Izwekazi i-Afrika liyagida!
SESIPHINDE safika futhi leso sikhathi sonyaka lapho kusuke kugcwele intokozo, injabulo ubumbano kanye nobunye kubantu basezwenikazi lase-Afrika. Lapho kusuke kungekho mngcele phakathi kwezinhlanga ezahlukene kodwa zisuke zikhombisa ukujabulelana nokuziqhenya ngobu-Afrika bazo.
Phela ukuqala kwaleli sonto bekusho ukuthi kuqale inyanga enkulu nebaluleke kakhulu ezwenikazi lase-Afrika, okuyinyanga kaNhlaba.
Le nyanga yaziwa njengenyanga yezwekazi lase Afrika njengoba kuyinyanga eyaletha uguquko oluthile kuleli zwe. Mhla zingama-25 kuNhlaba we-1963 e-Addis Ababa e-Ethiopia ohulumeni bamazwe angama-32 athola ukuzimela, ahlangana avumelana ngokuthi bazosungula i-Organization of African Union.
Ngalolu suku-ke lapho okwasungulwa ngalo i-Organization of African Union okuyinhlangano yamazwe ase-Afrika. Ngalokhu ayehlose ukuqhakambisa ukubumbana nobunye phakathi kwawo. Ukusungulwa kwale nhlangano kunezinhloso ezinhle ezifana nokuthi kugqugquzelwe amazwe ase-Afrika ukuba azimele, kuliwe nendlala kanye nobandlululo, kuthuthukiswe imfundo nepolitiki aphinde futhi akhe ubudlelwano namanye amazwe aphesheya kwezilwandle.
Ekuhambeni kwesikhathi-ke liye lashintshwa igama le-Organization of African Union yabizwa ngeAfrica Union. Yize igama selishintshiwe kodwa i-African Union nayo isaqhuba wona umoya nenhloso yokuthuthukisa i-Afrika. Njalo ngenyanga kaNhlaba izwekazi lase-Afrika liye libheke konke okuhle eselikwenzile liphinde futhi libheke izinkinga kanye nezingqinamba elisabhekene nazo, nezindlela zokulungisa lezo zingqinamba.
Yize umsebenzi wokugcina i-Afrika ibumbene futhi inobunye ungakafezeki ngokuphelele, kodwa ubuciko namasiko kuye kubambe iqhaza elibalulekile ekuhlanganiseni amazwe ase-Afrika. Yingakho nje kubakhona imigidi yobuciko eyahlukene ehlose ukuhlanganisa amazwe eyenziwa uma kubungazwa le nyanga.
Ngalesi sikhathi sonyaka-ke siye sibone ubuciko buqhakambiswa kakhulu. NgoLwesibili ePitoli uNgqongqoshe weZebuciko wakuleli uMnu uNathi Mthethwa wethule uhlelo oluzolandelwa ukubungaza le nyanga, lapho abethula imigidi ezoba khona ezindaweni ezahlukahlukene. Ubuye wanxusa ukuthi wonke umuntu ayihambele le migidi futhi abantu babe yingxenye yayo.
Emigidini ezoba khona ezoletha ubunye nobumbano kuleli, kuzoba imigidi ehlanganisa izinhlanga ezahlukene. Kanti futhi izobanjelwa ezindaweni ezahlukene, okubalwa kuzo iReggae Festival kanye ne-Anti-Racism music Festival lapho kuzobe kukhulunywa kabanzi ngokucwasana ngokwebala, yiFilm Festival lapho okuzobe kukhulunywa khona ngengqayi. Konke lokhu kuzobe kubanjelwe esifundazweni saseLimpopo.
I-5th International Marimba and Steelpan Festival ngenye yemigubho efakiwe kulolu hlelo. Imigubho efana nale iqoqela abantu ndawonye bathole ukuthokozela umsindo owehlukene wesintu. Lolu nguhlelo olwasungulwa yiEducation Africa, lapho kuyaye kukhethwe khona abantwana abathile base-Afrika abanothando lomculo kodwa abancishwe amathuba (disavantaged children), banikezwe ithuba lokufundiswa ngomculo ngokwehlukana kwawo. Bese behlelelwa ukuvakashela amazwe ahlukahlukene, ngisho nawaphesheya kwezilwandle imbala. Kulokhu kuvakasha basuke behamba becula, beshaya izigubhu benandisa ngomculo phambi kwezihlwele.
Kanjalo futhi ne iKauru Contemporary Art from Africa exhibition ezobe ibanjelwe eRusternburg lapho kusuke kubukiswa ngezithombe ezidwetshiwe kanye nezibaziwe.
Isifundazwe saKwaZulu Natal naso asizange sisale ngaphandle emigubhweni ehlelwe ngumnyango weZobuciko, njengoba nedolobha laseThekwini nalo lizosingatha eminye yemigubho efana nePan African Culinary Festival, Bureau of the 4th Pan African Cultural Congress, kanjalo futhi nekhonsathi enkulu yamasiko nobuciko ebizwa iGcwala Ngamasiko Cultural Festival. Le khonsathi iye ibe khona unyaka nonyaka ukubungaza le nyanga, kanti izobe yenzeka okwe-12 nonyaka. Iye ibanjelwe ezindaweni ezahlukene. Nonyaka izobe ilapha eThekwini.
Ukuqhubeka nokugubha le nyanga, ngempelasonto yangomhlaka ziyisi-6 kuNhlaba iThe Playhouse Company izobe ine Festival ebizwa ngele-Africa Celebrates. Kule festival kuzobe kulandelwa uhlelo oluthile lokugubha le nyanga. Kuzona zonke izinhlelo ezizobe zenzeka kuhloswe ukuthi ekugcineni abantu kube khona okusha abakufundayo.
Ngale mpelasonto amaciko azobe esina ededelana enkundleni ngenkathi ebukisa ngobuciko obehlukahlukene. Njengoba ohlelweni oluzolandelwa kuzobe kukhona ukubikiswa kobuciko lapho kuzoba khona umbukiso wemisebenzi yezandla efana nemidwebo, izithombe eziqhakambisa i-Afrika. Kuphinde kubukiswe umdlalo weshashalazi obizwa iThe Cenotaph of Dan wa Moriri.
Abantu abenza umsebenzi wezandla ofana nokwenza ubuhlalu basesifundazweni saKwaZulu Natal bazonikezwa ithuba lokuthi bakhombise umsebenzi wabo, baphinde batshele izivakashi kanye nezethameli ukuthi bawenza kanjani.
Akuzukugcina nje lapho, kodwa kuzoba khona amaWorkshop ahlukene lapho amaciko azobe efundisana khona ngemikhakha eyahlukene akuyo. Le festival izobe ihanjelwe ngamaciko ahlukene, kusukela kubaculi, abahayi bezinkondlo, abalandisi (story tellers), abadwebi kanye namanye amaningi.