Impumelelo isiyabonakala ecikweni lokudweba elinguMkame
USIFISO Mkame ngeke usheshe umhlanganise nezobuciko bokudweba. Ubukeka engubaba wekhaya owejwayelekile ozichithela isikhathi sakhe ngokulalela iJazz okuwuhlobo lomculo aselokhu awukhonza eseyibhungu ekhulela endaweni azalelwa kuyo eClermont, esigcemeni saseNdunduma. Nokho manje useyisakhamuzi sasendaweni yaseNazareth ngaphandle kancane kwasePinetown. Unyaka azalwa ngawo kwakungowe-1963 kanti bazalwa baba bane kwabo, yena ungowesithathu.
UMkame wadonselwa kwezobuciko bokudweba wumfowabo owayemdala kunaye uMoeletsi owayenekhono elimangalisayo lokudweba.
“Sengiyabona manje ukuthi kwakuyisu nje likaMdali lokuthi ngithole indlela yokuziphilisa. Lokho ngikusho ngoba umfowethu wangenwa yimeningitis okwathi evuka kulokho kugula wangabe esayingena eyokudweba. Lapho mina ngiphansi phezulu ngiyazikhandla ngokudweba nokwenza imisebenzi yezandla. Ngikhuluma nawe nje uMoeletsi unguthisha waseNyuvesi e-USA, ufundisa okungahlangene nakancane nokudweba,” kusho uMkame oncome nothisha ababemfundisa amabanga aphansi ngokubakhuthaza bengabafundi ukuthi badwebe benze nemisebenzi yezandla. UMkame uma esho uthi, ngendlela ayenekhono ngayo uyena owayesiza othisha nabanye abafundi ngemisebenzi yabo yobuciko esikoleni.
Ukungena agxile kwezokudweba uMkame ukuqale ngowe-1984 lapho ayemandla ku-oil pastels nakuprinting okuyinto asayenza namanje. Lapho-ke wayesehlangane nabakufundele ukudweba. Kwabaningi asebenzisana nabo kunabaNumzane oThami Jali wakhona eClermont, uZamani Makhanya waseLamontville, uGordon Geabashane noMpholokeng Ramphomane baseGoli. Usinga oluhlanganisa wonke lawa maciko yikolishi lezobuciko iRorkes Drift eDundee lapho bafunda khona. UMkame uthi lezi zinsizwa zaba nesineke naye ngenxa yokubona ukuzinikela kwakhe kulo msebenzi.
“Ngeke ngamkhohlwa noPaul Mikula okuyinsizwa yomlungu eyenza sakwazi ukukhangisa imisebenzi yethu kumagallery ahlelekile nayemukela imisebenzi yazo zonke izinhlanga. Phela nakule ndima yokudweba ubandlululo ludla lubi. Ngeke ukholwe ukuthi kube yinto yakamuva ukuthi imisebenzi yethu yobuciko ikhangiswe ezindaweni ezifanayo nalapho kukhangisa khona abamhlophe. Lapha ngisho izindawo ezifana noNSA Gallery eThekwini, iTetham Art Gallery eMgungundlovu, naseGrassroots Gallery eyayiseWestville. Umuntu owasinikeza intuba yokungena nguMnu uPaul Mikula. Ngokokuqala sahlanganisa umsebenzi noMpholokeng Ramphomane owayengumdwebi noZamokwakhe Gumede owayeqopha ukhuni sawukhangisa eNSA Gallery. Lokho kwanginika ithuba lokuyongena kuThupelo Arts Workshop onhloso yayo kwakungukuqhakambisa ikhono labadwebi boHlanga. Lapha sasihlanganiswe namaciko aphesheya kwezilwandle futhi sixhaswe ngendawo nangezinsizakusebenza,” kubeka uMkame.
UMkame uthi impilo uyiqale ingelula kodwa ngokuzinikela nothando kwabakwenzayo bengamaciko bayayibona impumelelo. Eminye yemisebenzi yakhe ehlonishwayo yi“Letters to God” nomunye osihloko sithi, “Open letters for my children”. Impumelelo kulo msebenzi ibonakale ngokuthi i“Letters to God” icelwe ngowayengumqondisi weSouth African Art Gallery uMarylyn Martin ukuze ayihlanganise kabusha ngaphansi kweqoqo lemisebenzi yobuciko ebizwa ngeMTN Collection.
Iphephandaba iBAYEDE limbuza ngezinselelo emsebenzini wobuciko, uMkame uphendule ngokuthi abantu ababanika inkinga bengamaciko wuHulumeni, kusukela phezulu kokazwelonke kuze kufi ke kowasekhaya. “Ungaze uzwe umsindo obangwa yizikhulu ngezinsuku zeHeritage wethembe kanti lutho. Sisebenzela emakhaya ngoba umasipala akacabangi ukuthi amaciko ayayidinga indawo yokusebenzela. Ubona nje mina ngisebenzela khona lapha ekhaya ngakho kumele ngilinde kulalwe ukuze ngisebenze ngaphandle kokuphazamiseka,” kubeka uMkame. Ukhale kakhulu ngokuxoshwa kwabo bengamaciko eMkhumbane Arts Centre ngezizathu ezingachazwanga kubo.
UMkame uqhubeke wakhala ngokubukelwa phansi komsebenzi wamaciko yizimakethe okufanele zikhangise zidayise umsebenzi wabo. Ukhale nangokwehliswa kwamanani omsebenzi wabo ngenxa yebala bese kuthi owabamhlophe ubekwe phezulu ngokwenani. UMkame uthe nase-United States of America (USA) yinto efanayo, abamhlophe bayayibulala imali kodwa amaciko amnyama abulawa yindlala.
Esephetha uMkame uthe okumkhuthazayo ukuthi aqhubeke yimpumelelo ayibona emacikweni asesezingeni lomhlaba enza izigidi zemali. Ukuphawulile ukuthi yize kusenzima kuye nokho impumelelo useyayibona. “Sengike ngadayisa isithombe ngezi-R200 000. Selokhu ngazalwa angikaze ngimsebenzele umlungu, ukudweba kuyangiphilisa nomndeni wami sengize ngakha nomuzi. Isifi so sami esikhulu wukuyokhangisa umsebenzi wami phesheya kwezilwandle,” kuphetha uMkame.
UMkame kuthe ngowe-1987 wathola umklomelo wokuqala ku- University of Zululand Multiracial Arts Festival ngomdwebo wakhe osihloko sithi, “Open letters for my children” nokungeminye yemiklomelo eymgqugquzela.
