Incwadi kaPlaatjie eneka ukugqilazwa kwaboHlanga
Ngizinike isikhathi ngafunda incwadi ebuthele ndawonye imisebenzi yalowo owaba nguNobhala jikelele wokuqala weSouth African Native National Congress (SANNC) okwathi kamuva yaziwa ngele-African National Congress (ANC). Lowo nguSol Plaatje owazalwa ziyisi-9 kuMfumfu we-1879 epulazini iDoornfontein esifundeni iBoshoff esifundazweni i-Orange Free State.
Kusetshenziswe igama lakhe njengesihloko sale ncwadi kanti ihlelwe nguBrian Willan yashicilelwa yiWitwatersrand University Press (WUP). Kulabo abangamazi uSol Plaatje ngokuchazwa kwakhe encwadini ungomunye wabaholi ababaluleke kakhulu kupolitiki yaseNingizimu Afrika aphinde abe yivulandlela laboHlanga uma kuziwa ebunikazini nasekushicilelweni kwamaphephandaba.
Waba ngumkhulumeli waboHlanga waba ngomunye wabasunguli bakaKhongolose. Wabhala izincwadi ezintathu ezaziwayo: iMafeking Diary, iNative Life in South Africa nenoveli yomlando yokuqala ebhalwe ngesiNgisi eyabhalwa ngowoHlanga iMhudi.
Ngaphezulu kwale zincwadi uPlaatje wabhalela amaphephandaba, wenza izinkulumo, wamela aboHlanga kumakhomishini ahlukene lapho kwakudingidwa khona ukugqilazwa kwaboHlanga ngabamhlophe. Konke lokhu kudidiyeliwe ndawonye kwakhipha leli bhuku elikhethe imibhalo ethile ngoba vele ibingeke yenela yonke ngendlela ayekukhuthalele ngayo ukubhala uSol Plaatje.
Incwadi ithinta iminyaka ephakathi kowe-1899 kuya kowe-1932 okuwunyaka uSol Plaatje adlula ngawo emhlabeni. Le minyaka ibaluleke kakhulu emlandweni wokugqilazwa kwaboHlanga ngabamhlophe kuleli. Ngonyaka we-1899 kuya kowe-1902 kwaba nempi phakathi kwamaNgisi namaQadasi eyaziwa nge-Anglo-Boer War kodwa manje esiyaziwa ngeSouth African War.
Lokhu kungenxa yeqhaza elikhulu elabanjwa ngaboHlanga kule mpi elalingazange laqhakambiswa ngosomlando abamhlophe.
USol Plaatje waba yisisulu salokho okwaziwa ngeMafeking Siege lapho yena wayebhala izigameko zosuku ngosuku lwaloko kuvinjezelwa kweMafeking ngamaQadasi.
Incwadi ikhombisa ukubaluleka okuqondana kakhulu nesikhathi esiphila kuso. Yize yadidiyelwa ngowe-1996 yilapho idingida khona umthetho owaziwa ngeNative Land Act of 1913. Incwadi ikhombisa ulwazi olunzulu ngezinhloso zokusungulwa kwalo mthetho ngabamhlophe, yindlela abahlomula ngayo ngokomnotho nokuqala kosizi olwaphendula aboHlanga imihambima ezweni labo lokuzalwa. UPlaatje ukhuluma ngephimbo lomuntu owayekhona ezibonela mathupha kwenzeka konke lokhu.
Kafishane nje nakhu uPlaatje akubeka encwadini ngokuphucwa kwaboHlanga ilungelo lobunini mhlaba: Njengoba umhlaba wawususezandleni zabamhlophe babengasenamvume yokuthi izinkomo zabo zidle emadlelweni asezindaweni zabamhlophe.
Uma belima umhlaba babezobe bekwenzela ingcebo yabamhlophe. Umthetho owawushayiwe wawuqinile nakwabamhlophe ababezimisele ukusiza aboHlanga ngemfuyo bebhekene nezigwebo ezinzima. Incwadi ikubeka kucace ukubaluleka komhlaba njengomgogodla wempilo kwaboHlanga. Ukumukwa kwabo umhlaba kwakuzobaphendula imihambima nezigcwelegcwele ngoba sebephoqeke ukudayisa imfuyo yabo eyayiwa ubugingqigingqi ngenxa yesimo esasihlelwe ngabamhlophe ngesimabomu. Babezobulawa wumalaleveva emazweni angomakhelwane bebalekela ulaka lwengcindezelo yabamhlophe.
Incwadi iSol Plaatje: Selected Writings ineka obala ukugqilazwa kwaboHlanga ngabamhlophe kuhlangene amaNgisi namaQadasi. Igudluza inkoleloze yokuthi ngamaBhunu kuphela agqilaze aboHlanga eNingizimu Afrika. Izimpendulo zikaNdunankulu uDavid Lloyd-George waseBritain zikukhombisa ngokusobala ukuyekelela kwamaNgisi ukuhlukunyezwa kwaboHlanga ngabamhlophe ngaphakathi eNingizimu Afrika. Inkulumo kaSol Plaatje ayethula ngencwadi ayibhalela iPan-African Congress (PAC) yafundwa nguDu Bois eParis ngowe-1921, ibeka obala inkolelo yokuthi kwakuyoba wukuhlangana kwaboHlanga i-Afrika yonke okwakuyobakhulula emakhamandeleni engcindezelo yabamhlophe. Incwadi iphinde iphakamise uSol Plaatje njengomholi owayevunywe umhlaba wonke.
Yize engafinyelelangaemhlanganweni uPlaatje kodwa wayeyisimenywa sikaDkt u-W.E.B. Du Bois, umholi waboHlanga e-United States of America nowayenguMengameli weNational Association for the Advancement of Coloured People. Ebeka lokho ayekubona njengempendulo yengcindezelo eyayibhekiswe kwaboHlanga uPlaatje wabeka wathi: “Uma abamhlophe bekwazi ukuthi ngezindiza zabo, imicibisholo, imikhumbi yempi naleyo ehamba ngaphansi kwamanzi, bekubona kufanele ukwakha iLeague of Nations ukuvikela okungokwabo kanjalo nezimo zokuphathwa kwabangama-Afrika zibaphoqa ukuba bakhe inyunyana yabo ezobasondeza ibaluleke ngezindlela zokubhekana nengcindezelo ababhekene nayo.”
Lena yincwadi enesidingo esikhulu sokuhunyushelwa ezilimini zaboHlanga. Iqukethe umlando oxhumene wokucindezelwa kwaboHlanga ngamaNgisi kuqala namaQadasi kamuva. Iphinde ikhombise ngokusobala ukuthi aboHlanga abahlalanga bathi dekle kodwa balwisana nengcindezelo yabo. Iqhaza elikhulu likaSol Plaatje kuleyo mpi livezwa obala kule ncwadi.
IWits University Press (WUP) idinga ukubongwa kakhulu ngokwelekelela ekuhlanganisweni kwalo msebenzi obaluleke kangaka emlandweni waboHlanga. ISol Platjie: Selected Writings itholakala ezitolo ezidayisa izincwadi ezweni lonke.