Indaba ka Baas Van Tonderr noMathewu

‘Wonke umuntu makasukume enkantolo!’ wamemeza umgcini weNkundla ephakeme uMnumzane Dube ngesankahlu, phela kulenkundla kugcwele abantu abusuka ezindaweni eziningi. Kukhona abazokweseka umndeni ka Zabazendoda okuthiwa ubulawe ngu Baas Van Tonderr. Abanye bazozibonela mathupha lomuntu osakwazi ukubulala abantu ngesihluku esingaka kodwa sesiphila esikhathini senkululeko. Yilabo nalabo abaphethe amabhodi abhalwe ngokwehlukana, ‘uBaas makahambe kulendawo’, lapho abanye bephethe abhalwe ‘uBaas makashiswe’, ‘lomhlaba siyawuthatha’, ‘Onke amandla kumuntu omnyama’.

Abomndeni kaVan Tonderr nabo bakhona ukuzokweseka ilunga labo lomndeni, kepha babukeka bethukile ngenxa yalomphakathi ogane unwabu. Umndeni kaZabazendoda Xaba ngokuphelela kwawo ukhona. Lolusuku lufika emuva kwamasonto amabili emva kokuthi beyifihlile indodana emndenini. Emngcwabeni wakhe bekufike izikhulu zezombusazwe kanye namaKhosi imbala nezinduna. Kuthe ungaphela umngcwabo, sezihambile neziphathi mandla kwayilapho sekufakwa isixwayiso somhlangano ozokwenzeka okuyilapho kolungiselelwa khona ukuya eNkantolo ukuyokweseka umndeni. Yize umndeni nomphakathi ubusosizini ngalolusuku kufihlwa indodana, ebinekusasa elithembisayo kodwa yadutshulwa ngesihluku, bakwazile ukuyifihla ngesizotha futhi bathembisa ukulwela ubulungiswa bayo. 

ENkantolo babukeka besashaqekile ilesehlakalo esenzeke enganeni yabo. Abamaphephandaba nezintatheli bagcwele enkundleni eNkulu kanti futhi izwe lonke liyazi ngasehlakalo. 

Elinye lephephandaba eliphume ekuseni belibhalile kwikhasi lokuqala, ‘Iphepha langomsombuluko: Uyavela namuhla eNkantolo osolwa ngokubulala umfana oneminyaka ewu-16, emva kokuthi emthole ebhukuda edamini eliseduze neplazi lakhe’. Abantu baphume ngokuningi babo balibangisa enkundleni yeNkantolo. Ngumsombuluko, icala liqule ngezikhathi zasekuseni. Kanti imigwaqo eseduze neNkantolo ivaliwe ngoba amalungu omphakathi ebetoyi-toya endleleni eza eNkantolo. Ehamba ecula, ezinye zezingoma ebiziculwa bezizwakala zinobuhlungu obujulile kuzona. Into enjengalena ayiqali ukwenzeka kulendawo, ikakhulukazi kubantu abasebasha. 

Ube esesukuma umsolwa washo konke afuna ukukusho. Wabe esecela inkantolo imthelele ngoba unokuzisola okukhulu. Lawomazwi ayihlokomise ngokukhulu inkantolo ngoba abahlali bavele bamemeza khona eNkundleni bethi makayozisola emva kweminyango yejele lana afanelwe ukuba khona. 

‘Makube nokuthula eNkantolo!’ waphinda umphathi weNkantolo ngezwi lakhe elinesankahlu futhi. Baye bathula impela abomphakathi. Kulapho okucace khona ukuthi sekuyisikhathi iNkantolo yehlise isigwebo kulelicala eselidonse iminyaka emibili lixoxwa. Ngoba abashushisi beNkantolo kaHulumeni bebenzela ukuthi beqinisekise ukuthi umsolwa utholakala enecela futhi uzobhadla ejele impilo yakhe yonke. Kanti nabameli bakamsolwa nabo bebematasa bezama ukuthi iNkantolo imzwele, bese izwa ukuthi konke lokhu bekuyiphutha lapho umsolwa bezivikela khona eyitshena ukuthi ubona isigebengu eplazini lakhe. 

Lapho okuthe kwabakhona isizotha eNkantolo, libe seliqala ukukhuluma Ijaji lenkantolo enkulu, Ijaji Mvukeliwezizwe Magoba. ‘Ecaleni eliphakathi kuka Hulumeni no Msolwa wokuqala, umnumzane Van Tonderr, ecaleni lokubulala, iNkantolo enkulu ikuthola ungenacala, abashushisi bahlulekile ukubeka ngokusobala ukuthi ubulale ngenhloso’ lingakaqedi nokuqeda nje ijaji, inkundla ivele yaba nomkhulu umsindo ovela kwabomphakathi. Kanti umaka Zabazendoda nodadewabo bavele basikhihla bona isililo. Kusenjalo, kubonakale beyishiya ngamunye ngamunye inkantolo ngoba kusobala ukuthi ibisiphinde yahluleka futhi ukugcina isithembiso sokwenza ubulungiswa kulabo ababulawa bengenzanga nelinye icala. Miningi imndeni esicule amagugu ngenxa yabaphathi bamaplazi abafana no Baas Van Tonderr. Lokhu bese kuyinto eyaziwayo ezweni lonke. 

