Likhula mawala ikhwelo lokubuyisela eyeshashalazi emalokishini
Umdlalo weshashalazi kaMbongeni Ngema benoPercy Mtwa obuyiselwe eThe Playhouse izinsuku ezingama-30 kusukela ngoLwezi kuya kuZibandlela wonyaka owedlule ubuyise iminjunju yokwakwenzeka eNingizimu Afrika ngeminyaka yobandlululo.
Okokuqala nje lo mdlalo ukhumbuze umphakathi waseNingizimu Afrika ngalo ubandlululo olwaphilisa futhi olusaphilisa aboHlanga kalukhuni ezweni labo lokudabuka. Okwesibili kubuye izikhathi ezedlula lapho imidlalo eyilolu hlobo yayidlalelwa emalokishini ngoba ingeke yalethwa ezinkundleni zeshashalazi ezisemadolobheni amakhulu.
Uma kukhumbuleka kahle, umdlalo i “Woza Albert” ukhwela esiteji okokuqala eThekwini ngonyaka we-1988 wabanjelwa e-Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre okuyihholo lemidlalo yeshashalazi nemibukiso elingaphakathi e-University of KwaZulu Natal (UKZN) okuyisikhungo semfundo esizimele okwakungebe lula ukugasela kwamaphoyisa ezomoya (iSpecial Branch) ayophazamisa okwakuqhubeka ngegunya lomthetho owawuphoqelela ukwehlukaniswa kwezindawo zokuzijabulisa ngokobuhlanga, iSeparate Amenities Act. Ngaphandle kwalokho lo mdlalo wawuyobanjelwa elokishini njengaleyo yababhali abafana noGibson Kente eyayigcina emalokishini ingayi emadolobheni amakhulu. Lesi kwabe kuyisikhathi esehluke kakhulu kwesamanje. Imithetho yobandlululo yayidla lubi nobudlelwano phakathi kwezinhlanga bungebuhle neze.
Umbhali wemidlalo yeshashalazi odabuka elokishini eMamelodi ePitoli, uThemba kaNyathi, wakwazi ukungenisa umdlalo owawubhalwe nguye yedwa engowoHlanga, i“The Wall”, eState Theatre ngowe-1985. Lokhu kwaba wumlando. Umahluko kwakungowokuthi uNyathi wayewubhale eyedwa lo mdlalo kanti eminye efana no “Woza Albert” no “Sizwe Banzi is Dead” yayibhalwe ngokuhlanganyela nabamhlophe okungoBarney Simon no-Athol Fugard. Ngamafuphi nje, uHulumeni wayenemithetho eqinile eyayivimbela ukulethwa kwemidlalo yeshashalazi ezikhungweni lapho kwakungaba nengozi yokuxubana kwezinhlanga khona. Emuva kokuphela kwemithetho yobandlululo kube nesasasa lokuthutheleka kwemidlalo ezinkundleni ezisemadolobheni amakhulu njengasePlayhouse, eMarket Theatre neSpace Theatre.
Imidlalo yeshashalazi ngalesiya sikhathi eminingi yayo yayikhuluma ngokwakwenzeka ngokwesimo senhlalo nepolitiki yakuleli. Imidlalo efana nothi, “Sizwe Banzi is Dead” kaJohn Kani noWinston Ntshona no “Asinamali” kaMbongeni Ngema no “How Long” kaGibson Kente yayilethwa yisimo sepolitiki yangaleso sikhathi emalokishini. UThemba kaNyathi uma echaza imidlalo yeshashalazi, uthi umongo wayo iwukufundisa, ijabulise iqondise. Ngokwakhe ubona ukuthi ukuyisa imidlalo yeshashalazi emadolobheni amakhulu iphume emalokishini kuphuce intsha yasemalokishini lokhu akubiza ngokungumongo wemidlalo yeshashalazi.
Exoxisana neLaboHlanga uthe: “Singabalingisi nababhali bemidlalo yeshashalazi sasihlala phansi nabahleli bemfundo sizwe kubo ukuthi yikuphi abakubona njengokumqoka ukuthi kwethulelwe abafundi ukuze sizokudlalela izikole zabo. Sasihambela amahholo nezikole emalokishini afana neWitbank, iDaveyton nakoGiyani.”
Amazwi kaNyathi esidingo sokubuyiselwa kwemidlalo yeshashalazi emalokishini afakazelwa yimibukiso esilethwa yiPlayhouse ezikoleni nasezindaweni ezingaphandle kwamadolobha amakhulu ngeloli elinesiteji ukuze kuzokhulunywa ngezinto ezithinta intsha kusukela ekusetshenzisweni kwezidakamizwa, ukukhulelwa kwamantombazane asemancane nobudlova obuhlasele ezikoleni.
Umbhali nomqondisi wemidlalo yeshashalazi uFatima Dike uvumelana noNyathi uma ethi: “Ababhali boHlanga yibo okumele bakhwezele umlilo futhi babuyise lokho ababekwenza esikhathini esiphambili kokulethela abantu ulwazi lapho bekhona, okuyisemalokishini.”
