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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 16 April 2025
Athambile Masola
Ndingabhala ndithi yintoni engekabalulwa ngembongi yesizwe jikelele? Ngaphandle kwelizwi nomsebenzi wosiba lwayo, uSamuel Edward Loliwe Ngxekengxeke Krune Mqhayi (1875-1945), uncwadi neelwimi zesiNtu zingangamaqokobhe, umphanda ongenamanzi. Ngeso sizathu, eli phulo lokuvuselela umsebenzi kaMqhayi eluntwini sisipho kuthi njengabafundi nababhali besiXhosa kwakunye nesipho kumbhali lo, usingaye. Uthando lukaMqhayi ekukhuseleni isizwe sakhe lwaluvuthelwa luphenjelelwa yinkolelo yokuba ikamva labantu abaNtsundu liza kuzalisekiseka, alisokuze longanyelwe bubukoloniyali lide libhange.
USamuel Edward Krune Mqhayi wazalwa ngonyaka ka1875 ngomhla wokuqala kweyoMnga kwaGqumahashe. Wafunda e-Evergreen eTyhume nakuCentane. Waqeqeshelwa ubutitshala eLovedale. Ekuhambeni kweminyaka uMqhayi waya kuma eNtabozuko, indulana ekuhola wendlela ephakathi kweQonce neMonti. UMqhayi wayeyimbongi yesizwe, umntu wabantu bakhe, umshumayeli wevangeli, umfundisintsapho, intatheli ebhalela amaphephandaba aliqela, nomthandi wenkcubeko yama-Afrika. Uyibhale ngokwakhe imbali yakhe exubene nembali yamaXhosa kwincwadi ethi uMqhayi waseNtabozuko. Ubhala ngokubanzi ngembali yooyise-mkhulu; ngenxa yenkolelo ethi ‘Iingcambu zomntu ngooyise booyise’. Abazali bakhe yayingamaKrestu, oko kukuthi wafumana khona isiseko esingqindilili ekhaya ukuze akwazi ukuphila phakathi kweenkqwithelo ezifana neemfazwe kwakunye nombuso wasentshona. Walishiya eli ngomhla wama29 Julayi ngo1945.
UMqhayi ukhule phakathi kwempixano phakathi kwesintu nempilo yasentshona. Le mpixano yadala umahluko phakathi komzi ontsundu yaye yanefuthe kumsebenzi wakhe nawoogxa bakhe. Eyona nto eye yatshisa ibunzi uMqhayi noogxa bakhe abaye bakhulela kule meko yotshintsho, kukulondoloza isintu kwakunye nokuphakamisa isidima somzi ontsundu esasidotyelelwa kukuxhatshazwa ziimfazwe nokuxuthelwa umhlaba ngumbuso wasentshona. Yayinganqabanga ukuba umntu abengumfundisintsapho kwakunye nombhali wembali kwakunye nomvangeli wenkonzo, kwakunye nombhexeshi womculo. Imisebenzi ooMqhayi abaye bangena kuyo iyabonakala kwiimbalo zabo, eziqulathwe kwizincoko, imibongo nemihobe, iinguqulelo, iinoveli, imbali, iibhayografi kwakunye nezinye.
Ndiyithandile indlela abalisa ngayo indlela awaye wawongwa ukuba abeyimbongi yesizwe. Uthi xa ebalisa:
Kuthe kuphi, ndazuza elinye igama lenkonzo yobuzwe. Eli ke igama ndalinikwa yindoda endingazanga ndiyibone, umfo wasezintlangeni KwaZulu. Le ndoda yayingumhleli wephepha elithile eRautini; igama lalo bekuthiwa Abantu. Ndilibhalele elo phepha izibongo zokuphela komnyaka; phezulu ndibhale ‘IMbongi yakwaGompo.’ Suke iphepha liphume lisithi ‘YiMbongi yakwaGompo neyesiZwe jikelele… Akunakho ukuba saba yiMbongi yendawo enye; sibone thina ukuba zonke izizwe uzifikelele’.
Eli bali lisibonisa ukubaluleka komsebenzi kaMqhayi jikelele, hayi phakathi kwamaXhosa kuphela
Ukuze ndiwazi umsebenzi kaMqhayi ekukhuleni kwam, ndancedwa ngumboniso kamabonakude Ityala Lamawele ka1989 (isekhona nakuYouTube namhlanje). Nangona ndandilazi ibali, ndawazi ngokuphangaleleyo umsebenzi kaMqhayi, mhla ndandifundela isidanga sokuqala kwiYunivesithi yaseRhodes.
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