Waba ngabanye bokuqala besifazane boHlanga ukushicilela uJabavu
UNoni Jabavu wayengumbhali waseNingizimu Afrika oyingqalabutho – incwadi entsha ekhombisa ukuthi isabalulekile kangakanani
UJabavu waba ngowesifazane wokuqala omnyama waseNingizimu Afrika ukushicilela izincwadi zesikhumbuzo kanye nokuba ngomunye wabesifazane bokuqala base-Afrika abaphishekela umsebenzi wokubhala phesheya. Walishiya izwe esemncane ukuze aphishekele imfundo futhi wabuya ngezikhathi ezithile ukuphila kwakhe konke. Wabuyela eNingizimu Afrika ngo-1977 ukuyocwaninga ngebiography kayise. Eminye yemisebenzi yakhe eyaziwa kakhulu yaba amakholomu ahlakaniphile, ahlakaniphile futhi anecala lezepolitiki ayibhalele iphephandaba i-Daily Dispatch. Kodwa leli qhawe lagcina selikhohlakale kwaze kwaba yilapho umbhali nesifundiswa uMakhosazana Xaba kanye nosomlando u-Athambile Masola begxilisa ukunaka kwabo empilweni nasemsebenzini wakhe. Manje sebekhiphe incwadi yezikholamu zikaJabavu, ebizwa ngokuthi Noni Jabavu: A Stranger at Home. Sibuze uMasola ngombhali.
Wazalwa ngo-1919 e-Alice, isifundazwe saseKapa ngaleso sikhathi eNingizimu Afrika. INingizimu Afrika yayisiphenduke iNyunyana yaseNingizimu Afrika ngo-1910 futhi uMthetho Womhlaba Womdabu owawucekela phansi waphasiswa ngo-1913 owabhebhethekisa ukufuduka kwabantu base-Afrika esifundeni. Wayeyindodakazi endala kaFlorence Thandiswa Jabavu (ozalwa uMakiwane) noDon Davidson Tengo Jabavu. Umama wakhe wayengomunye wabasunguli beqembu leZenzele lokuzisiza abesifazane ezindaweni zasemakhaya. Abazali bakhe babengabantu abavelele ababevame ukuvela emaphephandabeni nasezinkundleni zokuxhumana.
Uyise wayengusopolitiki, umbhali, futhi efunda e-Fort Hare College (iNyuvesi yamanje yase-Fort Hare). Ikolishi lalibaluleke kakhulu njengendawo yabacabangi abamnyama nabaholi base-Afrika. Uphuma enhlanganweni yemindeni eyabe izingqalabutho kwezesimanjemanje zase-Afrika ngokusebenzisa izixhumanisi zabo eLovedale, eHealdtown, eFort Hare futhi ehambela phesheya. Lezi zihlakaniphi zakuqala, othisha, kanye nezintatheli balolonge ukushintshana ngamasiko njengabamukeli bokuqala bemfundo yobufundisi ngenkathi bebambelele emasikweni ase-Afrika.
Washiya iNingizimu Afrika eneminyaka eli-13 waya eMount School, isikole samantombazane okuhlalwa kuso eYork, eNgilandi. Ubhala ngalokhu kushiya kumakholomu akhe lapho ehlangana noJan Smuts amchaza ngokuthi “Oom Jan”. Kusendlini yakhe lapho ehlangana khona no-Arthur Gillet noMargaret Clarke abangaba abagadi bakhe ngenkathi ephesheya. Kumakholomu akhe uchaza ukuthi umndeni wakhe eNgilandi “kwakuyizidlakela zamaNgisi, izigaba eziphakeme, osozimboni, osozimboni, abakhululekile abalandela imithetho. Wahlala eNgilandi futhi wafunda okwengeziwe kwaze kwaba yilapho imfundo yakhe iphazanyiswa iMpi Yezwe II. Kwakungalesi sikhathi futhi lapho ayesebenzela khona umsakazo weBBC. Ngo-1941 washada nomyeni wakhe wokuqala kwathi ngemva konyaka wazala indodakazi yakhe uTembi.
Umbiko weThe Conversation / ngu-Athambile Masola
