wathi, leli fu libizwa ngabantu bendawo ngokuthi "indwangu yetafula." Ngabuka lifaka idolobha, ngaqonda: ubuhle baseNingizimu Afrika abukaze bube ukufihla ubuhlungu, kodwa ukuvumela ubuhlungu nelanga kube khona kanyekanye.

Okusinda kakhulu e-Robben Island wukuthula. Isitokisi u-Mandela ayehlala kuso asenziwa sibe nomdlalo, sincane, siphansi, sihlanzekile, phansi kunocansi oluncane, ekhoneni kubhakede lensimbi. Izivakashi zidlula emnyango zilandelelana, izinyathelo ziyancipha. Owayejoyiniwe yipolitiki owayesengumhlahlandleli akazange enze umzwelo, wavele wakhomba inqwaba yamatshe wathi, abantu abaningi baphucwa amehlo yilanga lapho. U-Mandela kamuva waphuma ejele, akazange athathe iminyaka engamashumi amabili nesikhombisa ayenza impindiselo, kodwa wayenza itafula lezingxoxo. Lokhu kuzwakala njengomusho ongasencwadini yomlando omkhulu, kodwa ukuma phambi kwaleso sitokisi esincane, kufana nesinqumo esinzima umuntu azenzela sona uqobo: angikwazi ukuvumela inzondo iqhubeke nokuphatha leli zwe.

Emuva eKapa, i-Bo-Kaap ngezikhathi ezithile ikukhipha okumpunga ngemibala. Imigwaqo engezansi kwe-Signal Mountain ayinamagquma amakhulu, kodwa izindlu zikhanya kakhulu: okuluhlaza okotshani, okubomvana, okuphuzi kukalamula, okuluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka, kuhle kwengathi othile wahlukanisa inkululeko yaba yimibala, wayipenda odongeni lwendlu ngendlu. Lapha kwakuyindawo yabantu base-Cape Malay, okhokho babo abaningi balethwa e-Cape of Good Hope ngohwebo lobukoloni. Kuthiwa, ngemva kokuqedwa kwezigqila, izakhamuzi ekugcineni zakwazi ukuba nezindlu zazo, ngakho zapenda izindonga ezimhlophe ngemibala egqame kakhulu. Kwakungekhona ukuthi izivakashi zithathe izithombe, kodwa ukutshela umhlaba: umnyango wami, iwindi lami, ukuphila kwami, ekugcineni akusaphethwe omunye umuntu.

Kodwa iNingizimu Afrika ayikuyeki emakhadini omposi kuphela. Endleleni eya e-Soweto, izakhiwo eziphakeme zase-Johannesburg zihlehlela emuva kancane, emgwaqeni kuvela izindlu zikathayela, izitolo zenyama eyosiwe, izindawo zokulungisa izimoto nezindonga ezinemidwebo. Umugwaqo i-Vilakazi umatasatasa, ngaphandle kwendlu ka-Mandela kukhona abathengisa izikhumbuzo, budebuduze izingane zikhahlela ibhola othulini. Igoli ngamatshe amabili, imigqa yaseceleni ngomcabango. Umfana ogqoke ijezi elidala le-Bafana Bafana, enyakaza ngezinyawo ngokushesha, edlula umuntu abuye ahleke. Abadlali njengokuqeqeshwa, kodwa njengemvelo: endaweni engenalutho engaphelele, banikela imizimba yabo enjabulweni.

Injabulo yase-Soweto ayilula. Isikhumbuzo sika-Hector Pieterson siseduze, izithombe zokuvukela kwabafundi zika-1976 zisenza umuntu angakwazi ukukhuluma. INingizimu Afrika iyizwe elibuhlungu kanye futhi lijabule kanye, futhi ibhola liwukubonakalisa okuqotho kakhulu. Alenzi sengathi izilonda azikho, futhi alivumeli abantu ukuthi babuke izilonda kuphela phakade. Lapho ibhola ligingqika, ubuhlanga, izilimi, imali engenayo, umlando kusekhona, kodwa okungenani imizuzu engamashumi ayisishiyagalolunye, abantu bazimisele ukumemeza ngakolunye uhlangothi olufanayo.

