Hleze silibale: Umama uZondeni Veronica Sobukwe
USUKU lwangoLwesithathu mhla zili-17 kuNhlangulana ngowe-1959 kwaba wukuchitheka kwesidikiselo sebhodwe ekade lalibila. Ngaleli langa abesifazane baseMkhumbane badweba umugqa ngemindeni yabo kanye nomnotho wendawo. Indaba yabe isuswe yisenzo soMkhandlu wedolobha iDurban (namuhla osekuthiwa yiTheku) sokuhweba ngotshwala. Ngalolu suku abesifazane ababalelwa ezi-2000 baseMkhumbane bagasela kwaluhhohho kwachitheka obabugayiwe.
Ukukhombisa ukuthi kabesabi muntu nalutho, ngakusasa ngoLwesine mhla zili-18 kuNhlangulana basuka lapho baphikelela enkabeni yedolobha nalapho bafike benza khona okufanayo. Yathi nxa isigingqika, igadla imbokodo kwanzima kwaluhhohho kuDalton Road nakuVictoria Street. Umzabalazo walaba besifazane ababenesibindi kwakuwukuvikela umnotho wendawo ngoba babethi emadodeni abo, abafowabo namadodana abo abangavumi ukuxhashazwa nguHulumeni wobandlululo othi ngemithetho yakhe ukhombisa ukungabafuni kodwa uma esefuna ukugaya imali ngotshwala bese esondeza aboHlanga.
Lesi ngesinye seziwombe eziwubufakazi bokuthi abesifazane eNingizimu Afrika abakaze bangabibikho ekhaleni lomzabalazo waboHlanga. Zikhona nezinye ezifana nomkhankaso wabo kazwelonke ngomhla ziyisi-9 kuNcwaba ngowe-1956 ngesikhathi abesifazane bephikisana nomthetho owashaywa ngonyaka we-1952 ophoqa ukuthi abesifazane baphathe omazisi. Ulaka lwala makhosikazi agasela ezindlini zombuso ePitoli lwabe lubhekiswe kuNdunankulu uJ.G Strijdom. Sekungumlando ukuthi lesi senzo sabesifazane sesahlonishwa ngokuthi usuku lwangomhla zi-9 kuNcwaba lube yiholidi eNingizimu Afrika.
Nokho yize kunjalo kukhona iqiniso elibabayo ngomlando kanjalo nokuhlonishwa kwabesifazane emlandweni wepolitiki yakuleli. Lokhu kwenzeka yize amaqembu epolitiki akuleli kanye nemithetho yezwe iqhakambisa isidingo sokuba abesifazane babekwe eqhulwini ezinhlelweni zokuphatha, amabhizinisi njalo njalo.
Udaba lukamama uZondeni Veronica Sobukwe luphinde lwembula elakuleli izinqe ekuhlonipheni indima eyahlakulwa ngabesifazane emzabalazweni. Umama uSobukwe ungumfelokazi kaMnu uRobert Mangaliso Sobukwe ongumsunguli wePan Africanist Congress (PAC). Ungowesifazane owahlupheka kakhulu njengoba unya lwesandla sobandlululo lungagcinanga ngokubopha umyeni wakhe kepha lwahlakaza nomndeni wakhe. Namuhla umama uVeronica uneminyaka engama-90, wabe ezalelwe eHlobane KwaZulu-Natal.
Kube yishwa ukuthi abantu abaningi baqale ukuzwa ngalesi sigomagoma somzabalazo ngesikhathi senza isethulo kuKhomishana Yamaqiniso mhla zili-12 kuNcwaba kuNhlaba ngowe-1997 ngaphansi kwecala unombolo EC0155/97ALB. Enza isethulo sakhe ngalolu suku, umama uSobukwe wabeka usizi lwalabo abagane osopolitiki kanye nemindeni yabo.
