Isililo: Ndlelanhle kuSolwazi uMzilikazi Khumalo!
UMnyango Wezilimi zeNdabuko ZaseNingizimu Afrika waseYunivesithi YaseWitwatersrand, eGoli unazisa ngokukhulu ukudabuka ngokwedlula emhlabeni kukaSolwazi uStephen James Mzilikazi Khumalo owayesebenza kulo Mnyango waze wathatha umhlaphansi.
USolwazi uKhumalo wazalwa ngowe-1932 kwaNongewu KwaZulu-Natal, ezalelwa ekhaya lomfundisi waseSalvation Army. Waqala isikole kwaHlabisa, kwathi emva kwalokho umndeni wabe usufudukela eMamelodi lapho afundela izifundo zobuthishela. Ulwazi lwakhe lwezomculo waluncela esontweni laseSalvation Army, kwathi ngenkathi esesekolishi wabamba waqinisa kwezomculo wamakhwaya. Ukusuka lapho wedlulela eYunivesithi yaseNingizmu Afrika (UNISA) lapho wethweswa khona iziqu zemfundo ephakeme. Ekuphothuleni kwakhe e-UNISA wedlulela eYunivesithi YaseWitwatersrand lapho athola iziqu zeMasters. Izifundo zakhe zobuDokotela wazithola eYunivesithi yaseWitwatersrand, esebenzisana nezincithabuchopho zobuchwepheshe zalapha nezasemazweni aphesheya kwezilwandle.
USolwazi uKhumalo waqala ukusebenza eYunivesithi YaseWitwatersrand kusukela ngonyaka we-1969 kuya kowe-1997. Kuze kufike isikhathi sokwedlula kwakhe emhlabeni ubaziwa kakhulu ngemisebenzi yakhe yenzululwazi ezilimini zaboHlanga kanye negalelo lakhe kwezomculo wamakhwaya. Imisebenzi yakhe kwezezilimi zabansundu ithasisela ezifundweni zempimiso nomumomisindo ngokwephimbo ezilimini zaboHlanga nokuyilapho ayeveza ngokujulile imiqondo etholakalayo endleleni amagama aphinyiswa ngazo. Ucwaningo lwakhe kwezethonoloji lube yisisekelo esibalulekile ekuvezeni ukujula kohlelo lo mculo wase-Afrika, ikakhulukazi umculo wendabuko wesiZulu, kanjalo neqhaza lo mculo oluwubambayo ekwakheni imiculo eyintandokazi kawonkewonke.
Iculo lakhe lokuqala, Mangificwa Ngukufa (1958) ulisusele enkondlweni kaBennedict Wallet Vilakazi yesihloko esifanayo, likukhombisa ngokusobala okwakuhloswe ngumfo kaMashobane ekwakheni umculo oqhakambisa isigqi somculo wase-Afrika.
Maningi kakhulu namanye amaculo alolu hlobo awaqambela ukuculwa ngamakhwaya ezweni lonkana, esewonke cishe angeva kwangama-50, futhi aseqoshiwe. Ngaleyo ndlela ubalwa phakathi kwezingqalabutho ezivelele ekuvezeni ubuhle nokujula komculo wase-Afrika. Miningi imiklomelo ayihlomula ngenxa yegalelo eliyingqayizivele kulo mkhakha. Ubengagcini ngokuba ngumqambi wamaculo wamakhwaya, uphinde waba wumbhidisi futhi wafukula nezizukulwane ezintsha zabaqambi maculo wamakhwaya. Kulokhu ubezinikele ngokuphelele futhi nolwazi analo kwezomculo elwaba ngendlela evulelekile nabo bonke ayesebenzisana nabo. Uthando abe nalo ngomculo lumenze wazinikela ekubeni yijaji kumncintiswano weSowetan Massed Choir Festival, lapho esebenzisane kakhulu nabanye ongoti kulo mculo ekuqhakambiseni usiko nomlando ojulile wesiko lomculo eNingizimu Afrika.
USolwazi Khumalo ube yingqalabutho ekulumbaniseni umculo wase-Afrika nalowo wesilungu owaziwa ngokuthi yiklasiki. Uhlelo lwakhe olwaziwa ngokuthi yiFive African Songs, wayeluqambe elumbanisa umculo wamakhwaya kanye ne-okhestra. Kuthe ngonyaka we-1986 waqala ukuqamba i-orathoriyo, UShaka Kasenzangakhona, lo msebenzi omkhulu kangaka waze wawethulela umhlaba wonke ngonyaka we-1996. Elinye iqhaza alibamba kulo mkhakha ukuhlela kabusha umculo woMntwana uPrincess Constance Magogo kaDinizulu wawuqamba ngokuthi yiSing Princess – Song Cycle. La mahubo oMntwana waphinde wawalumbanisa nomculo omusha awakhela umdlalo oculwayo, i-ophera, ayibiza ngokuthi yiPrincess Magogo kaDinizulu eyathulelwa umhlaba wonke ngonyaka wowezi-2002. Le ophera yayingeyokuqala ukuba ibhalwe ngolimi lwesiZulu. Yemukeleka ngesasa emhlabeni jikelele ngoba wayesemenywa yizizwe ngezizwe kwaze kwayoshaya unyaka wowezi-2006 evakashela amazwe ngamazwe.
Likhulu kakhulu iqhaza elabanjwa nguMntungwa kwezomculo kanye nasekwakheni isizwe esisha ngemuva kokuqedwa kombuso wobandlulo. Lokhu kubonakele eqhazeni alibamba ekubuyekezeni ihubo lesizwe elalaziwa ngeNkosi Sikelela i-Afrika. Uhlonishwe kakhulu uSolwazi Khumalo ngemisebenzi yakhe ngoba wanikezwa imisebenzi yokubhekela intuthuko kwezomculo futhi wethweswa nemiqhele yizinhlangano ezahlukene lapha eNingizimu Afrika, kuze kufakwe ngisho neLife Time Achievement Award, ayemukeliswa ngonyaka wowezi-2007, waklonyeliswa nangeM-Net Literary Awards.
Kunjalo-nje imiklomelo ayithola emincintiswaneni yamakhwaya akhe kukhomba khona ukuthi igalelo lakhe lalifinyelele kuwo wonke umuntu emhlabeni. Uze wahlonishwa yizizukulwane ezintsha zabaqambimaculo, ezamhlonipha ngokuthi zakhe iculo ngaye, njengomculo kaBongani Ndodana-Breen owaziwa ngokuthi, Mzilikazi Emhlabeni. Ubukhulu begalelo lakhe buze layothinta amaYunivesithi ahlukahlukene ngoba waze wahlonishwa ngeziqu zobudokotela yiYunivesithi yaseSouth Africa, iYinivesithi yaseZululand, iYunivesithi yaseFort Hare kanye neYuniversity yaseStellenbosch.
SiwuMnyango WeziLimi eWITS sithi “Lala uphumule Sozilimi! Sikuchoma olwegwalagwala ekuphembeni nasekusimamiseni izilimi zase-Afrika ngemibhalo nangomculo wakho owulozolo eNyuvesi yabaMhlophe. Uyedela wen’ osulapho!”
