Ishashalazi njengesibuko ngezwe

Umdlalo ofana neMarikana The Musical uyisibuko esisikhombisa izinsumpa zethu njengesizwe nomzimba wepolitiki yezwe

Ziningi izindlela zokuxoxa umlando. Izindlela zokuveza imizwa kanjalo nokulungizisa ngekusasa. Abanye lokhu bakwenza ngokuloba amabhuku. Abanye ngokusebenzisa ubuciko bokudweba. Kanti abanye baba yimizwilili ebalisa ngenhlalo nangomzabalazo waleso naleso sizwe. Kepha kukhona obunye ubuciko obujulile obukwazi ukudlulisa umlayezo noma libe yisibuko sezwe. Lolu hlobo lobuciko kuthiwa yishashalazi. Ngezikhathi zobandlululo uHulumeni wangaleso sikhathi wenza isiqiniseko sokuthi amaciko ayephiwe ngakwezeshashalazi ayanqindwa ukuba yisibuko saboHlanga ngesimo ababe ngaphansi kwaso.

Nokho uHulumeni wamadlagusha akaphumelelanga kulokho ngoba kukhona imidlalo yeshashalazi eyakwazi ukuba iphumelele. Ubani ongalibala imidlalo  yenkakha ubaba uGibson Kente efana noManana the Jazz Prophet yangowe-1963, iSikhalo (1966), iLife (1968), iToo Late, i-Our Belief  (1974), iCan You Take It (1977), iDuma (It Thunders), iMama and The Load (1980) neThe Call yangowezi-2003. Ngenxa yemidlalo yakhe wake waya nasezikhindini umfo kaKente. Aboshelwa yona nje kwaba yi-I Believe nothi Too Late.

Etusa uKente omunye umbhali wezeshashalazi uDuma Ndlovu uthi:  “Ngesikhathi ontanga bakaKente abanjengo-Athol Furgard ongumbhali wencwadi iThe Road to Mecca beqoma ukusabalalisa imisebenzi yabo emhlabeni, yena wathatha isinqumo sokuyisabalalisa emalokishini aboHlanga, lapho ababezibonela bukhoma ilingiswa emahholo omphakathi. Yilapho athola khona ukuhlonishwa nodumo waze wethiwa igama elithi ungubaba weshashalazi laboHlanga.”

Kugiya uKente nje yabe isikhona neKing Kong eyabe ilanda ngempilo yompetha wesibhakela kosondonzima u-Ezekia Dlamini. Wazalwa ngowe-1921, wathola udumo ngesikhathi eseqophelweni eliphezulu ngokomsebenzi wakhe ngeye-1950. Lunjalo udumo, lo somankomane wafakwa ogibeni yizitha zakhe okwagcina kumfake ejele – akaphindanga waba yilowa somankomane owayenomfutho nomdlandla 

Emveni kowe-1976 kuvele ababhali beshashalazi boHlanga abafana noMatsemela Manaka nenkampani yakhe iSoyikwa African Company (1976) neyayigxile kakhulu ezimfundisweni zokuzazi kwaboHlanga ngaphansi kwenhlangano yeBlack Consciousness nalapho okwabonakala khona iprotest theatre ishintsha amagiya aya phambili ikhuthaza ngqo ukuba abacindezelwe bavuke bayibambe balwe nobandlululo. UManaka wayeboleka kakhulu enqubeni yokuxoxa imidlalo yakhe ngokulandela ukuxoxwa kwezinganekwane ngendlela yakwaXhosa. Imisebenzi yakhe eminingi yayilandela kakhulu imisebenzi kaMnu uWole Soyinka neminye yababhali baseNtshonalanga ye-Afrika.

Iminyaka ye-1980 yagqamisa imisebenzi  kaMnu uMbongeni Ngema noMnu uPercy Mtwa ababekade bekhule ngaphansi kwesandla sikaKente nalapho beqhamuke khona nomdlalo weshashalazi iMama and the Load, uNgema elingisa phambili kanti uMtwa ecula abuye adanse. Balandelise ngomlilo womdlalo iWoza Albert (1981) besizwa umlungu waseMarket Theatre umqondisi uBarney Simon. Lo mdlalo ubahambise amazwe aphesheya wawina nemiklomelo eScotland ku-Edinburgh Festival naseLos Angeles. Lo mdlalo waze waguqulelwa nasolimini lwesiFulentshi uguqulwa umqondisi nombhali uPeter Brook ngowe-1989. Le mpumelelo kaNgema noMtwa ibabone bekhula beba abaqondisi nalapho uNgema ebhale waqondisa umdlalo i-Asinamali (1985) ngodaba lwentela eLamontville kwathi ngonyaka ofanayo uMtwa yena waqhamuka nothi Bopha owawungephoyisa elalibopha abantu bakubo ngisho abomndeni walo. Yomibili le midlalo ishise izikhotha nokwaholela ekutheni iBopha ize yenziwe ifilimu phesheya. UMtwa wake wathi ukunyamalala ngenxa yempi yakhe nabaqondisi baseHollywood ayekhala ngabo ngokuhlanakezela umdlalo wakhe iBopha kanti lokhu kuyisana ezinkantolo nabo kwamudla kakhulu ephaketheni.

Ubani ongakhohlwa unyaka we-1987 umdlalo oyimusical iSarafina owagcina ungene naseBroadway eNew York wagcina usuqoshwe waba yingqayi namanje okusakhulunywa ngawo?

NgeMarikana yakamuva

Kulo nyaka umhlaba umenywa ukuba wethamele umdlalo okhuluma ngesibhicongo saseMarikana esenzeka mhla zili-16 kuNcwaba ngowezi-2012. Umdlalo weshashalazi iMarikana – The Musical uyikazela umklomelo oguqulelwe eshashalazini ngu-Aubrey Sekhabi ewususela ebhukwini eliyinoveli elithi: We Are Going To Kill Each Today The Marikana Story elibhalwe nguFelix Dlangamandla, uThanduxolo Jika, uLucas Ledwaba, uSebabatso Mosamo, u-Athandiwe Saba noLeon Sadiki. Lo mdlalo usuqokwe izikhathi ezili-13 kuNaledi Theatre Nominations wanqoba izikhathi eziyisi-6 ngowezi-2015 njengoba wawudlalwa eThe South African State Theatre. Mhla zili-16 ngoNcwaba wezi-2012 emveni kwenxushunxushu yezinsuku eyaholela ekufeni kwabantu abalishumi amaphoyisa iSAPS avulela ngenhlamvu kubavukuzi ababebuthene egqumeni eMarikana eNorth West bephikisana nomqashi, nenyunyana ekugcineni nombuso waseNingizimu Afrika. Isibhicongo saba undabamlonyeni sathusa umhlaba wonke. UMeshack Mavuso no-Aubrey Poo bahola amaciko angama-30 baveza ukududulana konke okwenzeka okwaholela ezigamekweni zokufa kwabantu abangama-44 ezandleni zamaphoyisa.

Njengalena eminye ebalulwe ngenhla, iMarikana – The Musical iveza ipolitiki yomnotho, ubudlandawonye kwezisebenzi nobugovu bongxiwankulu. Kepha mhlawumbe esikubona kakhulu kuwo, ukungaguquki kwezinto ikakhulukazi indlela amaphoyisa aqinisa ngayo isandla uma udaba luthinta aboHlanga.