“Zingama-30 kuNhlaba ngowe-1963 kwakumele kukhululwe umyeni wami kodwa kwangenzeka. UHulumeni wenqaba. Wayengomunye wabantu abasungula inhlangano. Babe sebenquma ukuthi bazophasisa umthetho ngoSobukwe ukuze bamgcine ejele. Zazi-3 kuNdasa. Ngalelo langa ngangithunga amajezi ezingane. Wayethe angibomphekela idina ngoba wayezobuyela ekhaya. Ngesikhathi sengithi ngiyomvakashela ngatshelwa ukuthi wedluliselwe ejele iRobben Island ngaphansi kwesigaba somthetho iSobukwe Clause. Ngathatha udadewethu omncane nomyeni wakhe noMnu uLanga saya eKapa, ngoba sasifuna ukumvakashela. Udadewethu omncane noFabian Ribeorro noMnu uLanga wase-Orlando West, bacela imvume yokumvakashela. Samthola khona ejele, eboshiwe ngaphansi kwesigaba somthetho iSobukwe Clause.
Echaza ngosizi lwezingane zakhe wathi, “Ingane yami yokuqala yayineminyaka eyisithupha. Ngowe-1960, uMelisa wayeneminyaka eyisi-6, owesibili wayeneminyaka emine, amawele enezinyanga ezili-18. Ngabathatha ngabayisa eLesotho. Amaphoyisa ayengasinike thuba ebusuku. Ngabe sengibayisa eLesotho esikoleni okwakuhlalwa kuso ngaphakathi. Kwakuzoba ngcono ngoba ngangizokwazi ukuthi kuphephile basesikoleni ngaphakathi. Phakathi kwehora lesishiyagalolunye neleshumi amaphoyisa ayefika njalo.”
Umama uVeronica waletha umunyu ehholo lapho echaza ngosizi olwalethwa wukuboshwa komyeni wakhe emndenini emuva kokuthi u-Adv uSandi embuza ukuthi yini ayifisayo njengobulungiswa osizini abhekana nalo, yena nomndeni wakhe. Waphendula wathi,
“Okwakungiphatha kabi ukuthi umyeni wami wayesondelene kakhulu nezingane zami. Elinye iwele uDidane, uma sizoya eRobben Island wayekhunyulwa abe nqunu. Sasiphatha izingubo nokudla. UDidane wayesondelene kakhulu noyise. Ngisho ubaba wabo ebhala izincwadi wayekuveza ukuthi uyamkhumbula uDidane, esho ngohleko. Engakubona ukuthi ngesikhathi ubaba wabo ehlukumezeka emuva kokuhlinzwa, uDidane wayemvakashela esibhedlela eKimberley akhale njalo uma ebona uyise. Unyaka wonke wayengakwazi ukwenza lutho, kodwa wabe eseqala ukuphuza. UDidane uthintekile kakhulu saze samyisa esibhedlela iKing Edward ukuze ayohlolwa ingqondo ngowe-1979. Ngiyacela ukuba uHulumeni omusha umsize. Uma simyisa esibhedlela ufike adilize amakhethini nezinye izinto. Akaphilile neze. Kwesinye isikhathi uyaboshwa nokuboshwa kodwa abuye adedelwe ngoba uziphatha kahle. Emuveni kancane kokushona kukayise wayekhathaza abahlengikazi ethatha izikhwama zabo zemali abaleke. Ngiyanxusa ukuba anikezwe usizo. Okwamanje uboshiwe ngecala lokugqekeza. Uma engena ejele uyadedelwa ngaso sonke isikhathi.”
Ebuzwa ngu-Adv uSandi ukuthi ngabe yilokhu kuphela yini afisa kwenzeke, umama uSobukwe wathi, “Yebo, kodwa nginesicelo sokuba iKhomishini ilungise izikole endaweni yakithi futhi uma kungase kube khona inkundla yezemidlalo ukuze izingane kube khona ezikwenzayo.”
