URamaota unegalelo elidinga ukubongwa kwezobuciko
Kungabe umfuna kwezemidlalo, ezamasiko nobuciko uyomthola elapho uMnu uJohn Teele Ramaota. Kumanje nje uzinze eClermont lapho esebenza khona ehhovisi lezokuvakasha elisendaweni kamasipala uma ungena eClermont. Ngokokudabuka uTeele okuyigama lesiSotho elichaza utshani obuqinile obelapha izifo zonke nokungathi uRamoata uyalilandela ngokuba wuzifo zonke ezinkingeni ezikhungethe ezobuciko kuleli. Intatheli yephephandaba iBAYEDE ike yamvakashela uRamoata emahhovisi asebenzela kuwo eClermont ngenhloso yokwazi kabanzi ngohambo lwakhe endimeni yezobuciko aze afike lapho esekhona namuhla. Ngokudabuka uRamaota ungowaseQacha’s nek phakathi kweMatatiele neLesotho lapho umndeni wakubo uzinze khona. EClermont wafika ngominyaka yowe-1970. Ngenxa yokuthi wakhulela endaweni esemakhaya elusa umhlambi kayise uRamaota wafunda ukudlala isitolotolo neminye imidlalo yendabuko. Wayevele eneso elibuka phambili ekuthanda nokuzama izinto ezintsha ezigxile kwezobuciko.
“Lokho kuphuthuma izinto ngisemncane abadala bakuthatha njengokuphapha. Lokho kwabenza bangithumela esikoleni okufundwa kuhlalwa ngaphakathi kuso okwakuyimishini yamaKhatholika iHermitage Training College eyayifundisa othisha nabefundisi. Lapho kwakukhona ikolishi lokufundisa amakhono. Ngakwazi ukufundela ukukhanda izimoto okuyikhona kwangiletha endaweni yaseClermont ngoba sengithole umsebenzi wokukhanda izimoto eNew Germany,” kuqhubeka kuchaza uRamaota. Ukufika kwakhe eClermont kuningi afike wakubona njengamathuba ezobuciko abantu bendawo ababengawasebenzisi ngokwanele ukuzakhela umnotho.
“Angisibonanga isizathu sokuthi ingabi bikho indawo yokucwala izinwele ngaphakathi eClermont. Lokho kwenza ukuthi ngibe owokuqala ukusungula indawo eyilolu hlobo ngaphakathi eClermont ngavulela intsha yendawo amathuba omsebenzi. Izimonyo zokucwala izinwele ngangizilanda emazweni ase-Afrika nase-United States of America. Kuzokhumbuleka ukuthi iminyaka yowe-1970 yayingenzima kakhulu ngaleso sikhathi ngenxa yesimo sezepolitiki. Ukuvula kwami ibhizinisi lezinwele kwakuyindlela yokulwisana nokukhishelwa ngaphandle ngokomnotho kwaboHlanga.”
Ukuphuma engena emazweni ase-Afrika eseNingizimu kwalethela uRamaota umqondo welinye ibhizinisi lobuciko bezemfashini. Wasungula indlela yokugqoka imfashini esikwe ngokwendlela elandela izizwe zesiNguni ezehlukene. Lokho kwaba nomphumela wokuthi asungule isikhungo sokumodela iYouth Cultural Centre lapho kwakukhangiswa khona lezi zimpahla zokugqoka zesiNguni esebenzisa izingane zesikole ezinothando lokumodela. “Asigcinanga lapho ngoba kwabe sekuqhamuka amakhono amaningi entsheni engase ngiyiqoqile. Kwabe sekwakheka iqembu lomculo, elabasinayo nabeshashalazi. Lapho ngasengisebenza nabantu abahlonishwayo kwezobuciko okungoVusi Shashu, uJack Vilakazi (ongasekho), uBaba uNonkamfela
Ndelu (ongasekho) uThabo Gumede (ongasekho) uBaba uJoseph Shabalala weLadysmith Black Mambazo, uMshefane Cele (ongasekho nosebenze kakhulu noMbongeni Ngema), nabanye abaningi. Inhloso yokuqoqa intsha ngalolu hlobo kwakuwukuyiveza kwezobuciko namasiko nokuyinikeza amathuba uHulumeni wangaleso sikhathi ayengazimisele ukuyinika wona,” kusalandisa uRamaota. Uqhubeka athi abakwenza lapho kwazala iqembu iWoza Afrika lapho asebenza khona noMfiliseni Magubane, uMadala Kunene, uSipho Gumede (ongasekho) nabanye bewu-Ubunye Art Club. Inhloso yaleyo nhlangano kwakungukulwela amaciko ukuthi abe yimbumba alwele amalungelo awo esekelwe ngemuva nguHulumeni.
