Ndithe ndiphaphama sabe sesiphinde sabuyela eTekhnikhoni eBhayi kwindawo yokupaka yeemoto. Umculo uyagqumza kanye ngoko hlobo lwasezindaweni zomjuxuzo. Yireshiyo engabhandlanga le: amadoda ali-13 ajongene namantombazana angama -30- kodwa ndandingabanqweneli xa bebonke. Intliziyo yam yayisele ithatyathiwe. UAndiswa wayethe nca ecaleni kwam kwaye ekhusele isihlalo sakhe.
Sajuxuzela ke umculo weKwaito othandwa ziintliziyo zethu, isingqi esitsha salo Mzantsi Afrika mtsha. U-Andiswa usela kuphela obu tywalana busandula ukuyilwa i-Savanna Dry. (Ndayizama kwaba kanye, ekuqalekeni knyaka, ndaphela nje emva kweyure ezintathu) Amanye amakhomredi ayesela kakhulu, agabhe, asele amanzi aphinde aqalise- kwaphinda kwaselwa kwaphinda kwajuxuzwa. Yayingumbhodamo nje womdaniso.
Ndajonga ixesha-yintsimbi yesithathu ekuseni.
U-DJ wethu, u-Oscar Wa Rona, wayengabilanga nokubila njengokuba etshintsha amakhasi omculo etafileni, Ndaziva ndixakaniseke engqondweni ke ngoku. Ndifuna ‘isiphelo esihle, esimnandi’.
UTshepho umana esiza kuthi aze kuzincokolisa. Uyandicaphukisa ke kuba qho xa encuma, kuthi tshawu umbono wakhe egonene noAndiswa.
Emva koko uVukile wagxadazelela ngakum. “Sidinga ukuthetha,” wandisebezela endlebeni.
Ndaxelela uAndiswa ukuba ndiza kubuya.
“Lenin, “watsho uVukile evumbulula igama lam lomzabalazo. Xa esenza oko, sendisazi ibalulekile into aza nayo. “Ndisengxakini. Uyawabona la mahotyazana mahle phaya,” wabuza, waphinda waphendula umbuzo wakhe. “NguNwabisa maan kunye newele lakhe uNonyameko. Ndixakiwe ngoku. Ndicinga bobabini bafuna ukulala nam…njengayizolo. Ungakwazi ukumelana nomdlalo wabantu abane ebhedini? Mna ndiyoyisakala.”
Ndasuka ndangcangcazela ndatyhafa. Azange khe ndimenywe kumdlalo wabantu abane ngaphambili. Ndakroba kancinci ukuze ndiwabone kakuhle la mawele. Ngabafazi abahle mpela baphakathi ngesiqu, ziinzwakazi ezimnyama ezinomkhitha.
“Andizokwazi, khomredi. Sendizikhethele mna kobu busuku,” Ndatsho sendijika ubuso bakhe obunxilileyo kwicala lika-Andiswa. UVukile akayiva ncam le nto ndiyithethayo kodwa akanyanzelisi kubonakala nje ukunxunguphala kobuso bakhe. Ndabuyela kwisithandwa “sobomi bam.”
Ekugqibeleni, wathi uAndiswa kum, phofu egxininisa, “Sana, mntu wam, ndidiniwe. Masiye kulala.” Akathi, “ndicela undise ekhaya.” Ndaba ngathi ndindiza emafini.
Kwangoko, ndakhangela uChris. “Nkosi yam, ndiyazichitha intente ngoku. Ndinolu sana lwam luhle ekufuneka ndilukokosile kaloku,” Ndamxelela, wabe endijonga enolangazelelo emehlweni akhe. “U-Andiswa kunye nam siya egumbini lam, Mongameli, ndibulela wena ke.”
Wabetha ngenqindi emoyeni kanye ngala ndlela kaMandela. Ndakhwaza, “Amandla!” Zahlukana iindlela zethu.
Andikayazi kakuhle indlela eyiyo yokukhulula umntu wasetyhini, noxa abafazi kukudala bengena bephuma egumbini lam lokulala ukusukela oko sathi sakhululeka. Nguwuphi kanye owona mgaqo unguwo wokukhulula iimpahla zentombi yakho entsha?
“Ndisicime isibane ukuze uze ukwazi ukukhulula?”, ndatsho ndithetha ngelona lizwi lakha laphola noxa ndingqokola nje.
Waqaphela ukuba ndinxunguphele waza wahleka kakhulu okokuqala oko sadibana. Ukusuka apho, wasuka waziphosa phezu kwam, ndaya kuwa bhum ebhedini. Wandidlakaza, endiphuza ngokunxaniweyo. Sawonwabela ke lo mzuzu, sijonge kanye kwelona bhaso lingundoqo.
Ukwabelana ngesondo.
Emva koko, salala omnye ecaleni komnye, sincokolelana ukuba sive njani na. Sancokola ngemvelaphi yobomi bethu nendlela esikhule ngayo. Ndothuka xa endixelela iminyaka yakhe. Unama-28 kwaye sele enesidanga sase Fort Hare, iyunivesiti yodumo yamakhangala omzabalazo.
Ethubeni, u-Andiswa walala yoyi. Ndaqwalasela obo buso bakhe buhle, nomlonyana wakhe omnandi, izandundu zakhe eziphakamileyo kwakunye namehlo amnyama. Intliziyo yam inga ingagqabhuka iphume ndibhabhe ndimke.
Kwalile xa kuthi qheke, yakhala ibhipa yam. Lixesha lokuphakama. Ndiza kwenza ingxelo-ntetho yephepha leshumi elinesihloko esithi: The Final Push Towards a Non-racial, Non-sexist, and Democratic Post-Apartheid Higher Education Sector.
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Khawusixelele: Luthini uluvo lwakho ngabantu abatsha abazintyintya ngotywala, njengokuba kuchaziwe kwesi sahluko. Bubumnandi okanye Bubungozi?