USol Plaatjie: UMtswana owayezigqaja nowayengacwasi
Eminyakeni eli-108 umzabalazo waboHlanga wakhiqiza hhayi kuphela inhlangano kepha nabaholi abathile namagalelo abo waguqula indlela yokwenza izinto. Laba baholi babevela kuzo zonke izifunda nezizwe bonke bephokophele ukubona izwe lawoyisemkhulu liphuma emaketangweni obandlululo. Omunye walaba baholi kwaba nguMnu uSolomon Tshekisho Plaatje, owaba nguNobhala wokuqala kaKhongolose usabizwa ngeSouth African National Native Congress (SANNC). Bambalwa abantu abazi amagalelo kaPlaatjie. Lena kwakuyindoda emadodeni, iyinhle ngemisebenzi yayo. UPlaatje wayenguthisha, engutolika ezinkantolo, uzulazayithole wentatheli, umshumayeli eBandleni eLuthela, phezu kwakho konke wayengusoplolitiki. Yindoda lena ezalelwe eBoshoff esifundazweni esasaziwa nge-Orange Free State kudala. Izalwe ngomhla ziyisi-9 kuMfumfu ngonyaka we-1876. Ibizalwa ngamakholwa le ndoda afudukela eKimberly, eNorthen Cape ineminyaka emine. Ibikhaliphile esikoleni, lokhu kufakazelwa yimifundazwe nemiklomelo ebeyithola.
Ngesikhathi kwethulwa uKhongolose emphakathini mhla ziyisi-8 kuMasingana ngowe-1912, uPlaatje wakhethwa waba nguNobhala Jikelele wayo. Isikhundla esimqoka futhi esiyinjini kuKhongolose. NguNobhala Jikelele obhekela ukusebenza kwenhlangano usuku nosuku, nguyena obizwayo uma kunezinxushunxushu emagatsheni, ezifundeni nasezifundazweni.
UPlaatje waziwa njengesishabasheki, eyimela into ayekholelwa kuyo. Ngonyaka we-1914 waba sethimbeni labaholi bakaKhongolose abaya eLondon beyokhala ngokwemukwa kwaboHlanga umhlaba ngoba kwase kushaywe iLand Act of 1913. Wahamba noMfundisi uJohn Langalibalele “uMafukuzela” Dube, uMnu uThomas Maphikela, uMnu Saul Msane, uMfundisi uWalter Rubusana. Ngeshwa kulolo hambo lwabo babuya nenduku yombangandlala ngoba balalelwa kodwa akutholakalanga isixazululo.
UPlaatje wayengumTswana oziqhenyayo kodwa engahambisani nokucwasa abantu ngokwebala nangokobuhlanga. Uyise mkhulu kwakunguMnu uSelogilwe Mogodi esebenza epulazini leBhunu. IBhunu lametha igama lathi nguPlaatje. Lelo gama lagcina selisetshenziswa izizukulwane zakhe. USol Plaatje wayeyintatheli wasungula iphephandaba iKoranta Ea BeTswana. UKhongolose wawungaphakathi emithanjeni yegazi lakhe uPlaatje. Lokhu kubonakala ngoba wayehambela zonke izifundazwe, zisezine ngaleso sikhathi, iTransvaal, i-Orange Free State, iNatal neCape Colony. Wayenxenxa futhi egqugquzela abantu ukuthi bajoyine uKhongolose. Yindoda le eyayifi ka ePhalamende izocoshela okwakwenzeka khona. Yayithi uma ibala abangani bayo iqale ngoMafukuzela bese ibala nohide lwamaBhunu namaNgisi ayesePhalamende. Into ephawuleka ngaye uPlaatje ukuthi wayenekhono lokubhala. Incwadi yakhe esihloko sithi, Native Life in South Africa yavula emehlo abantu emhlabeni jikelele ngesihluku esasenziwa ngababeqhuba ubandlululo. UPlaatje wayenombono ojulile ngoKhongolose ngoba wayeya ephindelela e-England eyonxenxa ukwesekwa kwawo futhi eshela nabatshali bezimali.
Into eyayimphatha kabi kakhulu ukwephucwa kwantu umhlaba. Lokhu wayekuveza emibhalweni yakhe. Ube yingxenye yezithunywa ezaya kuPan African Conference eyayiseFrance ngonyaka we-1919. Uchazwa njengomholi owayehlakaniphile uPlaatje kodwa ezithobile, ekholelwa eqinisweni nasekubumbaneni kwaboHlanga. WayengumLuthela wokuqina ngoba izingqungquthela zaleli bandla wayezethamela emazweni jekelele afi ke ashumayela nevangeli likaKhongolose. I-ANC ngaleso sikhathi yayisalwa indaba yokwemukwa komhlaba. Noma uPlaatje eseyekile ukuba nguNobhala Jikelele kaKhongolose abaholi abalandela oMnu uZacharia Mahabane, oMnu uJosia Gumede, oMnu uSefako Makgatho, oDkt u-Albert B Xuma, oDkt uJames Moroka babeya kuye beyocela izeluleko. NamaBhunu e-Orange Free State ayeza kuye uPlaatje uma enenkinga naboHlanga.
Umbuzo uthi ingabe uPlaatje okhunjulwa manje uyajabula yini ngesimo esikhona ezweni. Wayengalweli ukuthi kube khona enye ingxenye yokuhlukunyezwa kwabantu lapho kubulalwa izingane nabesifazane. Wayengalweli ukuthi izinga lobubha lidlange kangaka ezweni. Wayengalweli ukuthi iNingizimu Afrika ivele ibe mnyama nje kuhambe ugesi esikhaleni. Wayengalweli ukuthi kubulawe abantu emapulazini kungabi ndaba zalutho. Ngesikhathi sikaPlaatje ayengekho “amaphara” lana asigqekezela imizi, sihambe sijeqeza emadolobheni. UPlaatje washonela ePimville, eSoweto, zili-19 kuNhlangulana ngowe-1932.