Ntambama ukuya e-Stellenbosch, amasimu amagilebhisi aletha enye iNingizimu Afrika. Esigodini ukukhanya kuthamba, imiphongolo ye-oki, izindlu ezinezindonga ezimhlophe, amagilebhisi agundiwe kahle, konke kuhle njengomdwebo omdala wase-Europe. I-Pinotage engilazini inephunga likagwayi nezithelo ezimnyama, kude abasebenzi baqeda usuku lomsebenzi, izithunzi zakhiwa ukushona kwelanga. Ubuhle lapha bunomuzwa oyinkimbinkimbi: ubukoloni, umhlaba, abasebenzi, ukwabiwa kwengcebo, konke kufihlwe ngemva kwebhodlela lewayini. Ukushona kwelanga kumnene, kodwa ubumnene akuyona impendulo. Okukhumbuleka kakhulu ngeNingizimu Afrika, ukuthi ayikaze ikuthengisele ubuhle nomlando ngokuhlukene.

Ngalobo busuku ensimini yewayini kukhona umuntu owayecula kancane, unqenqema lwengilazi lubonisa umugqa wokugcina wegolide, kuhle kwengathi namanxeba amadala athambile.

Ngosuku olulandelayo ekuseni uphinde ukhuphuke i-Table Mountain, amafu ampophoma ayewela esiqongwini, idolobha, itheku, i-Robben Island nendawo yewayini ekude konke kwacindezelwa kwaba yimephu enkulu. Ukuma esiqongweni ubuke iKapa, kunomuzwa wokuvuleka ongewona owangempela: ngakolunye uhlangothi ulwandle, ngakolunye idolobha, ngakolunye izinsalela zejele, ngakolunye izindawo ezinemibala. Ubunzima bohambo lwaseNingizimu Afrika bulapha. Kunzima ukusho nje ukuthi kuhle, ngoba eceleni kobuhle kukhona ukungalingani; futhi kunzima ukusho nje ukuthi kusinda, ngoba eceleni kokusinda kuhlale kunabantu abahlabelelayo, abasinayo, abavula izimbawula, abakhahlela ibhola liye ekushoneni kwelanga.

Ngakho lapho iNdebe Yomhlaba ka-2026 iletha izindaba zokuthi i-Bafana Bafana ingene ngokumangalisayo kwabangu-32, angimangalanga ukuthi leli zwe lalifana nokufakwa ugesi kabusha. Ibhola laseNingizimu Afrika lake lakhishelwa ngaphandle kwezemidlalo yomhlaba ngubandlululo, futhi isikhathi eside laphindaphinda ukuthula, ukukhishwa, ukunganakwa. Kodwa ngalobo busuku, amabhawa, amatekisi, imisakazo nezitolo ezincane emakhoneni ase-Soweto konke kwakumemeza igama elifanayo. Ukuvuka kwe-Bafana Bafana akuzona nje izindaba zezemidlalo, kufana nesimemezelo sikazwelonke esifike sekwephuzile: sisekhona, singahlulwa iminyaka eminingi, kodwa ngeke sihlale singekho unomphela.

Kamuva ngahlangana nomshayeli ogqoke ijezi leqembu lesizwe emgwaqeni waseKapa. Wathi, iNdebe Yomhlaba ka-2010 yenza umhlaba wabona iNingizimu Afrika, lokhu kungena kwabangu-32 ngo-2026, kwenza iNingizimu Afrika yazibona futhi. Ngaphandle kwewindi lemoto, izindonga ezinemibala zase-Bo-Kaap zadlula, amafu e-Table Mountain aphinde aqala ukuwa. Wakhulisa umsakazo, umhlaziyi wayephethe igoli lokuwina, izwi lakhe lijabule lacishe laphuka. Angizange ngizwe ngokuphelele imisho exube isiZulu nesiNgisi, kodwa ngalizwa lolo hleko.

Lapho ngishiya iNingizimu Afrika, engqondweni yami kwakungewona indawo ethile, kodwa iqembu lezithombe ezixhumene: ukuthula okungashiyi esitokisini sase-Robben Island, imibala ememeza kakhulu ezindongeni zase-Bo-Kaap, izinyawo zezingane zase-Soweto ezijaha ibhola othulini, ingilazi yewayini engakaphuzwa ekushoneni kwelanga e-Stellenbosch, kanye nokumboza kancane kwedolobha ngamafu e-Table Mountain. INingizimu Afrika akuyona indawo yokuya elula, kodwa iyindawo eyenza umuntu ajule. Ifundisa umhambi into eyodwa: ukubuyisana akukhona ukukhohlwa okwedlule, kodwa ukukhumbula okwedlule, futhi usazimisele ukudlulisela ibhola kumuntu oseceleni kwakho.