Lomphakathi obugane unwabu bekubonakala ngokusobala nje ukuthi uyafisa ukuzibambela mathupha ngezandla zawo lendoda esiphunyuke esandleni somthetho ecaleni lokubulala. Kodwa amaphoyisa ebeqaphe ngeso lokhozi ngaphandle eNkantolo kanti nangesibalo esifanayo ngaphakathi enkundleni. Kanti bebephethe ezinkulu lezi izibhamu ongazi ebengasho ukuthi baya empini yomhlaba. Yilelo nalelolunga lomphakathi belizibuza liyeka ukuthi kanti kungani impilo yomuntu omnyama ingathathwa njengebalulekile kulenkululeko yentando yeningi? Omunye uze wamemeza ngamazwi aphekezelwa zinyembezi uma abezindaba bembuza ukuthi uzizwa njani ngesinqumo senkantolo ‘iNkantolo ikubeke kwacaca namuhla ukuthi izingane zethu zisazobulaliswa okwezilwane, nathi imbala kusazoba njalo, okubuhlungu kakhulu ukuthi noma sesibulewe, isihluku esibuluwa ngaso nokuphuma komphefumulo wethu akubona ubufakazi okwanele ukuze kugwebwe labo abasibulala ngesihluku’. Omunye uye wabeka kwacaca ukuthi yena isinqumo senkantolo usizwile kodwa ngokubona kwakhe umphakathi kumele uthathe isinyathelo ukuze ufezekise isithembiso sobulungiswa owasenza mhla kufihlwa uZabazendoda.

Emva kwesikhathi esingamahora amathathu, amalunga omphakathi engaphandle kwenkantolo ecula izingoma eziveza isihluku sokubulawa kwamalunga awo, aye athatha isinqumo sokuthi kumele kube khona umhlangano namuhla ngehora lesikhombisa lapho kodingidwa khona izinyathelo malunga nokuthola ubulungiswa kukamufi. Kumenywe bonke abomphakathi, iziphathi mandla kwezombusazwe nabaholi bezomdabu kulomhlangano, nabefundisi babiziwe kanti futhi abambalwa bebekhona nabo enkundleni yeNkantolo. 

Ngehora lesikhombisa uye waqala umhlangano, wavulwa ngomthandazo yize iningi labebekhona ikakhulukazi intsha, ibisifisa ngabe kuvele kwahlalwa odabeni olushisayo nje. Emva kwamahora amane kudingidwa lokudaba, umphakathi ube usuvumela ukuthi yize iNkantolo ingabenzanga ubulungiswa kepha umphakathi uwodwa wona uzokwenza isiqiniseko ukuthi buyaba khona. Yilapho okuthathwe khona isinqumo sokuthi umphakathi uwonke, ngosuku lwakusasa uzothatha indlela ebheke eplazini lika Baas Van Tonderr. 

Nangempela ezintathakusa kwaba njengoba bekuthathwe isinqumo ebusuku. Amalunga omphakathi aphuma ngobuningi bawo. Kwathi uma befika eplazini bathatha yonke imfuyo yakhona. Kanti uBaas Van Tonderr yena ebesezwile ngomoya ukuthi izakhamuzi azisamfuni kulendawo emva kwesehlakalo, bathena befika kwabe sekukhala ibhungane ehambe washiya yonke into. Konke lokhu kwenzeka ngoba ehambe ngokubaleka kanti vele amalunga omphakathi ambophele amanqina enyathi. Emva kokuthi bethathe yonke into eplazini, abahlali belishisile leliplazi ngokusho okuthi kugezwa imimoya encolile lena okuyiyona ebiyenza ukuthi kube khona abantu abangenanhliziyo nanembeza abafana no Van Tonderr. Lasha lonke lanqonqa kanjalo ke leliplazi, emva kwesikhathi kwafika abezindaba kanye nabahlezi befika emva kwendaba, amaphoyisa. Afika nje amaphoyisa ahamba nezicishamlilo, kodwa kwasho khona ukuthi bonke bafika selidume ladlula. Inkosi yomdabu kulendawo ibe isinquma ukuthi leliplazi kusukela namuhla losetshenziswa ukwakha ukuphila komphakathi. Kuyothi makuhamba isikhathi futhi nolaka selwehlile ebantwini bese liyavuselelwa kuba ngelomphakathi uwonke. Lokhu kuye kwawuthokozisa umndeni wakwaXaba yize indodana ibingeke isabuya, kodwa ubulungiswa kutholakele. 

Bathena abezindaba uma bebuza uMfundisi oseduze nabo obeyinxenye yamalungu omphakathi afike entathakusa ukuthi kahle kahle kwenzekeni kulendawo, lapho amalangabi ebesavuthela phezulu, wabe esephendula ngesineke uMfundisi uNdlovu, wathi ‘uVan Tonderr ufezekisiwe kuyena umbhalo osencwadini kaMathewu isahluko sesithathu evesini leshumi nanye. Ufezekile umbhalo kaNkulunkulu.’

Ephephandabeni lwangolwesibili ekuseni, kwikhasi lokuqala bekubhalwe kanjena, ‘Umphakathi wakwaVukamtshene uzithathele ezandleni zawo ekufezekiseni ubulungiswa kulona owaphunyuka kwisandla somthetho ngecala lokubulala umfana wakwaXaba, eVukamtshene, isigodi kwaKhuzezinye’

Iphela kanjalo!