Ziyema iinwele zam enqentsu xa ndicinga ngomoya ophakamileyo wezo ntsuku zomzabalazo. Ndisawuva umdla waxa ndandikhwela eqongeni ngala mini ndandiseBhayi, ndisakuva kwakunye nokuqhwatyelwa okwaba ngathi kuza kuwisa iindonga. Ngezo mini xa ndandiseyingonyama entsha…kude phaya koo-1996.
Ndidibene noChris kwakhona kwiveki ephelileyo. Andikhange ndimbone iminyaka emininzi. Wandixelela ukuba uAndiswa wazala isigelekede sentombi ngo1997, kanye emva kweenyanga ezilithoba ukusuka kula nkomfa yethu. Wayithiya intwazana yakhe ukuba nguNokuzola.
Ngenxa yendlela awandijonga ngayo uChris ngokungathi kukho into ayaziyo, kwanyanzeleka ukuba ndimxelele inyaniso- ukuba andizange ndilale no Andiswa ngaphandle kwesikhuselo. Mna ndandifuna ukungcamla olu krexezo lwethu lungangxengwanga ukumisela inkululeko yethu kodwa wala tu wade wandixelela ukuba yena akasosibhanxa akanakuze amithiswe yinkwenkwe yakwaZulu. Ndikhumbula kakuhle ukuba wayenama -28 mna ndinama 22 eminyaka.
UChris waqoboza iliso, “Lenin, Mtshana ndikwazi kakuhle wena. Ungandixeleli ukuba wawukhe wasebenzisa ikhondom ngo1996. Ndiqinisekile watsho phakathi okwe ‘hit iskoan!’
“Hayi, hayi hayi,” Ndanikina intloko.
Wandixelela iindaba ezimbi zokuba uTshepo wagqityelwa ukubonwa phaya koo-2000 ngaseReef. “Wahlangana namaxesha anzima obomi waza walahlekelwa ziingqondo. Waxabana namanye amaqabane waza wagxothwa nakulo msebenzi wakhe wakwaMasipala njengoMphathi wezobuchwepheshe. Ngoku kuvakala namarhe okuba ngathi wabhubha.”
“Kwaza kwakubi ke oko,” ndatsho. “Siselapho ezindabeni ezimbi, masele ndikuxelela ukuba noVukile wafa engozini yemoto nje emva kokuthweswa isidanga sakhe. Waye engumthengisi weSavanna Dry phakathi kweentlobo zotywala awayezithengisa.
“Owu shemu torho, kwaze kwakubi oko, Mtshana!”
Sayeka kwadlula imizuzwana embalwa-umzuzu wenkumbulo ongacetywanga kumaqabane ethu awileyo.
“Kuqhubeka ntoni ngawe ke, Chris. Wenza ntoni kwezi ntsuku?”
“Ndalandela ubizo lwam lobuKhrestu ngoku, Lenin. Ndingumshumayeli; andikaze ndibuthi chatha utywala kwiminyaka engamashumi amabini adlulileyo.”
“Yhoo, Chris! Mna ndahlala ndithembekile kubizo lwam lwezo politiko. Ngoku ndisebenza njengombhali wentetho yoMphathiswa weMfundo ephakamileyo,” Ndatsho ngokuzingca.
“U-Andiswa akazange ayeke ukusoloko ebuza ngawe. Wasoloko esithi uyafuna ukuthetha nomongameli wakhe womZulu,” Watsho uChris wabe sele encuma.
“Wenza ntoni yena kakade kwezi ntsuku?”
“Andikamboni oko ukusukela kula minyaka yoo-2000. Ngela xesha lethu waye yilento kuthiwa ngoku zi ‘slay queens’, enceda abantu abatsha bezomzabalazo baze ke bona bahlawulwe ngezinto ezimnandi zobomi,” watsho uChris.
Lilonke, umzabalazo ubatyile abanye babantwana bawo,” Ndayitsho le nto oku komthandazo othe cwaka kwabo bamaphupha angazange azaliseke, amaphupha abantu asabambekile.
“Ewe, Lenin, yinyani leyo. Kwaye ndinoloyiko uza kuqhubekeka ubatya kwakunye nabantwana babo bantwana. La ntwazana kaAndiswa uNokuzola, ayisokuze idibane noyise. Kwaye asiyiyo yodwa,” watsho uChris, endiqinisekisa.
Ndiyacinga ukuba ukubola okukhoyo kwibutho lomzabalazo liqale nje emveni kokuba iinkokheli zethu zithathe izihlalo eburhulumenteni. Okona kubi kakhulu, sisilele ekuvezeni oko, sisilele ukunqwanqwada abo bebetenxa endleleni yomzabalazo yenene.
Sajongana no Chris singqinelanan sithe cwaka.
“Kwaye ndinoloyiko lokuba iimpazamo zethu zibuye ngathi ukuza kusithuthumbisa,” ndatsho, ndabe ndigxeleshe amabibi nezimanga ezichaphazela i-ANC.
“Yonke le nto yaqala ngala mnhyadala womculo kaSarafina wesibini. Yaba linyala lokuqala lethu eliya kuMzantsi Afrika omtsha. Emva koko kwafika i-Arms Deal, ukulungiswa kweNkandla kaZuma okuxabiso liphezulu…kwakunye nezinye ezininzi,” watsho uChris ephosa izandla emoyeni.
“Eyi, akukho nto mfowethu, siphume endleleni kodwa, mntakwethu,” ndaphendula. Sema apha sijongene kalusizana.
UChris watsho ngencwina enkulu, wabeka isandla entloko, waza waphinda wongeza into ayicinge mva. “Njengokuba siphakathi kwisithuba seminyaka elithoba elahlekileyo nje, ithemba lisekhona kwakhona. Kumele siqokelele loo ntwanana iseleleyo kwilizwe lethu size silakhe ngokutsha ilizwe lethu, ilizwe lamaphupha ethu elalingumbono omhle wotata bethu.”
“Ukunika uzuko nembeko kumaqhawe omzabalazo aleleyo, oo-OR Tambo, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, Albertina Sisiulu, Walter Sisulu kwakunye noNelson Mandela,’ ndongeza ngomoya okhululekileyo.
“Amandla!” satsho xa sisahlukana.
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Khawusixelele: Ingaba unalo na ithemba lokuba umbutho olawulayo ungakawazi ukususa ukubola okuxhaphakileyo namhlanje?