Isililo: Izinkondlo nemvunge kuyolanda ngabo
Lala ngokuthula Solwazi James Stephen Mzilikazi Khumalo (89)
Ukufa kakukwazi ukubalaya labo abasuke belayezile ukuthi uma kufika kabayokwenziwelani. Ukufa kudela inkani lapho amaciko efinyelela emathunjini akho athole ukuthi kalunalutho olwesabekayo. Nakho kuyafa lapho esezimele kude lowo obekumhlukumeza ngobuhlungu neminjunju.
MA NGIFICWA UKUFA
“Ngimbeleni ngaphansi kotshani
Duze nezihlahla zomyezane,
Lapho amagatsh’ eyongembesa
Ngamaqabung’ agcwel’ ubuhlaza
Ngozwa nami ngilele naphansi
Utshani ngaphezulu buhleba:
‘Lala sithandwa, lal’ uphumule.’ ”
UDkt BW Vilakazi wayibhala le nkondlo athi nto kulowo nalowo owayifunda nowaninga ngayo. Mhla lufika lolu suku, wafihlwa eSt Francis, eMariannhill. Izingane zesikole zedlula kuyo indawo aphumule kuyo, yenganywe yizihlahla ezinomthunzi oweleke wona amathuna.
USolwazi uJames Steven Khumalo waba nogqozi lokuqamba uqambothi lwemvunge ngale nkondlo. Yebo igagu lakwabo, uchwepheshe wakwabo, umqeqeshi wemizwilili iye ngokuqonga. Umbhidisi, inono, obe ndlebe zaqeqeshelwa phezu kweziphiwokazi zemimoya yokhokho bakhe ababedlala amagekle weqhathula nezitolotolo.
Abomculo, abaqambi, okhondathi, abezolimi lwesiZulu ikakhulukazi abegumbi lokwehluka nokwenyuka kwephimbo ekuphumiselweni kwamgagama esiZulu, abamakhwaya ezikole, izitshudeni zakhe nongoti asebaqeqesha, bonke bakhale nezinyoni uma bezwa ukuthi usethule. Bakhumbule ukuthi uma sekuculiwe, abanye behlengezela izinyembezi yikujabula, abanye babibithekiswa yibungcwenga yalokho abebekulalele kwangena emzweni yabo, siyafika isikhathi sokukhothama. Umculisi usuke esebonga ikhwaya nalabo abebelalele esethi useqedile. Noma sekunjalo, ayasala amaza alokho obekunkeneneza ngamaphimbo nangokhehlegume, alolozele umphefumulo walabo ebebelalele.
Namuhla sibhukuda kulawo maza kuqubuka kithi inxube yomuzwa yokukudedela singakudedeli ukuba ushaye ingoma nabaniniyo nabanini bakho senisebusweni bekhaya lamakhaya. Senisemagqumeni ayiziko losinga. Senisezintabeni ezineziphongo nezingedla. Senisemafusini alele utshani obulolozelwa yimitshingo ebinesithwebula ngayo. Sebekuhlangabezile abaqamba Ma Ngificwa Ukufa, bathi wenza kahle ungasaqali, ungagcinanga. Kangingabazi usazoqhubeka ungene kwabebekukhonzile, uashunqisele ugqozi ngomlalamvumbu ozothungeleka emphefumulweni wabo.
UMntungwa (abakwaKhumalo) udabuka kwaNgwelu le ngasesiHlengeni kwaNgenetsheni. Le ndawo ibuye ibizwe ngelithi kukwaMfemfe. IseNgoje, ezweni likaKhambi kaMpande. Uyise kwakunguMfundisi waseSalvation Army, lapho kukhonzwa khona kuphelekezela ibhendi yomculo. Mhlawumbe indlebe yakhe yaqala lapho ukucijwa nephimbo lalolongeka.
Wafunda eTeahers’ Training College eMamelodi. Waziqhuba ngemfundo kulezi zikhungo esesebenza: waqeda izifundo zikaBA egogode ngesiZulu nesiNgisi wabuye wenza neqhuzu leBA Honours kuyo le nyuvesi. Waqhubeka wafunda wafinyelela kuPh. D. ngowe-1987. Phezu kwalobu budokotela ayebufakele amathesisi wabe esephinda ehlonishwa ngamanyavusi ehlukene ngenxa yomnikelo wakhe wobuchwepheshe kwezomculo nezolimi lwesiZulu, okwakuchaphakela nakwezinye zesintu.
Inyunivesi yaseWits yamhlonipha ngobudokotela kanye nalawa: i-University of South Africa, i-University of Zululand, i-University of Fort Hare neStellenbosch University. Usuke enze okuvelele kakhulu ohlonishwa ngalezi ziqu kulawa manyuvesi aseshiwo. Yileyo naleyo nyuvesi iyabheka ukuthi yini okusha ezomhloniphela ngakho umuntu ngaphezu kwalokho amanye amanyuvesi asuke esemhloniphele khona. Kulukhuni ukuthola ubudokotela ngale ndlela emanyuvesi alolu hlobo kunokuzihlalela uzicwaningele bese ude ubuyiswa lapha nalaphaya, sewuqeda sewethweswa iziqu.
