Isishoshovu samalungelo abantu ,wazalelwa eThekwini, Fatima Meer (Agasti 12 1928 – Mashi 13 2020), waqokwa njengomunye wabaholi bezombusazwe besifazane abavelele eNingizimu Afrika. Umsebenzi wempilo yakhe kwakungukulwa nenqubomgomo yengcindezelo yobukoloni nobandlululo, futhi wawuthatha lo msebenzi ngesasa. Kangangokuthi waba ngowesifazane wokuqala owavinjelwa umbuso wobandlululo ngo-1952. Isimo esesabekayo sikaMeer sabonakala ezicini eziningi zomsebenzi wakhe kubandakanya nokugqugquzela kwakhe izinhlangano zomphakathi, amandla akhe okuhola imikhankaso eminingi yempikiswano, iziqu zakhe zemfundo kufaka phakathi ukushicilelwa kwezincwadi ezingu-40, nokuzinikela kwakhe ekukhuthazeni “ukuqonda kwezinhlanga” kuyo yonke impilo yakhe. Amakhono akhe ahlonishwa kakhulu kangangokuthi wanikezwa isihlalo kwikhabhinethi kaNelson Mandela ekuqaleni kwentando yeningi yaseNingizimu Afrika ngo-1994. Kodwa-ke, wenqaba lesi simemo esihloniphekile, wakhetha ukunikela ngamandla akhe ezinhlanganweni zomphakathi nasemisebenzini engekho ngaphansi kukahulumeni. UMeer uhlale enezwi elibalulekile lenguquko empilweni yakhe yonke futhi ubezibophezele ekuthuthukiseni imfundo nasekulekeleleni kubulungiswa besikhashana. Kwabaningi, “uyi-icon sangempela sentando yeningi yaseNingizimu Afrika” futhi igalelo akhe nefa lakhe kufanele likhunjulwe futhi ligujwe.
Isishoshovu ebuncaneni
Ukushisekela ezombusazwe kukaMeer kwaqala esemncane. Uqhamuka “emndenini wamaSulumane” futhi wakhulela emndenini okhuthaze ikhono lakhe lokungabaza isimo esibandlululayo. Uyise, uMoosa Meer, wayengumhleli wephephandaba i-Indian Views iphephandaba elilwa namakholoni eyayigxeka umthetho wabamhlophe abambalwa. Ngakho-ke uMeer wakhula enokuqonda okucacile ngokungalingani ngokobuhlanga nokubandlululwa okwakubonakala ngezikhathi, kanye nesidingo sokuphikisana nalokhu kucindezelwa. Ngesikhathi eneminyaka engu-16, esafunda e-Durban Indian Girls High, waqoqa imali yokweseka indlala eNdiya, kwathi ngokuhamba kwesikhathi wahlanganisa abafundi ukuthi bajoyine i-Passive Resistance Campaign, eyayiholwa uMK Gandhi. Lokhu kwazi ezepolitiki nokuzibophezela kuzoqhubeka impilo yakhe yonke.
Ubushoshovu bokulwa nobandlululo nokunikeza amandla abesifazane
IMeer engabhekwa njenge-icon yesifazane. Lokhu kuyacaca lapho sihlola umnikelo wakhe ekukhuthazeni ukulingana ngokobulili ezindaweni eziningi. Wayengomunye wabesifazane bokuqala “ukukhethwa njengesikhulu se-Natal Indian Congress” futhi waphinde wasungula i-Durban and District Women’s League ngo-1952 ngenhloso yokunciphisa ukungezwani phakathi kwabantu base-Afrika kanye nabaseNdiya. Uqhubeke waba yilungu elasungula i-Federation for South African Women (FEDSAW) kanye ne-Black Women Federation – kanye noWinnie Mandela, lapho uMerer asebenza khona njengomongameli wokuqala wale nhlangano. I-FEDSAW idume kakhulu ngemashi yayo yango-1956 yokulwa namaphasipoti ezikhathi zobandlululo abantu abamnyama baseNingizimu Afrika abaphoqeleka ukuba bewaphathe. Le mashi isathathwa njenge “mbuthano omkhulu kunayo yonke yabesifazane baseNingizimu Afrika emlandweni kuze kube manje”, lapho abesifazane abangu-20 000 bebhikisha e-Union Building ePitoli. UMey waya kule mashi ngalolo suku futhi waqhubeka nokulwela ukulingana ngokobuhlanga nangokobulili ngempilo yakhe. Ngemashi kanye nosizi lwanamuhla lwabesifazane eNingizimu Afrika, uMey wabelana nabo ngalokhu:
“Babelwa ngoba bengafuni ukuphatha ipasi. Ngiphatha ipasi nsuku zonke enhliziyweni yami. Ngoba njengowesifazane, angikwazi ukuhamba ngokukhululeka emigwaqweni. Asikwazi ukufuna inkululeko yethu njengabantu besifazane kuleli ngakho-ke kufanele siqhubeke nokulwa.
UMeer wayebuye abe ngumgqugquzeli wemikhankaso eminingi yokwedelela kanye nomsekeli oqotho we-Steve Biko i- Black Consciousness Movement. Lokhu kwaqinisa ukulwa kwakhe nombuso wobandlululo, okwathi phakathi kuka-1970 waphinde wavinjelwa umbuso – iminyaka emihlanu – ngemuva kokukhuluma emcimbini owawubizwa ngokuthi ” Twenty-Five Years of Apartheid Rule..” Ngemuva Kwesiphithiphithi sango-1976 e-Soweto Uprising, yena nezinye izishoshovu eziyishumi ezivela kwi-Black Women Federation “baboshwa bagcinwa ngaphansi kwesigaba 6 somthetho wobuphekula” bavalelwa bodwa. Ngemuva kokukhululwa kwakhe ejele, wasinda kukhona ozama ukumbulala ngokumdubula esemzini wakhe oseThekwini. Ngo-1980 wayelwela ukungabi nabulungiswa obabangelwa ngumasipala waseThekwini emalokishini kanti ngasekupheleni kweminyaka yama-1990 – ngemuva kokwenqaba isikhundla ephalamende – wakhuthaza abavoti baseNdiya ukuthi bagweme ukuvotela amaqembu ezombusazwe abamhlophe okhethweni oluzayo.
Ukwengeza ebushoshovini bakhe nasemisebenzini yezepolitiki, uthathe iminyaka engaphezu kwamashumi ayisithupha, kwaba ubuhlakani bakhe kwezemfundo. UMeer waba ngumfundisi wokuqala wombala ukufundisa e-The University of Natal lapho afundisa khona ezenhlalo kusukela ngo-1956 kuya ku-1988. Wayephinde abe ngumlobi osebenza kahle futhi waklonyeliswa ngeziqu kanye nemiklomelo eminingi empilweni yakhe yonke. UFatima Meer ngokungangabazeki wayehamba ngezithiyo nemikhawulo yengcindezelo, futhi wachitha isikhathi sempilo yakhe elwa nokungabi nabulungiswa. Ngalezi zizathu, ungomunye wezishoshovu ezihlonishwayo eThekwini. Ngamazwi akhe:
“Kungakhathaleki ukuthi mingaki iminyaka esiyichithile kulempilo, kumele sisukume simemeze.”
Izithombe ngezilokotho ze- Mail & Guardian, Sunday Times, South African History Archive, kanye ne-The South African.