‘Uma ufundisa umuntu wesilisa, ufundisa umuntu oyedwa, koda uma ufundisa umuntu wesifazane, ufundisa isizwe’[1]
Umbhali: Ayanda Siphesihle Simelane
Lombhalo uyisiqeshana esiveza iqhaza elabanjwa abantu besifazane ekuthuthukiseni umphakathi ozimele wamakholwa[2] eNanda besebenzisa imfundo. U-Busisiwe ‘Noni’ MaCibane Ndlovu wayenguthisa ovelele, wakha isikole eNanda, eduze kwase Phoenix Settlement, okwakuyikhaya lika Mahatma Gandhi ngesikhathi sakhe ese Mzansi Afrika. Leyandawo yaphendulwa isigcina magugu, ingenye yezigcina magugu esaziwa kakhulu ezavulwa ngesikhathi senkululeko, indawo exoxa ngomlando ka Gandhi kanye nowomphakathi wase Nanda. Kodwa, uMam’Ndlovu akayona ingxenye yomlando uqhakambiswa kulendawo okanye kwezinye izigcina magugu zase Nanda.
Kwingxoxo engaba nayo no Bongani Mthembu, oyi-Tourism Officer esebenzela ePhoenix Settlement, ngafunda ngo Mam’Ndlovu. Akubanga lula ukuthola imiminingwane yakhe. Igama lakhe liyaziwa emphakathini ngomlando oxoxwayo kodwa awutholakali kwimibhalo. Lokhu kubuye kube inkinga ngoba abantu abakhumbuli ngokufana indaba iyahluka ngomuntu ngamunye bese kuba nezikhala kumlando. Yize kunjalo, lena indaba efanele ukuxoxwa.
U-Busisiwe ‘Noni’ MaCibane Ndlovu wazalelwa endiwane eyaziwa ngokuthi iDalibha, eNdwedwe engaphandle kwezindawo ezingasenhla kweTheku.[3]Wazalwa engowakwa Cibane, umama wakhe engowakwa Luthuli bese washadela kwa Ndlovu bese waziwa ngokuthi ungu Mam’Ndlovu. Angikwazanga ukuthola usuku azalwa ngalo kodwa wazalwa ngeminyaka yama-1910 bese washona ngonyaka ka-1980. U-Mam’Ndlovu wafunda Ohlange bese waba nguthisha.
I-Ohlange yaziwa njenge sikole sokuqala sokusungulwa abantu abamnyma eMzansi Afrika ngonyaka ka-1900. Abasunguli bayo, u-John Langalibalele Dube kanye nonkosikazi wakhe wokuqala uNokutela MaMdima Dube bafundiswa ngama-missionaries (abashumayeli bevangeli lobu Krestu abavela kwamanye amazwe) ase Melika, uJohn Dube wafunda e-Adams College bese uMaMdima wafunda eNanda Seminary.
U-Heather Hughes wachaza i-Ohlange njenge ndawo yemfundo yomu-Afrika ngokuphelele, isikole sokuqala esakhiwa ngoxhaso lwezimali oluzimele futhi sasekwa ngu Nkosi uMqhawe Ngcobo wamaQadi owayengu mfowabo ka John Dube.[4] Lesi sikole sasigqugquzela ukuthi umuntu akwazi ukuzithemba bese sifundisa abantu abamnyama ukuthi bazimele. Ngamazwi ka Dube asuselwe esilungwini “…fanele sibe ngabantu abaphucuzekile ngoba kusifanele. Sifuna imfundo yethu ithinte bonke abantu: sifundise isandla ukuthi sisebenze, inqondo iqondisise, bese inhliziyo ibengusizo.” [5] Ngesikhathi sisanda kusungulwa, lesi sikole sasigxile kwimisebenzi yezandla, nempilo yobuKrestu kanti nomculo wawudlala indima enkulu. Umhlaba okwakhiwa kuwo i-Ohlange watholakala kwi Nkosi uMqhawe.
Ngeminyaka yama 1960, uMam’Ndlovu waqala isikole endaweni eyayiyaziwa ngokuthi i-New Farm manje isiyaziwa ngokuthi iBhambayi, eNanda bese wasiqamba ngokuthi i-Othandweni Primary School.[6] U-Mthembu wachaza ukuthi leligama lalilihle futhi lisifanele lesi sikole, uMam’Ndlovu wayengumntu ogcwele uthande futhi ewufunela izinto ezinhle umphakathi.[7]I-Othandweni Primary School kwakwiyisikole samabanga aphansi, sasigcina kwibanga lesine, sasaziwa ngokuthi isikole sakwa Ndlovu. Lesi sisikole sasisegcekeni lakwa Ndlovu, elisendaweni ephakathi kwe-Phoenix Settlment kanye nasekuphakameni (ikhaya lika mupholofethi u-Isaiah Shembe.