Lokho kwakuzokwenza ukuthi amaciko angafi ehlupheka kodwa aziphathele amafa awo. Njengamanje uRamaota ungumsunguli noMqondisi wo-Usiko Organization lapho phakathi kwabanye ebambisene khona noMnu uNtuthuko Khuzwayo onguNobhala-Jikelele wo- Usiko. Beyilenhlangano, kamuva nje bahlangane neMargot Fonteyn Academy of Ballet enezikhungo emazweni amakhulu. NgokukaRamaota ukuhlangana kwabo nalesi sikhungo kungumlando osemqoka kwezobuciko kuleli. “Sizozuza kakhulu ngokuhlangana neMargot Fonteyn Academy. Sizozuza ngokwamakhono nangokolwazi ngoba sesiqalile sathumela oyedwa wakithi ozohlala phesheya iminyaka eyi-10 ukuze aqoqe ulwazi lokuphathwa kwemboni yezobuciko ngendlela yesimanje. Lokhu kulungiselela ukwakhiwa kwesikhungo esizobizwa nge-Academy of African Art sihlanganise yonke inhlobo yobuciko base-Afrika ongase ubucabange.
Umehluko owokuthi sizobe siphethwe ngaboHlanga ngaphandle kokusizwa ngabamhlophe. AboHlanga bazoziphathela okuthinta imihlomulo eyaziwa ngelamaroyalties kanye nomnotho abawakha ngobuciko babo.” Intatheli ibuza kuMnu uRamaota ukuthi ngokwakhe ubona kusilele kuphi kwezobuciko uma kuziwa kwaboHlanga uphendule wathi: “Inkinga yethu singaboHlanga ukungabi nalwazi ezintweni ezisishaya kakhulu ngokomnotho. Sisacindezelekile kakhulu kwezobuciko, uguquko alukafiki nhlobo. Kunemikhakha yezobuciko esingakangeni kuyona njengakwimboni yokuthunga izambatho ezisetshenziswa kwezobuciko nemithetho evikela ukuntshontshwa kwemiqondo yobuciko ngabamhlophe. Yikho lokhu siwu-Usiko Organization sithumela abantu bethu phesheya kwezilwandle bayofunda ngazo zonke lezi zinto inqubo yobandlululo eyasincisha zona. Isibonelo sokuwakwa kwaboHlanga ngamalungelo abo kwezobuciko indaba kaSolomon Linda ongumqambi wengoma iMbube. Lesi simo kumele siqedwe nya,” kuphetha uRamaota.
Intatheli ibe isixhumana nomunye osebenze kakhulu noMnu uRamaota umbhali wemidlalo yeshashalazi uMnu uVusi Shashu ukuthi aphawule ngendlela amazi ngayo uMnumzane uRamaota. Yena uphendule wathi: “UJohn ngimazi kusukela ngonyaka we-1992 evele egxilile kwezobuciko. Akukho lapho engangenanga khona, kungabe ukhuluma ngemfashini, ezeshashalazi nokusina. Amaciko akhiqizwa wuye engasekelwe muntu ngezezimali kodwa ekhipha ekhukhwini lakhe amanye awo aphesheya kwezilwandle, izinkampani zawo zenza imali ebhekile. Isifiso esikhulu sakhe wukuvula isikhungo sezobuciko eClermont kodwa lokho ngeke kwafezeka uma uHulumeni emele kude. Engimazela khona uRamaota wukudela kwakhe imisebenzi eyayiphilisa yena nomndeni wakhe ukuze asimamise ezobuciko eClermont namaphethelo eTheku.
Ukukhonzile ukusebenza nentsha engamaciko kanti maningi namaciko angosaziwayo nenza kahle ezimalini adlule ezandleni zakhe. Akudingayo uRamaota ukwesekelwa nguHulumeni ukuze akufisayo, okungukubona intuthuko kumaciko aboHlanga, kugcine kufezekile. Ngimhlonipha kakhulu ngokuzikhohlwa acabangele impumelelo yabanye. Kuyinto engavamile impela,” kuphetha uShashu. Ngenxa yegalelo likaMnu uRamaota esebenza eqoqa intsha yaseThekwini namaphethelo engatholi lusizo lwezimali, ngowe-1996 iNatal Newspapers ihlangene neSanlam yamklomelisa ngeSanlam/Sunday Tribune Bridge Builders Award ayamkeliswa nabanye abangama-46 wuMbhishobhi wamaSheshi osathatha umhlalaphansi uSobaba uDesmond Mpilo Tutu eThekwini.
