Iqiniso Elingephikwe: Imfundo kayifikanga nabaqoneli lapha ezwenikazi
Kufanele sikhumbule ukuthi imfundo, ukubhala, isikompilonhlalo ngokwaseNtshonalanga, kwaqalwa ezikoleni zabamabandla (ezimishini zamabandla) obuKhrestu eNtshonalanga naseMpumalanga Kapa. AbaseNtshonalanga babekuthathe noma babenikwe ngama-Greek, ayekwebe (amaGreek) kwabase-Afrika.
Bakuletha ngezincwadi zezifundo zemfundo abafika nazo sebezibhallile, kwenye inkathi ngathi, sebekuphendukezele ngokwesimomoya nesikompilonhlalo laseNtshonalanga. Sehluleka singabomdabu ukuguqula imfundo ibe nobu-Afrika bese nathi siyofundisa abasentshonalanga.
Sikwazi sonke ukuthi lemfundo yenziwe ngokwase-Europe nangokwase-America, ayifakwanga ngokwezinseka nemizwa yase-Afrika, kepha yilabo befundisi bamabandla ezimishini nabaqoneli ababeyipheke e-Europe, eMelika nakwamanye amazwe. Bayibhala phansi, bayifaka kubantu abamnyama base-Afrika ngokuqamba izikole zamabandla ezimishini ukuba ifundwe khona kuqala, kamuva kwaba izikole zikahulumeni walelozwe. Okugqamayo ukuthi abefundisi bezikole zezimishini zamabandla nabaqoneli, babeqikelela ukuthi bafundisa kuqala izingane zaseBukhosini noma abazalwa ngamaKhosi.
Baphinda futhi babhala nezinye izincwadi ngababekubona e-Afrika kwenzeka phambi kwamehlo abo nokunye ababekubuza, betolikelwa ulimi lwesiZulu ngaboHlanga bamaXhosa. Kwazise ukuthi imfundo yangokwase-Europe nangokwaseMelika yaqala ukufundiswa KwaZulu, kwelikaMthaniya ngowe-1835 kubusa iNgonyama uDingane.
Kuleyomfundo ngokwaseNtshonalanga, kwakhishwa, kwancishiswa, kwabukelwa phansi imfundo, izimfundiso, isikompilonhlalo nezinto eziningi zaboHlanga, njengolimi lwebele lwabo bonke abomdabu base-Afrika. Kwaba ngabantu abamnyama uqobo manje ababukela phansi izilimi zebele zabo.
Yingakho kwakungu-Jacob Msimbithi okwakuthiwa nguHlambamanzi waseMpumalanga Kapa eyagcina ibizwa ngeKoloni ngowe-1824 kubusa iNgonyama uShaka owachuma njengotolika. UHlambamanzi noma uMsimbithi wayetolikela, abaqoneli base-Europe nabefundisi bamabandla enkolo yobuKhrestu ulimi lwesiZulu. Kwazise ulimi lwesiXhosa nesiZulu lungabaNguni, luhlobene nesiNdebele nesiSwati.
Yingakho kwelikaMthaniya kulula ukuzwa ngodlebe umuntu okhuluma isiXhosa, isiNdebele nesiSwati ukuthi uthini. Awudingi kutolikelwa ulimi lwabeNguni.
Njengamanje osopolitiki boHlanga abakaluqhakambisi ulimi lwebele kugqame emicimbini eyehlukene nokuze kuholele ekuqashweni kotolika bezilimi zebele; ngaphansi kukahulumeni weNkululeko Yeningi, ophathiswe abomdabu kuKhogolose. Lusasemsileni ulimi lwebele KwaZulu-Natal.
Uma sibheka eyolimi lwebele, sizothola ukuthi ikhulunywa mihla namalanga, ukuba aboHlanga bangazikhohlwa, bazigqaje ngobubona, obungububona, bokuba yibona, ikakhulukazi ngokolimi lwebele, ngisho ngabe sebekuliphi izinga lemfundo nelempilonhlalo noma lempucuzeko.
Sehluleka kanjani singaboHlanga ekwenzeni izinto ezincomekayo nezitusekayo ngolimi lwebele, ngokwaseNtshonalanga nangokwase-Afrika bese sakha amafamlando namafagugu amahle ngathi sisaphila? Njengokubalula, ukubhala nokuqopha phansi mayelana nezilimi zebele zasezwenikazi i-Afrika ngokwehluka kwethu nangokwamazwe, nangokwezifundazwe, ngokwasemakhaya nezinye izindawo.
Kuzwakala ngenkathi sibeka imibono, siphawula emisakazweni, komathelevishini, ezinkundleni ezehlukene zokuxhumana, akukho lapho kuvela khona ukuthi sesiyazama ukuzimela ngesimo somoyamqondo saboHlanga e-Afrika, eNingizimu Afrika, kwelikaMthaniya kuzwakale ngisho kwabamhlophe e-Europe nakwamanye amazwe.
Ake ngithi baqinisile abayaye bathi ulimi lwebele lwase-Afrika lungakwenza yini ukuba uqashwe, ufune umsebenzi? Nokuthi kuzoba nezindleko uma luqhakambiswa ulimi lwebele. Mbuze lowo osho njalo ukuthi yena, ngesingaye unalo yini iqhinga lesibili angalicobelela abanye noma asekwenzile ukuqhakambisa ulimi isiNgisi ukwedlula ulimi lwebele okuyigama nesibongo sakhe, asabizwa ngaso lowo womdabu. Ngeke akunike impendulo futhi ngeke akuvezele ngisho okuncane akubhalile, akubhalayo nakuzamayo ukuthi uyaqhakambisa ulimi lwesiNgisi njengoba esibona singcono kunolimi lwebele.