Lokhu kunesidingo nangenxa yezizathu zomnotho. “Yimalini abathandi bemidlalo yeshashalazi abayikhokhayo besuka emalokishini beya eState Theatre ePitoli?” kubuza uNyathi.
Isizathu esithinta ezomnotho esibekwa nguNyathi sifakazelwa wucwaningo lwe-The US Bureau of Economics oludalula ukuthi imali engeniswa ezobuciko namasiko e-United States of America iba yizigidigidi ezingama – 504 emnothweni wezwe kanti amathuba emisebenzi akhekayo ezweni ayizigidi eziyisi-5.4. Lokhu kukhomba ngokusobala ukuthi ukubuyiselwa kwemidlalo yeshashalazi emalokishini ngaphansi kwesimo esihleleke kahle kungenza lukhulu ekuthuthukiseni ngokomnotho izindawo ezingamalokishi okumanje zigcwele intsha engasebenzi nengazi ukuthi yenzani ngezandla nangesikhathi sayo.
Umbhali, umlingisi nomqondisi uJefferson Shabalala yena ulibeka livundle kabili elokubuyiselwa kwemidlalo yeshashalazi emalokishini uma ethi: “Angikaze nakanye ngisibone isidingo sokuthi sifulathele amalokishi siyobuka imidlalo yeshashalazi ezindaweni zabadla izambane likapondo sezikhona izindawo ezilungele lokhu neziphethwe ngendlela emalokishini. Vele elokishini yilapho kugcwele khona abalandeli bemidlalo yeshashalazi.”
UShabalala ongumbhali womdlalo osihloko sithi, The Secret Ballot uqhubeka athi manje sekuyisikhathi sokuthi abantu bayozizwisa ngo “buciko” obutholakala elokishini.
Lesi sidingo sokubuyiselwa kwemidlalo elokishini sesicishe sifezeke ngokwakhiwa kwezinkundla zeshashalazi ezindaweni zaboHlanga. Isibonelo yiSoweto Theatre eyavulwa ngowezi-2012 ngesamba sezigidi eziyi-150. Le nkundla imumatha ababukeli abangama-636 kanti yakhiwe ngendlela yesimanje. Akuyona yodwa iSoweto Theatre ekhona. EKhayelitsha, eKapa, kuneMakukhanye Art Room kanti e-Alexandra kune-Olive Tree Theatre. Sisekhona futhi sikhulu isidingo sokungenelela kwezinhlangano ezisezingeni likazwelonke ezifana neSouth African National Arts Council noMnyango Wezobuciko Namasiko ngokuthi zixhase ukwakhiwa kwezinkundla zemidlalo yeshashalazi kulo lonke izwe zingagcini ngokuxhasa ngezimali izinkundla ezisezingeni likazwelonke kuphela.
Lokhu okungenhla kungumbono kaDike oqhubeka athi: “Kunokugqoza kwezinkundla eziyilolu hlobo emalokishini kube kukhona abantu abaningi abanjengami abasebenze kulo mkhakha impilo yabo yonke abangaqala izinhlelo ezingasiza intsha ezinikele emidlalweni yeshashalazi.”
UNyathi uphethe ngokuthi uma uMnyango Wezobuciko Namasiko uzimisele ngokufaka izimali kwezeshashalazi neminye iminxa yobuciko, kubalulekile ukwenza ucwaningo emazingeni aphansi. Ubeke wathi: “Izikhulu zihlala emahhovisi zingazi ngokwenzeka laphaya kubantu. Akulula-ke ukwazi izidingo zethu uma zingasazi thina okufanele sisebenze nazo.”
Udaba lokubuyiselwa kweshashalazi emalokishini lwathintwa nasemcimbini woPhiko lweMusic and Drama wokubungazwa kwamasiko ezizwe ngezizwe e-Afrika owaziwa nge-African Calabash ngowezi-2014 e-UKZN. Owayeyisikhulumi sosuku eqhamuka eNhlanganweni Yezokusakaza eNingizimu Afrika (SABC) waphawula ukuthi ukuze intsha esemculweni nezeshashalazi izakhele umnotho kufanele ibuyele emalokishini. Emuva kweziwombe zodlame nokudideka ngenxa yepolitiki kubukeka amalokishi eseqala ukuzinza ngokwesimo sempilo.
Isikhulumi sabeka sathi: “Izindawo zobumnandi ezifana nakwaMax naseYadini ziluphawu olukhombisa impilo yangokomnotho emalokishini okutholakala kuwo aboHlanga. Intsha ekwezeshashalazi ngabe ayenzi iphutha uma ibuyela emalokishini ngenhloso yokuyozivulela amathuba okwenza imali. Lokhu kubukeka kungcono kakhulu kunokwethembela ezikhungweni ezinkulu ezisemadolobheni ezihlulekayo ukumelana nomthamo wamaciko azoqhwanda amathuba angekho omsebenzi. Kuyiqiniso ukuthi kungaqala kancane kodwa kungagcina kwejwayelekile ukukhokha uma nje izinga lemidlalo liphezulu.”