USobukwe: Itshe legumbi elanqatshwa abakhi
Ngenyanga kaZibandlela (2014), umphakathi waseNingizimu Afrika nomhlaba wonke kade ukhumbula uMengameli wokuqala weNingizimu Afrika ekhululekileyo uNelson Rolihlahla Mandela. Bekuphela unyaka uMadiba adlula emhlabeni. Wadlula zinhlanu kuZibandlela ngonyaka ka-2013, okuwusuku okwazalwa ngalo esinye sezigagayi zomzabalazo u-Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe. NgoLwesihlanu olwedlule, zingu-27 ku-Nhlolanja, lelizwe belikhumbula leli qhawe eladlula emhlabeni ngonyaka ka-1978. Kule nyanga ka-Ndasa (March), lelizwe nomhlaba wonke lizobuye likhunjuzwe ngomzabalazo owaholwa yileli qhawe futhi okuyileli langa elaba ngelokugcina likaSobukwe eyisakhamuzi esikhululekile ezweni lase-Ningizimu Afrika.
Zingu 21 ku-Ndasa (March) 1960, u-Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe wahola umzabalazo omkhulu wokushiswa kwamapasi endaweni yase-Sharpville, eGoli. Kwasala enkundleni ababhikishi abangu-68, bedutshulwa ngamaphoyisa, kwaboshwa abaholi abaqavile benkululeko, kwagcina ngokuthi kuvalwe umlomo i-Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) kanye ne-African National Congress (ANC).
Uma ubuka ngeso eliqhathanisayo, abezindaba abankamunkamu ngokubika ngo-Robert Sobukwe njengoba kubikwa ngabanye abaholi abasezingeni lakhe. Lokho kungenzeka ukuthi kube wumphumela wesikhathi esingabanga side engumholi osezingeni likazwelonke wabe eseyaboshwa wayogqunywa esiqhingini sase-Robben Island. Wathi uma ephuma lapho waboshelwa endlini, lokhu okuthiwa yi-House Arrest. Iqembu ayelihola i-Pan Africanist Congress, elaba ngamahlubuka eqenjini elibusayo i-African National Congress nalo ngokuthi lingenzi kahle okhethweni lwe-Ningizimu Afrika ekhululekile cishe lenza izinto zanzima kakhulu ekugqanyisweni kweqhaza likaSobukwe njengomholi ohlonishwa yi-Afrika nomhlaba wonke, nanjengomunye wezifundiswa eziqavile ezakhiqizwa ngamaNyuvesi aphambili kuleli.
Udaba lokugqanyiswa kwesithunzi sika-Sobukwe luhlale luyinkombankombane. Abaseqenjini lakhe i-Pan Africanist Congress basola iqembu elibusayo kanti neqembu elibusayo lisola lona iqembu lakhe ngokuthi alenzi lutho ukugqamisa umholi walo. Ngaleyo ndlela, uSobukwe akagqanyiswe ngalutho olungako. Bheka nje ukuthi umholi ngeminyaka yama 1950 owayesevele efundisa esikhungweni semfundo ephakeme okuyiNyuvesi yase-Wits, esenikwe negama lika-Prof ngendlela umqondo wakhe owawukhaliphe ngayo, kodwa akukho neyodwa iNyuvesi iziphathi mandla ezibone kufanele ibizwe ngegama lakhe.
Umholi oqavile wezenkolo yobuKrestu, uMbhishobhi osathatha umhlalaphansi u-Desmond Mpilo Tutu uma ecelwa ukuba aphawule ngo-Sobukwe encwadini ka-Benjamin Pogrund esihloko sithi, “How Can Man Die Better – The Life of Robert Sobukwe,” (Eshicilelwe ngabakwa- Jonathan Ball; 1990), uphawula athi, “Ngizizwa ngibusiseke kakhulu ngokuthi ngimazi nokuthi ngibe nethuba lokulalela ubuhlakani bamazwi ayephuma emlonyeni wakhe. Ukuboshwa kwakhe isikhathi eside, ukucindezelwa kwakhe nokusheshe adlule emhlabeni kwaba yishwa elikhulu elavelela iNingizimu Afrika nomhlaba wonke jikelele.”
Kungifikisele umunyu ukufunda ezinye izigameko ngenhlalo yalo mholi ejele lase-Robben Island lapho kufundeka khona kanje:
Ngesikhathi sasebusika umoya oyiNyakatho-Ntshonalanga, okhapha amafu amumethe imvula uletha umswakama ongabekezeleleki esiqhingini.
Lokhu kwadala ubusika bokuqala buka-Sobukwe esesiqhingini bangajabulisa neze kule ndlu yesikhashana ayegqunywe kuyo. Wayengakwazi ukunyakaza ngokukhululeka kanti ebusuku wayekhiyelwa ngaphakathi; lokhu iziphathimandla ezazikuchaza ngokuthi kwakubangelwa wukushoda konogada. Ngenyanga ka-Ncwaba (August), walowo nyaka kwafika incwadi eyayivela kuNgqongqoshe wezoMthetho iphoqa ukugudlulelwa kuka-Sobukwe kwenye ingxenye yesiqhingi. Kule ndlu athuthelwa kuyo waye “khululekile” ukulala uma ethanda noma ahlale embhedeni leso sikhathi asithandayo. Wayekhululekile ukugqoka uthayi noma izikhindi. Wayengaqeda usuku lonke efunda noma ebuka intaba i-Table Mountain. Wayengavunyelwe kodwa ukuphumela ngaphandle kocingo olude olunameva olwaluzungeze indlu ayehlala kuyo. Ukwenza isiqiniseko sokuthi akaphumi nangephutha kwakunojele ohlome engovolo owayegada esangweni usuku lonke kanti khona eduzane kwakunendlwana ephakeme okwakuthi ngehora lesine ntambama kube khona kuyo onogada ababili. Onogada kwakungabamhlophe bodwa belekelelwa ngamagovu ezinja ayala ukhasha.
