Ifa alakhile uMshengu lifundisa isizwe okungaphezulu komculo
Kunenkondlo evula ngamazwi athi: “Mhla ngificwa wukufa ngiyolala ngishaye amanhlakomuzi.” Ungangibuzi ukuthi ngabe iyiphi leyo nkondlo nokuthi yabhalwa ngubani. Okwangidonsela kuyo yindlela engejwayelekile umlobi ayingenisa ngayo. Igama “ukufa” ngokwejwayelekile alisetshenziswa kalulana nje kwazise ukufa kuyinto eyesabekayo nengajwayeleki, kungakhathaleki ukuthi kuthinta bani. Nami ngibona isihloko esithinta ukufa ngethuka kodwa khona lapho igama elalisetshenziswe mahlanze nelokufa lenza ukucabanga kwami kwaguquka ngabona ukuthi imbongi yayikhuluma ngokufa ngaphansi kwezimo ezehlukile uma izosebenzisa igama “amanhlakomuzi.” Ngokwejwayelekile ukulala ushaye amanhlakomuzi kuhambisana nokunumuza okwenzeka kuphela uma umuntu ebusa futhi enelisekile ngempilo.
Ngiqalisa umbhalo wami ngala magama angenhla emva kokuba nethuba lokuyobuka iLadysmith Black Mambazo ekhonsathini lomculo ebinalo eThe Playhouse ngobusuku bangoLwesine lwesonto eliphelile. Leli lamanhlakomuzi ngilimatanisa nomsunguli waleli qembu lomculo kaCothoza eselidonse iminyaka ecishe ibe ngamashumi ayisithupha lihlezi esicongweni salo mculo, hhayi eNingizimu Afrika kuphela kodwa emhlabeni jikelele. Kungumlando ukuthi leli qembu seliphumelele izindondo zeGrammy kwaze kwaba kahlanu okungumlando eNingizimu Afrika nasemculweni walolu hlobo.
Umculi esilobe lapha kunguyena ohamba phambili ngamaGrammy angama-31 nguGeorge Solti waseHungary owayecula i-Opera nowadlula emhlabeni ngonyaka we-1997. Kungaba yisizathu sokuqala somsunguli weqembu uSolwazi uJoseph Shabalala sokuzishaya isifuba ngomsebenzi awenzele isizwe. Lokhu kungamenza ukuthi akhulume njengayo leyo mbongi athi, “Mhla nami kwangifica osekwafikela abaningi ngiyolala ngishaye ‘amanhlakomuzi’, ngoba yimisebenzi eyobe ingikhulumela kangcono.”
Ngesikhathi iLadysmith Black Mambazo yenza edume ngazo kuningi okugqame obala uMshengu akunikeze isizwe njengefa lengolokodwane yeminyaka ezayo. Umculo weqembu awukotshelwanga ndawo kodwa baziqambele wona kuhamba yena phambili uMshengu. Lo mculo umumethe umlando wempilo yaboHlanga e-Afrika eseNingizimu. Iculo iMambazo evule ngalo inkundla uNomathemba likhuluma indaba yokuhlakazeka kwemindeni ngenxa yesimo sendlala yamathuba emisebenzi kwabesilisa nabesifazane. Kwenye ingoma kukhulunywa ngezinyoni ezifana nezagwaca nemikhuba yazo. Amagama anjengalawa awasasetshenziswa njalo kodwa iMambazo iyasikhumbuza ukuthi olimini lwethu akhona. Ngaphezulu kwesiCathamiya iMambazo ikhombise ikhono lokusina elingakaze libonwe kuhamba phambili izinsizwa ezine zikaMshengu.
Lokhu kusiletha kwelinye ifa uMshengu alakhele isizwe. Kunesikhalo ngamadoda angekho empilweni yabantwana bawo. Ihawu lokuvika kuba wukuxakeka ngokwemisebenzi namabhizinisi okuba yikho okuthatha isikhathi esingabe sichithwa nemindeni. UMshengu ubengeke akuzuze konke ngeqembu iMambazo engeyena umuntu ohamba amazwe. Lokho kuchaza ukuthi ubengenaso isikhathi esiningi asichitha enabantwana bakhe.
Kuyisimanga nokho ukuthi phezu kokuxakeka okungaka ngezimo zempilo amadodana akhe amane wonke angene ngokuphelele ebulungeni nasebuholini beMambazo. Ubugagu amadodana abukhombisile ehola izingoma zeqembu ngokwehlukana bukhombisa uMshengu engumzali oyisibonelo nongene ngokuphelele empilweni yezingane zakhe. Ukwazile ukwenza izingane zakhe zilibone futhi zilibambe ngazo zombili iphupho lakhe.
Uma kukhulunywa ngekhonsathi iMambazo ebe nalo ngoLwesine belisezingeni eliphezulu kakhulu. Iqembu licule izingoma ezingamanoni athandwa ngabantu bonke. Umcimbi uvulwe yiJunior Mambazo okuyiqembu eliyihlumela lengqwele okuyiMambazo endala. Kulandele iqembu iNkunzi eliqhamuka ogwini oluseningizimu elivunjululwe yiwo aMambazo emshikashikeni wokuvumbulula ikhono elisha kuCothoza. Lawa maqembu angene asikaza nje, aphuma enkundleni abantu besawajabulela.
UDkt uBhodloza Nzimande obephethe uhlelo ube esengenisa izingqungqulu ngaphandle kokupholisa amaseko. Kuvele kwaba ngubumnandi bodwa. Kucacele nobengazi ukuthi yini le eyenza ukuthi iMambazo ibe yiqembu eseliqoqe imiklomelo emikhulu yomculo emhlabeni.
Okuncane okucishe kona umsebenzi omuhle wukulahleka komsindo lapho iqembu selenza imigilingwane efana nokusina. Ngenxa yokungabi nazo izikhulisamsindo ezinanyatheliswe kubaculi ube usuyalahleka umsindo kwabalalele. Nokho ekuxoxisaneni kwentatheli noMnu uXolani Majozi wethembisile ukuthi lokhu bazokusukumela bakulungise.
Inkundla ishanelwe ngokusina okufake phakathi abazukulu bakaMshengu. Bashaye into ecokeme nenike ithemba lokuthi asekwakhile uMshengu kuyothatha iminyaka kukhona.
Ngaphezulu kwalokhu kwethulwe namalungu amasha ngokuzihlanganisa neqembu nangokweminyaka yokukhula. Ngendlela abaculi abasha abangene bathi khaxa ngayo eqenjini uMshengu cishe naye ukhululekile njengoba esathatha umhlalaphansi ngenxa yokukhula nokungaphili kahle. Izinkumbi ezikade zisePlayhouse zibheme zakholwa kazayikhalela imali eziyikhokhe zithenga amathikithi.
