Ingqalabutho uRoland Mqwebu: “UMantshingelana wodumo”
Bakhona bonke oMantshingilana kuleli lakithi kodwa akekho obedume njengo‘Mkhize’ weSABC1 TV Sitcom, ethi Emzini Wezinsizwa kanti ubudlalwa ngobukhulu ubuyoninco uMnu uRoland Bantu Mqwebu (74).
NGIYACABANGA nabantu bakwaMkhize bayamkweleta uMqwebu, kwakumele bamxoshise ngamathodlana ngokuqhakambisa lesi sibongo saBambo. Ubani ongakhohlwa lapho umlingani wakhe uChirwali esembiza ngokuthi u‘Makhize’ kube sengathi usho kumuntu wesifazane! NgoLwezithathu akekho obefisa ukuphuthwa yilo mdlalo ukuze azibonele umantshingilana wesagila nozifelayo ngomqombothi! Lokhu bekungenxa yokulingisa ngokwezinga eliphezulu kukaMnu uMqwebu!
UMqwebu wazalwa zili-16 kuMasingana 1941‚ e-Inanda enyakatho neTheku, KwaZulu-Natal. Uyaziwa futhi uMqwebu elingisa kuDeliwe eyayidume kakhulu kuthelevishini ngeminyaka yowe-1980. Ubonakele edlala ngekhono indawo kaNgomane umngani omkhulu weLembe emdlalweni wethelevishini IShaka Zulu. Wabuye waba umelekeleli womqondisi kwenziwa le midlalo, ngenxa yalo njalo ikhono lakhe kwezobuciko!
Kodwa kuleli uyohlala ekhunjulwa kakhulu ngo-Emzini Wezinsizwa owawuhlekisa kuze kubebuhlungu isisu kodwa futhi ibe ifundisa ngokuhlalisana ngobukhelwane nokuzwana kwezizwe zase-Afrika. Lokhu kwakubonakala ngezinsizwa zaseRoom 8 [elumeythi] ezazixube izinhlanga ezehlukene kodwa zihlalisene kahle futhi zihloniphana! Lapha kwakuboshelwe izingqwayingqwayi uShadrack Ngema edlala uMagubane waKwaZulu-Natal‚ uMofokeng engumSotho‚ uTshawe engumXhosa‚ uChirwali engowaseMalawi noMqwebu aziwa ngoMkhize engumZulu.
Ngendlela alingisa ngayo ngobuchule indawo kaMkhize uMnu uMqwebu, abantu base bembiza ngoMkhize sekulukhuni nokwehlukanisa uMqwebu kuMkhize! Ubesebizwa ngoKhabazela yonke indawo. Kanti ubengapheli ehostela Kwa Mashu lapho ebosa khona inyama nezinsizwa zakhona ekhuthaza khona ukuzwana njalo!
Wedlule emhlabeni lapho uMhlonishwa uNathi Mthethwa onguNgqongqoshe weZobuciko kuleli ebeqala khona umkhankaso wakhe weLiving Legends Legacy Programme‚ wokubungaza amaciko ethu esaphila futhi ewakhuthaza ekubambeni iqhaza lokucobelela ngolwazi lwayo kulabo abasafufusa.
UMqwebu ubeyiciko elinamakhono amaningi, nokubhekekile ecikweni lesimanje, obethi engumlingisi, abuye abe ngumqondisi kodwa abuye abe umculi! Nami ngicobelelile kuye ngisebenza naye senza i-One Among Many Musical – Tribute To Chief Albert Luthuli ngowezi-2007. Wayeke angishiye ngilele insini uma esethi usayobheka izinsizwa ehostela useyobuye aqedele okunye ebengimdingela khona! Indoda yamancoko nebiwuhlonipha umsebenzi wayo wokulingisa. Ngobunye ubusuku sikuwo lomdlalo etheatre ufika egqoke ivesti ebhalwe u-Adidas uma ustage manager emshintshisa athi angakhohlwa ukuthi ubhekene nelegend, kwahlekwa kwabamnandi lapho esekhumula ethi umkhaba wakhe mawungabukwa abafokazana! Uke wacula noPhuzekhemisi eculweni elithi Ekhaya Ngonyawo.
Baningi abaphuze enkezweni yakhe ecakulwe embizeni yolwazi lwezobuciko. Uke walingisa futhi ku-Abaqaphi, kuBy The River Side, nakuDiamanten sind Gefährlich (1965) – uke walingisa nenkakha kwezamafilimu uChristopher Lee. Izizukulwane nabalingisi abasakhula sebohlale bekitazwa amadividi emisebenzi yakhe uMqwebu, bafunde banyonkele ukuze bakhule!