U-Sobukwe wayebizwa ngesiboshwa esithe “thuthu” (prisoner-plus) okuyisikhundla esingakaze sinikezwe muntu emajele akuleli. Okwakhe ukudla kwakufanele kube ngokungcono kunokwezinye iziboshwa. Ngaphezu kwezincwadi namabhuku ayevunyelwe yimithetho yasejele, wayevunyelwe ukuthola amaphephandaba aseNingizimu Afrika kuphela, aphinde alalele nomsakazo owawusakaza kuphela izinhlelo ze-South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC). Wayelala avuke ngesikhathi asithandayo futhi yena engacishelwa gesi. Wayenikezwe ilungelo lokufaka isicelo samalungelo engeziwe esasinganqatshwa noma sivunywe wuNgqongqoshe wezoMthetho.
Impilo ka-Sobukwe yayimuncu inesizungu. Abantu ayekwazi ukuxoxisana nabo kwakungamaBhunu ayengojele. Nawo, uma kusho ezinye iziboshwa, ayeshayelwe umthetho wokungamkhulumisi uSobukwe. Akhona-ke nokho ayeqa le miyalelo, amkhulumisa. Wayevunyelwe ukubhalela ekhaya, naye athole izincwadi ezimbili ngeviki nokho izincwadi zazidlula ocwaningweni lwasejele (censorship), kuyileyo naleyo ncwadi ithatha amasonto amaningi ngaphambi kokufinyelela esandleni sika-Sobukwe. Wayevunyelwe ukuba nezivakashi ezimbalwa. Esikhathini esiyizinyanga eziyisishiyagalolunye zokuqala esesiqhingini abeFundisi basemaRomeni nabaseWeseli ababeshumayeza iziboshwa esiqhingini beza bazombona, kanye uMfundisi ngamunye. Umkakhe u-Veronica kanjalo nomfowabo omdala osaba nguMpriste waseSheshi u-Ernest, nabo bamvakashela.
Ukuxhumana kuka-Sobukwe nezinye iziboshwa zasesiqhingini kwakuba wukubukana kungekho ngxoxo phakathi kwabo. Nokho lokhu kukodwa nje kwakumnikeza injabulo emphefumulweni. Amakhulu eziboshwa ezingamalunga e-Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) naka-Poqo okuyizona zaziningi esiqhingini ngaleso sikhathi zazazi ngobukhona buka-Sobukwe esiqhingini futhi kuzijabulisa ukuba seduze kangako nomholi wazo. Zazingaligeji ithuba lokukhombisa umuzwa wokuhlonipha umholi wazo. Ngezikhathi ezithize uma zihamba zingumshongolo ziyocoshela ukhula lwasolwandle olwalusetshenziselwa ukwenza umquba zazigudla ucingo olwalubiyele indlu okwakugqunywe kuyo u-Sobukwe. Uma zidlula iziboshwa zazimbuka uSobukwe bese zethula amakepisi ziphakamise isandla sokudla ngendlela eyisibingelelo (salute) se-PAC kanti eze-ANC zaziye zimise izithupha njengophawu lokuthi i “bambe ngakho.” Kwakubacasula kakhulu ojele ukubona iziboshwa zihlonipha u-Sobukwe ngale ndlela. Babezisikaza kabi iziboshwa, bamemeze bathi, “ Bhekani phambili lapho niya khona nina! Lo Sobukwe akayona inkosi yenu.” Kuyothi kusenjalo bezwakale sebethi, “Drie maaltye, drie maaltye,” okwakusho isijeziso sokuncishwa kweziboshwa ukudla amahora angamashumi amabili nane. Konke lokhu akuzithenanga amandla iziboshwa.
U-Sobukwe naye wayephakamisa isandla abingelele uma engaphandle ngesikhathi kudlula iziboshwa. Wayeye afole, che inhlabathi igcwale isandla, ayiphakamisele phezulu abeseyidedela kancane, kancane phakathi kweminwe. Iziboshwa zasezazi ukuthi lesi senzo sika-Sobukwe siyindlela yokubabingelela njengama “Dodana enhlabathi yase-Afrika”. Kwesinye isikhathi wayenza isibingelelo esasinophawu lwezandla ezibumbene, ezazikuthatha ngokuthi kwakuwuphawu olugcizelela ubumbano kubona bonke. Kwakungekho kuphendulana ngamazwi phakathi kwabo noSobukwe.
Ngelinye ilanga bedlula ngaphandle kwendlu ka-Sobukwe enye yamadoda e-PAC yehluleka ukuzibamba yasho ngolimi lwesiXhosa, kuzwa wonke umuntu yathi, “ Xa kunje siye sikhumbule amazwi ka Horatius: Indoda ingafa kakuhle njanina ….” U-Sobukwe wayewezwa lawa mazwi, naye waphendula ngesiXhosa wathi: “Ewe”.