Izibongo zeenkosi ezimbini: ushicilelo kwelizwi likaS.E.K. Mqhayi ngee-1930s
*Inguqulelo epheleleyo iyalandela
Kwiminyaka ye-1970s, ngaphezu kweminyaka engama-30 emva kokuwelela kwelamanyange kukaS.E.K. Mqhayi, uRudolf Schwarz weRadio Bantu eQonce (King Williams Town) wakhupha engontsini ushicilelo lwesandi i-78rpm Columbia recording olwaluqulethe izibongo ezibini ezishicelelwe nguMqhayi, zeenkosi ezidumileyo zamaXhosa kwiminyaka ye-1930s. La macala mabini oshicilelo aqulathe malunga nemizuzu eli-14 lwemibongo eshicelelwe nguMqhayi. Olu kukuphela kwalo oluyaziwayo ushicelelo lezwi lakhe. Owokuqala umbongo A! Silimela, owesibini uthi A! Velile!
Ukuba ufuna ukujonga uvimba wolu shicelelo, nceda ucofe apha.
Ukuva uNelson Mandela ecaphula kulo mbongo, nceda ucofe apha.
US.E.K Mqhayi wayeliphakathi elikhulu likaNkos’ uSilimela Makinana wamaNdlambe ngoo1930. Isilimela yinkwenkwezi enkulu kwaXhosa ekubalwa ngayo iminyaka yobudoda. Le nkwenkwezi ivela phakathi ngobusika, ibonisa ixesha lokungena kwamakhwenkwe esuthwini nokuthwasa konyaka kumaXhosa. UMqhayi ubonakalisa obu buntlangothimbini kulo mbongo (Opland 1977:46).
Lo mbongo unamacandelo amabini. Kwelokuqala, uMqhayi uvula lo mbongo ngokukhumbula iziganeko ezenzekileyo kwimbali yamaXhosa- amabandla kaPhalo- ukusuka kwixesha likaNkosi uMakinana, uyise kaSilimela. Eli bali liquka iimfazwe uNkosi Makinana walwa kuzo ngobukroti nobugorha, ukuquka ungquzulwano kwiMfazwe yethoba, kunye neziganeko ezisitheleyo ebantwini uMqhayi abhekisa kuzo. Kweli bali, uMqhayi ubalula amagama amagorha awayebalasele kwixesha likaMakinana ekupheleni koo1800. Ngokukhankanya la magama adumileyo eemishinari, eenkosi, neemantyi ezazisebenza kule mimandla ngexesha likayise kaSilimela, uMqhayi uzama ukubabaza igama lodumileyo uMakinana ngenxa yonyana wakhe (Opland 1977:50)
Kwicancelo lesibini lalo mbongo, uMqhayi ubonga uSilimela ngendlela egwegwelezayo, ehlekisayo. Apha kweli candelo, uMqhayi ufanisa iintlobontlobo zeenkwenkwezi nezizwe ezahlukileyo. Umzekelo, ngendlela ephoxisayo, xa ethetha ngeMfazwe yeLizwe yokuqala neMfazwe yoMzantsi Afrika, umemelela amaJamani, amaBhulu, kunye namaNgesi ukuba ahlulelane ngeKhwezi ngenxa yokuba ngabantu abangakwaziyo ukwabelana, abasoloko beqhwaya iimfazwe (Opland 1977:50). Isilimela, eyona nkwenkwezi inkulu kwaXhosa, uyinika amabandla kaPhalo. UJeff Opland uhambisa athi “Le nto yokwabelana ngeenkwenkwezi kukuba amaXhosa asikhonzile isilimela, kwaye ngale ndlela intlangothimbini ihlekisayo yeli gama, uMqhayi ubonga ubungangamsha benkosi yakhe, ubukhulu bayo nokubaluleka kwayo. Lo mbongo uyagwegweleza awuzanga ngqo, kodwa unentsingiselo ephuhlileyo” (Opland 1977:50)
Kushicelelozwi lwesibini kukho umbongo onika imbeko kuNkosi Archie Sandile wakwaNgqika. Ngokusebenzisa izikhahlelo zakhe, A! Velile, uMqhayi usizobela umfanekiso wale nkokheli iphum’ izandla yakwaXhosa eyayiphila kwinkulungwane yeshumi elinethoba. Usizobela uNkosi Velile ngokwamaxesha awayephila kuwo, esichazela nangeziganeko awayethabathe inxaxheba kuzo. Indlela awayebonakala ngayo efana nokomelela kunye nobuthoba bakhe ziyavela kulo mbongo (Opland 1977: 32, 36). NjengoSilimela, kulo mbongo uMqhayi ulanda imbali, ebalisa ngamahlandinyuka obomi bukaVelile, ukuquka abantu abaphum’ izandla nezindlu ezibalulekileyo kwaXhosa. UJeff Opland wenze uhlalutyonzulu lwale mibongo kula manqaku alandelayo: Opland, J., & Mqhayi, S. E. K. (1977). Two unpublished poems by SEK Mqhayi. Research in African Literatures, 8(1), 27-53.
Yabelana ngalendlela:
Ikhredithi
I-FHYA ithanda ukwenza umbulelo ongazenzisiyo kwithala leencwadi iCory ngokuzinikela nokwenza ithala labo lifikeleleke eluntwini, kunye nesisa sabasebenzi beli thala ekwenzeni lo mboniso ube yimpumelelo. Lo mboniso ulungiselelwe yi-FHYA ngo-2023, isebenzisa ulwazi oluqokelelwe nguSanele kaNtshingana ngentsebenziswano neCory Library. Ugcino-vimba lulungiselelwe nguBenathi Marufu exhaswe nguDebra Pryor. Uyilo lobugcisa, olwephepha kunye nophuhliso luqulunqwe lalungiselelwa nguVanessa Chen exhaswe yiStudio de Greef. Inkxaso kwezobuchwephetshenguHussein Suleman. Umxholo obhaliweyo uveliswe nguSanele kaNtshingana noSteve Kotze. Inkxaso kuhlelo nakwingqiqo yalo mboniso ivela kuCarolyn Hamilton. Iprojekthi ekhethekileyo yokuqulunqa nokuphuhlisa isiXhosa kulo mboniso lwenziwe nguSanele kaNtshingana, uHleze Kunju noBenathi Marufu. Imiboniso yethu igcinwe apha. Ukuba unqwenela ukwenza igalelo, sebenzisa eli khonkco.
EMANDULO
I-EMANDULO liqonga lomnathazwe oluzama ukuphuhlisa imithombo yolwazi etyebileyo echaphazela imbali ye-Afrika esezantsi phambi kobukoloniyali kwindawo namhlanje ebizwa ngokuba yi-eSwatini, KwaZulu-Natal, Lesotho, kunye neMpuma Kapa.