Kuningi okusilelayo ngempilo kaCharlotte Maxeke ebhukwini
Wathinta Abafazi, Wathinta Imbokodo. Lesi ngesinye seziqubulo ezinyakazisa abesifazane uma sibizwa lapho besuke behlangene khona. Baningi abesifazane iNingizimu Afrika eziqhenya ngabo, abanye asebalandulela leli, abanye abasadla anhlamvana. Isigameko sangonyaka we-1960 esenzeka eSharpeville eSoweto sombhikisho owawuholwa ngabesifazane wokuphikisana nokuphathwa kwamapasi, saba ngesinye seziwombe ezaguqula isimo kwagqama iqhaza lomzabalazo wabesifazane.
Naphezu kokuba abesifazane sebemelelekile ezingxenyeni ezihlukene zempilo kusuka emphakathini, ezinkampanini ezizimele, ezinhlanganweni ezingenzi nzuzo, kuze kuyoshaya kuhulumeni, kodwa sisesikhulu isikhalo sokuthi kusekuningi okusadinga ukwenziwa ukuvala igebe leminyaka elikhona phakathi kwabo nabesilisa ezweni.
Ngasekuqaleni kwalo nyaka uHulumeni waphakamisa ukuthi kube unyaka wokuhlonipha nokulondoloza umlando wowesifazane uCharlotte Mannya Maxeke owabe eyisithwalandwe somzabalazo. Owesifazane owagcina ukuhlonishwa ngalolu hlobo kwaba nguNkk u-Albertina Sisulu ngonyaka we-2018.
UMaxeke wazalwa eminyakeni eli-150 eyedlule ngonyaka we-1871. Emuva kokuthola uxhaso ebandleni i-African Methodist Episcopal Church, wathola iziqu eNyuvesi iWilberforce e-Ohio e-United States of America. Lokho kwenza waba ngowokuqala ukuzuza iqhuzu leziqu ngonyaka we-1901. Esebuyela kuleli wangena ezinhlakeni eziningi zomzabalazo nezokusiza umphakathi. Wasungula inhlangano iBantu Women’s League waba ngumengameli wayo ngonyaka we-1918 okungunyaka okwazalwa ngawo uMnu uNelson Mandela eQunu.
Waphinda waba ngumengameli weNational Council of African Women okungumkhandlu owasungulwa ngonyaka we-1937, waphinde waba nesandla esikhulu ekusungulweni kophiko lwebandla i-African Methodist Episcopal Church eNingizimu Afrika. Wafukula abesifazane abaningi ezinhlakeni ayekuzo esebenzisa iminikelo eyayiqhamuka emazweni angaphandle, ikakhulukazi lawo ayeseka izinhlangano zabesifazane ezingenzi nzuzo. Ngesikhathi eficwa ukufa ngonyaka we-1939 wayesezuze okuningi futhi negama lakhe selaziwa emazweni amaningi.
Ukukhunjulwa kukaMama uMaxeke kulo nyaka kwenzeke ngezindlela ezihlukene kusuka ezinkulumweni eziyisifundo ngempilo yakhe, imidlalo yeshashalazi kanye nezithangami zokucobelelana ngolwazi. Umdlalo weshashalazi obhalwe nguNapo Masheane osihloko sithi, Tsogo: The Rise of Charlotte Maxeke ukhonjiswe eState Theatre. Lo mdlalo othakaselwe kakhulu ngabaningi ukhuluma ngempilo kaMama uMaxeke nomnikelo awenza emzabalazweni wezwe.
Eminye imisebenzi engaye kukhona umlando wakhe obhalwe nguZubeida Jaffer osihloko sithi, Beauty of the Heart, kube ngomunye ohlanganiswe umbhali uMargaret McCord othi, The Calling of Katie Makhanya, nomsebenzi ohlanganiswe uThozama April okhuluma ngeqhaza likaMama uMaxeke emzabalazweni wokukhulula iNingizimu Afrika. Esinye sesizukulwane sakhe uModidima Mannya useshicilele ibhuku elibizwa ngokuthi: Lessons from Charlotte Makgomo Mannya-Maxeke. Leli bhuku elingelokuqala ukuphuma kumuntu womndeni kaMaxeke ligxile kumasiko, imibhalo liphinde lifundise ngalokho ayekhollwa kukho.
Ukubhalwa kwalo kwengeze omunye umongo nolwazi oluvele ludephile ngalesi sithwalandwe futhi liveza okwehlukile kunalokhu esikujwayele ngomlando wakhe nangendlela obekwa ngayo. Okuningi okuqukethwe kuleli bhuku kuwucwaningo olwenziwe umzukulwane ngokhokho wakhe, kanti okuningi ukuthole kwabomndeni wakhe. UMannya uthi lapha akabhalanga nje umlando, kodwa okuningi akuvezayo yilokho ukhokho wakhe ayekholelwa kukho okungazange kuvele emlandweni wakhe.
Leli bhuku lihlukene ngezigaba zonke ezikhuluma ngempilo yakhe kusuka kubuyena, inkolo, imfundo, ipolitiki, ukweseka amalungelo abesifazane, ubuholi kanye nokungalingani ngokwebala. Lokhu kuyavela kancane futhi emdlalweni iTsogo.
Uma ufunda leli bhuku kuzwakala sengathi liwumqulu ohlanganise konke ngempilo kaMama uMaxeke, ngoba uma uqala nje ngesingeniso kukhona lapho efiselwa khona izilokotho, imibhalo yamaphephandaba, imiqulu kahulumeni nezincwadi ezazikhuluma ngaye ezinye zibhalwe nguye uqobo. Nakuba isizukulwane sakhe uMannya sizama ngakho konke ukubeka uMama uMaxeke ngokwesigaba sakhe nokuveza lapho anyathela khona, kodwa leli bhuku akukho elikuvezayo ngabantu okwakungaba ngabanye besifazane abangozakwabo, abangani noma amanye amaqabane emzabalazweni.
I-African National Congress (ANC) kubonakala kuyiyo eyamsondeza njengoba kwabe kunguye kuphela owesifazane owayekhona ngesikhathi kusungulwa lenhlangano ngowe-1912. Ebhukwini umzukulwana wakhe ukhombisa ukungayizwa kahle leyo ndaba.
UNkk uSindiswa Magona uthi kuningi okushiywe ngaphandle ebhukwini elikhuluma ngempilo kaMama uMaxeke. Uveza ukuthi ubudlelwano ayenabo nabanye besifazane nezinye izinhlangano ezingabalulwanga ebhukwini kodwa kugxile enhlanganweni eyodwa. Wenza isibonelo ngoMama u-Adelaide Tantsi owayengusonkondlo enguthisha ukuthi igama lakhe aliveli nakuvela kwabesifazane ayenabo eNyuvesi iWilberforce.
Ukhala ngokuthi kugcina ngokubalula uNkk uNokutela Dube owayenguthisha, umculi nomsunguli wesikole, Ohlange Institute ekanye nomyeni wakhe uDkt uJohn Langalibalele Dube. Uthi kuncane okuvelayo ngabanye besifazane ababumba iBantu Women’s League bekanye noMaxeke, noma uMina Soga omunye wabasunguli beNational Council of African Women.