Nansi imisebenzi yakhe eligugu futhi eyokuba yigugu esizweni sonke nasesintwini kulolu hlangothi lomculo: kwakungowe-1958 eqamba umculo awetha wathi “Ma Ngificwa Ukufa” (nanso leyo nkondlo esiyicaphune ngasekuqaleni). Wabe eseqamba umculo ongamashumi amahlanu obizwa ngokuthi yi Epic Choral Music. (umculo ovusa usinga oluthile namadlingozi obuzwe). Umculo onje yiwo lowo awuqamba wawubiza ngokuthi uShaka kaSenzangakhona. Imibhalo eminingi ngaye igcizelela ukuthi waba ngowokuqala eNingizimu Afrika ukuba abhale I opera yase-Afrika. Wabhala lona lolu hlobo lo mculo lapho kulingiselwa khona kuhlatshelelwa kuxhunyanwe ngomdlalo. I opera yakhe ithi Princess Magogo kaDinuzulu.
UMashobana (oKhumalo) ubengasebenzeli nje ukuhola ondle izingane, ubezinikela ngokwedlulele, ewuphila umsebenzi wakhe, ekhipha lonke ingaphakathi lakhe ekukhanyiselweni ukuthi sabelo sini lesi okuthiwa ngumculo. Yena noRichard Cock baqamba abakubiza ngokuthi yiNation Building Massed Choir Festival. Bathi bagubha futhi baqhakambisa isiphiwo somculo kwaboHlanga. Amakhwaya ake wawasiza ahlabelele kuleli aye awela nezilwandle baphuma bangena emadolobheni becula.
Naye uculise emazweni amaningi ngisho eThe Ravinia Festival, eKennedy Centre nezinye izindawo eziningi emhlabeni jikelele.
USolwazi uKhumalo wahlonishwa nguNgqongqoshe Wezomculo Namasiko uDkt uBen Ngubane. Wamqoka waba nguSihlalo weKomiti elaqamba ihubo lesizwe, uNkosi Sikelel’ i-Afrika. Kwakudingeka ikhono elikhulu nenhliziyo edalelwe ukusebenzisana nabanye abantu. Izinhlanga ezehlukene zazinemibono eyahlukene befisa sengathi ngabe kuqhakambiswa nje isiNgisi nesiBhunu.
Abanye boHlanga babethi akube yizilimi zesintu kuphela ezisetshenziswayo lapho kubunjwa ihubo lesizwe. Babesho nokusho ukuthi amaBhunu esaphethe ayengasiculi isiZulu. Kanjalo namaNgisi ayengenandaba nesiSotho noma nesiPedi. Wahlanganisa le miqondo eyahlukene uSolwazi uMzilikazi, kwagcina kuphuma leli hubo esinalo wayesethi ukuze kwakheke isizwe.
Imisebenzi kaMntungwa yokuqamba yaphuma phambili yathola izindondo kaningi. Singabala nje “Lifetime Achievement Award ngowe-2007, iM-Net Literary Awards, iVia Afrika Prize for Linguistic Studies ngombhalo wakhe owawuthi Leftward Ho! Wayebhala ngeZulu Tonology – okuyikwehla nokukhuphuka kwephimbo lapho kuphumiselwa amagama esiZulu owashicilelwa yiSouth African Journal of African `languages (1990). Wayehlala njalo ekhala ngokuthi abakhulumi bolimi lwebele base-Afrika babengaqashwa ngokwanele lapho kufundiswa khona lezi zilimi. Kwaba yimisebenzi yakhe nabanye ukuthi kugcine kungozimakhaza.
Waba ngabanye abasemqoka ekuqambeni iSowetan Nation Building Massed Choir Festival ayeyilawula bebambisene noMaestro Richard Cock. Kanti benaye futhi uMaestro uSolwazi Mzilikazi Khumalo baqamba okuthiwa yiDual Notation. Kuthiwa lokho kwalikhuphula kakhulu izinga lomculo.
Sekulungiselwa ukuyoshicilela kufike izindaba ezibuhlungu zokuthi nomama wekhaya uNkk Rosy Litlhare Khumalo naye usethule. Nihambe kahle maqhawe. Niphelekezelane. Niholelana kulelo elingenasizungu. Niphumule kulelo elivunguza umculo nobunkondlo. Nikhombisane izimvemvane ezizophaphazelisa amaphiko njengoMntungwa eseculisa. Sesisele nenkumbulo yokuthoba kwenu nomaya opholile obewumukela iwonke lomuntu.
Nisifundisile ukuthi impilo ipheleliswa yilokho okungebalwe, okungeqongelelwe, okungesutshwe, okungegweve nakho, kodwa okwenele wonke umuntu kusukela ekuzalweni kuze kube sekukhuleni kokuwelela lapho senikhaphuzela khona nilandelana, nibhansana, nibukana nemukelwa yilabo abahambe nani kwaze kwaba lapha.