By Nevani Nair
U-Papwa Sewgolum wayengomunye wabadlali abamnyama abaningi baseNingizimu Afrika abangazange bebonise igalelo labo ngenxa yobandlululo. Kodwa-ke ubukhona bakhe buyohlale bukhunjulwa futhi buyaqhubeka nokukhuthaza isizukulwane esisha segalufu.
UPapwa wazalwa ngo-1930 futhi wayehlala e-Riverside, eThekwini. Iminyaka yakhe eminingi yobuntwana wayichitha eshaya amabhola egalofu ebhishi nganoma yini efana neqembu legalufu. Uthando lwakhe lomdlalo lumenze ukuthi abe ngumsakazi.
Ngo-1959 uPapwa wathola ithuba lokudlala nabanye babadlali abahamba phambili begalufu ngaleso sikhathi kwi-Dutch Open e-Holland. Ukhombise amandla akhe ngokunqoba lo mqhudelwano. Kwakungo-1963 kuphela lapho uSewgolum avunyelwa ukudlala ezweni lakhe kwi-Natal Open e-Durban Country Club.
I-Group Areas Act wakwenza kwaba semthethweni ukuthi yena angene eklabhini. Kwakudingeka ashintshe ekomidini lakhe futhi adle ukudla kwakhe. Yize bekungemnandi, uPapwa waqhubeka wawina umqhudelwano.
Ukuphathwa kwakhe kwamenyezelwa kabanzi – izithombe zikaPapwa ethola indebe yakhe ngaphandle kwe-clubhouse zabonakala emhlabeni wonke futhi zabangela ukukhala emhlabeni wonke – kungekudala ngemuva kwalokho amazwe amaningi afaka unswinyo kwezemidlalo eNingizimu Afrika.
Ngo-1965, uPapwa wawina i-Natal Open Tournament yakhe yesibili ebhekene nengwazi yegalufu u-Gary Player. Kodwa impumelelo yakhe yaba yesikhashana – ngonyaka olandelayo wavalwa kuyo yonke imiqhudelwano yasendaweni futhi uhulumeni wobandlululo wahoxisa ipasipoti yakhe emvimbela ukuthi adlale ngisho nasemazweni angaphandle.
Engakwazi ukuziphilisa, uPapwa wafa ehlwempu ngo-1978 eneminyaka engu-48. Labo ababona uPapwa esebenza, babeqiniseka ukuthi ungomunye wabadlali begalufu abakhulu kunabo bonke abake benziwa emhlabeni, nokuthi uma benikezwa ithuba uPapwa wayezophumelela njengompetha womhlaba.
UPapwa Sewgolum kulindeleke ukuthi angafi kumafilimu aqoshwe yinkampani yendawo namafilimu nendodana yakhe u-Rajen Sewsunker.
Amaqiniso ngezulokotho ze-Great South Africans: The Great Debate