Eceleni kwesikole kwakunendawo yezemidlalo lapho i-Othandweni yayiqhudelana nezinye izikole. Isikole sasiphethwe nguMam’Ndlovu, bonke othisha babengabantu besifazane, kuthiwa bonke bafunda Ohlange. Sasibalwa kwizikole ezimbalwa eNanda ezaqalwa ngamalunga omphakathi ababona Isidingo sesikole ngoba amathuba ayemancane kanti Isidingo sezikole sasinyuka. Izikole ezaziwayo ezaziseduze naso, isikole sakwa Gandhi ePhoenix Settlment kanye ne Shembe Primary School; i-Inanda Day school ikude nezingane ezazihlala eNew Farm.Isikole sakwa Gandhi sasifundisa izingane zamandiya kuphela; zazilethwa ngamabhasi ayesuka ezindaweni ezinjengo Verulam.[8]
U-Mam’Ndlovu wayeyilunga lebandla i-United Congregational Church eyaphuma kwi-American Board of Foreign Missions. Abasunguli be-Adams College kanye ne-Inanda Seminary babevela kwi American Board; ibona abalekelela uJohn no Nokutela Dube ukuthi baqale isikole Ohlange.
Imfundo eyatholwa ngu Mam’Ndlovu Ohlange yabonakala kwindlela ayesiphatha ngaso isikole sakhe. Emuva kokuqla isikole Ohlange, uDube wazimisela ngokwakha umphakathi maduzane naso bese wadayisa umagceke kubantu ngemali encane, indawo yase New Farm yakheka kanjalo. Ngokwakheka komphaka, kwadingeka kwakhiwe ogatsha lebandle le United Congregational Church eNew Farm, uMam’Ndlovu wabamba iqhaza lobuholi ebandleni.
Umphakathi wase New Farm wawuvuka ekuseni ngehora lesine bese uyasebenza emasimimini beholwa ngu Mam’Ndlovu nabanye omama bese emuva kwamahora amubalwa siqale isikole.[9] Kwakunamaqembu abantu besifazane basendaweni ababelima kwindawo yase Phoenix Settlement. Babechazwa njengomphakathi ozimele; babelima bephinde bedayise.[10] Ngokuphuma kwesikole, wayeba nezifundo zeBhayibheli, ehamba umuzi nomuzi eshumayela kumphakathi, umphakathi wase New Farm wawuyijabulela lempilo.[11]
Kuyathakaselisa ukuba, ngesikhathi sobadlululo, abantu besifazane babekwazi ukuphatha isikole bekwazi nokuhola umphakathi; kuthiwa umphakhathi wawunganankinga nalokhu. Njengoba isikole sasigcina ebangeni lesine, abafundi babeqhubeka namabanga aphakeme eShembe Primary, isikole esisendaweni yasekuphakameni, sakhekha ngosizo lwendodadana ka Mupholofidi u-Isaiah Shembe, uGalile Shembe owayenguthisha. I-Shembe Primary School kwakungisikole sikahulumeni kanti i-Othandweni yayizimele. Emuva kokuqeda ibanga lesine, abafundi base Othandweni babeya eShembe Primary, kithiwa amalipoti abo ayengamukelwa, kwakumelwe baphinde bahlolwe ukuqinisekisa ukuthi bakulungele ukuyokwenza ibanga lesihlanu.[12]
Othisha nabahlengikazi abaninigi nabaholi bomphakathi baqala ukufunda Othandweni. Abafundi ababevela Othandweni babemiswa phambili emthandazweni yesikole ukuthi bahlolwe phambi kwabanye abafundi. Lesi senzo sichazwa njengesenzo esiphathisa ngamahloni.[13] Sasengenziwa kubafundi ababevela kwezinye izikole zika hulumeni, abafundi ababevela Othandweni babephathwa ngendlela ehlukile noma sebephumelele kwizivivinyo zokungena kwibanga lesihlanu. Lesisikole sasungulwa ngenxa yokushoda kwezikole zabafundi abamnyama kodwa abafundi bakhona babebandlululwa kwizikole zahulumeni ngezindlela ezahlukile. Kukholelwa ekutheni, uMam’Ndlovu bayebukela kakhulu ku John Dube, ekholelwa ezimisweni zakhe; kubalwa nangendlela ayekholelwa ngayo ekutheni abantu abamnyama bathole amathuba nemfundo ezobenza bakwazi ukuzimela.[14] Isikole sakwazi ukuqhubeka iminyaka emibili kuphela emuva kokuthi ahambe emhlabeni.
