My mother’s name is Nomusa Mabele and and my father is Patrick Gxalaba, I was born and raised in Georgedale. My father was born in Mthatha in a village called Moltina in the province of the Eastern Cape in 1969. My father’s parents are Emily Mchunu and Muzikatata Gxalaba. My mother was born in 1974 at a place called Ntuzuma in Durban by Eric Mabele and Bathini Ndimande.
My father comes from a big family. My grandfather was born in 1937 by John Gxalaba and Zombelethu Hlophe. My grandfather’s father had a farm so after he died my grandfather inherited it. My grandfather did not get a chance to attend school because at the age of 11 he used to work at his father’s farm feeding and milking animals though it was his father’s farm he did not get a wage. My grandmother was born in 1942 by Nonyembezi Mchunu and Mali Landu, my grandmother used her mother’s surname, she did not finish school too. She used to work at my grandfather’s father’s farm and that’s where he met my grandfather in 1950. After being together for a long time they had their first son in 1958 and after having a child together they were forced to get married.
In 1959 they moved to Johannesburg and they lived in Orlando East and that’s where my grandfather developed love for the team Orlando Pirates. In 1962 they had their second son and in 1963 they moved from that place because of apartheid and my grandfather was not a fighter he wanted to raise his kids, so after moving they went to live in a place called Gugulethu in Cape Town and there were no big fights in Cape Town. So they stayed for three years and in 1967 they moved back to their homeland. In 1969 my father was born and also in 1971 my aunt was born, my grandfather lost his farm to the whites. In 1980 they moved to Georgedale and they still live there. In 1982 my aunt was born and in 1986 they had their last born.
IsiZulu Summary
Igama lika mama wami uNomusa Mabele elika baba uPatrick Gxalaba. Ngizalelwe eGeorgedale. Ubaba wami wazalelwa endaweni yaseMthatha esigodini saseMoltina esifundazweni saseMpumalanga Kapa ngo 1969. Ubaba uzalwa uEmily Mchunu noMuzikatata Gxalaba. Umama wazalwa ngo 1974 endaweni yaseNtuzuma eThekwini, ezalwa uEric Mabele noBathini Ndimande.
Ubaba uzalwa emndenini omkhulu. Umkhulu wami wazalwa ngo 1937 uJohn Gxalaba noZombelethu Hlophe. Ukhokho wami wayeneplazi okwathi uma eshona lathathwa umkhulu wami. Umkhulu wayengafundanga ngoba wayelusa izinkomo zikababa wakhe.Ugogo wami wazalwa ngonyaka ka 194e uNonyembezi Mchunu noMali Landu naye akaqedanga esikoleni. Ugogo wayesebenza eplazini naye lapho babonana khona nomkhulu ngonyaka ka 1950. Bathola umntwana ngo 1958 base beyashada.
Ngonyaka ka 1959 bathuthela eGoli bahlala e-Orlando East. Ngonyaka ka 1962 bathola indodana yabo yesibili bathutha ngonyaka ka 1963 ngenxa yobandlululo. Bathuthela eKapa, eGugulethu. Bahlala khona iminyaka emithathu base bebuyela eMthatha. Ubaba walanywa odadewabo ababili nomfowabo oyedwa. Umkhulu lamlahlekela iplazi lakhe kwathi ngonyaka ka 1980 bathuthela endaweni yaseGeorgedale lapho sisahlala khona.