Indlela yokuphila yaphazimeseka ngezibelu eziphatheleni nezombusazwe ngesikhathi sika hulumeni wobandlululo. Kwaqala kwanda abantu abaqhamuka kwezinye izindawo, bathutheleka eNew Farm. Iqeqebana Labantu abangamaMpondo ababesebenzela amandiya ezimobeni baqala ukuthuzohlala endaweni, nokwanda kweqembu le-United Democratic Front kwenza abantu bande kakhulu.[15] Abantu ababengaziwa endaweni baqala ukuzisikela izindawo, bakha imijondolo. Emuveni kwalokho, kwaba nodlame phakathi kwabantu abamnyama namandiya ngonyaka ka-1985, i-Phoenix Settlement nesikole sakhona kwasha.[16] Isonto lavalwa. Indawo yase New Farm yashintsha yaba iBhambayi, indawo eyaziwa ngokugcwala imijondolo.
Kwisikhathi samanje, senkululeko, kwavulwa i-Phoenix Settlement ne Ohlange Institute njengezigicina magugu, okuhambiselani noshintsho kwezamagugu esizwe[17] Kulezindawo zombili, akukho lutho okulandisa ngo Mam’Ndlovu. Isikole sase Phoenix Settlement savulwa kabusha kwathiwa i-Kasturban Gandhi Primary School, bese savuleleka nakubanfundi abamnyama. Kwimnyaka engaphansi ka 10 edlule, isonto lavulwa kabusha kodwa selinegceke elincane ngenxa yokwanda kwemijondolo. Esontweni, kunethuba lokuthi kubekhona isikhumbuzo ngo Mam’Ndlovu, esichaza ngeqhaza alibamba. Endaweni lapho okwakukhona i-Othandweni, umndeni wakwa Ndlovu wakha izindlu bese lapho okwakukhona indawo yemidlalo sekwabakhona imijondolo. U-Mam’Ndlovu wadlala indima enkulu ukwakha umphakathi nokubanika ithuba lokufunda obekuyinto eyisidingo ngoba amathuba anjalo ayenqabile. Uyigugu kubantu ababeyinxenye yomphakathi wase New Farm kodwa kunesikhala sokuthi ahlonyishwe ngeqhaza alibamba.
[1] Isaga esabhalwa ngesilungu, sibhalwa ngu James Aggrey.
[2] Yize leligama lisho ukuthi abakholelwa kubu Krestu, lisetshenziwa ngababhali bomlando ukuchaza umphakathi wabantu abamnyama abangama Krestu abagxile kwezemfundo futhi beshumayela ivangeli okudlula isintu. Lomphakathi ubumela abantu abamnyama kwezepolitiki nakwezemfundo bekulumela abantu abamnyama ukuthi bathole impilo engcono. Babekwazi ukwenza lokhu ngoba babefundile, befunde nolwimu labaphathi bezwe nendlela yabo yokuphila. Amakholwa ayekholelwa ekutheni inkululeko ingazuzwa ngemfundo nangokuyilwelwa ngendlela engenalo udlame.
[3] Mandy Cibane, kwingxoxo nombhali,zingu 12 kuNdasa ngonyaka ka 2024.
[4] Heather Hughes ‘Politics and Society in Inanda, Natal: The Qadi under Chief Mqhawe, c1840-1906’ (PhD thesis, University of London, 1995), 49.
[5] H. Hughes, ‘Politics and Society in Inanda, Natal: The Qadi under Chief Mqhawe, c1840-1906’ (PhD thesis, University of London, 1995), 250.
[6] M. Cibane, 12 kuNdasa 2024.
[7] Bongani, Mthembu, kwingxoxo nombhali, 17 kuNdasa 2024.
[8] B. Mthembu, kwingxoxo nombhali, 17 kuNdasa 2024.
[9] B. Mthembu, 17 April 2024.
[10] Ibid.
[11] Ibid.
[12] Ibid.
[13] Ibid.
[14] Ibid
[15] Ibid.
[16] Loludlame lalwaziwa ngokuthi ama- Inanda riots, aqinesekisa ukuthi amandiya ayahamba endaweni kodwa abekho abashona kulesi sigameko. Kukholwakala ukuthi zenziwa izinkinga ze-politiki.
[17] Ohlange High School yagcina isiyisikole sika hulumeni, ayithinteka kulezigameko.