Noni Jabavu

Noxa uNoni Jabavu iligama aziwa ngalo kwihlabathi jikelele kubalulekile ukuqaphela ukuba igama lakhe elipheleleyo nguNontando Helen Jabavu. Kwicala lakhe kukho imfuneko emandla ngokwembali nengqondo yokuba aphephe izehlo zokwenyani zobumi babumini. Nkqu umhla wakhe wokuzalwa awuchaneki njengoko maxawambi kuthiwa wazalwa ngowe-1919 okanye ngowe-1921. Kubonakala ngathi uNoni Jabavu wayengafuni nto emayamanisa ngokwembali kunye nobuzwe bakhe kunye nokubunjwa kwenkolo yakhe ngokwenkcubeko. Iincwadi zakhe ezimbini, Drawn in Colour (1960) kunye nenye ethi The Ochre People: Scenes from South Africa (1963) nezabhalwa ebutsheni bexesha lakhe njengombhali, nezonwabisa umxhelo ngokumangalisayo, zibonisa ukuba uJabavu wayethanda ukuzichaza ngokungakhethi cala ngokubhekiselele kubuzwe bakhe: engumntu oNtsundu nowaseNtshona ngaxesha nye, elanda umnombo wakhe wokuzalwa eNgilani naseMzantsi Afrika noxa wayengazalwa ngabazali beentlanga ezahlukileyo ngebala. Isizathu sokuzibeka kwakhe kwanti ngokuthi angalandeli mnombo uthile kungokuba noxa iinkcubabuchopho eZintsha eziNtsundu, ababhali, iinkokheli zopolitiko zexesha lakhe, ezifana noEzekiel Mphahlele okanye uJordan Ngubane okanye uNelson Mandela okanye uNadine Gordimer kuye kwafuneka bashukuxe uqhekeko olukhoyo ngokwembali phakathi kwesiko nenkolo yabumini. UNoni Jabavu wava kusisidingo ukuba akhabe ngawo omane oko wayekubona njengesiko ukuze amkele ngokupheleleyo inkolo yabumini. Kwabanye abantu, ngokwesimo saseAfrika, inkolo yabumini nesiko zazingumtya nethunga yaye zingohlukani. KuNoni Jabavu inkolo yabumini nesiko yayimihlambi eyalanayo. Indlela awayebona ngayo inkolo yabumini nesiko yayifuna nekaR.V. Selope Thema nowabanegalelo elikhulu embaleni njengoJabavu: ubungqondi babo neemvakelelo zabo zifana ngokuselubala. Noxa babeshiyana phantse ngeminyaka engamashumi amane (uR.V. Selope wazalwa ngowe-1886), umquli ongobomi bukaSelope Thema owabhalwa ebutsheni beminyaka yoo-1930 nongazange upapashwe othi: Out of Darkness: From Cattle-Herding to the Editor’s Chair ungathathwa njengomquli ozoba ngokucacileyo imizila yembali yohambo lwenkolo kaNoni Jabavu. Xa kubuyelwa umva kujongwa indlela enovakelelo nochukumiseko athi uR.V.Selope Thema acacisayo ngayo kumqulu ongobomi bakhe ukuhlangana kwakhe Elijah Makiwane|noElijah Makiwane (1850-1928) nowayetyelele uMntla weRhawuti esuka kwaSomgxada eDikeni eyokumemelela ukuba abantu baguqukele kwinkolo yabumini nobuKrestu, amasolotya ahlanganisa uNoni Jabavu noR.V.Selope anzulu ngokwembali. Yayiyinkolo yabumini eyayilandelwa nguElijah Makiwane eyenza ukuba uSelope Thema ashiye ‘ubuxaza’ ‘nobumnyama’azayamanise ‘nempucuko’ ‘nokhanyo’ ngokuthi athathe uhambo olude olusingise kwaSomgxada ukuya kufumana imfundo yabumini yobuKrestu. UElijah Makiwane wayengumakhwekwhetha wovuko-mbuso leminyaka yoo-1880 nalapho amaXhosa ayephicotha intsingiselo yenkolo yabumini ngokwembali. UMakiwane wayelilungu leNtlangano yeMfundo yakwaSomgxada nesiGqeba seMfundo sabaNtsundu. Amanye amalungu ayequka uWalter B. Rubusana, Pambani Jeremiah Mzimba, Isaac Wauchope, John Tengo Jabavu (utatomkhulu kaNoni Jabavu). UMakiwane ubhala amavo abalulekileyo angabongqondi, imbali nezopolitiko kwiphephandaba likaJohn Tengo Jabavu Imvo Zabantsundu ngokubaluleka kokulandela inkolo yabumini kubantu abaNtsundu. UJohn Tengo Jabavu wayengumntu wokuqala oNtsundu ukubangumnini wephephandaba eMzantsi Afrika.

Esi sizukulwana sikaTiya Soga sizinkcubabuchopho ngamalungu athi azala inkcubeko yabumini yesiNtu eMzantsi Afrika. UD.D.T. Jabavu (utata kaNoni Jabavu) walinga ukusasaza le nkcubeko yobunkcubabuchopho kweli kwiminyaka emininzi ayichithe njengomfundisi-ntsapho KwaNokholeji. UD.D.T. Jabavu sisifundiswa sokuqala esiNtusndu ukubamba isihlalo eMzantsi Afrika. Ukubaluleka kukaNoni Jabavu kubo bonke obu budlelwane buphixeneyo bobunkcubabuchopho kukuba umele ukubhangiswa kwenkcubeko ethile yobunkcubabuchopho nentsusa yabo ifumaneka kuTiyo Soga. Yaba nguElijah Makiwane owathi wamanya uNoni Jabavu noR.V. Selope Thema oku ekwenza ekhokelisa indlela yabumini awayephila ngayo kulo maxesha amandulo. Amandla abonakala engenakucaciseka weencwadi zikaNoni Jabavu ngenkangeleko yakhe noR.V. Selope Thema ebutsheni boo-1960 aye acaciswe xa esi sibini sibekwa kwisangqa sesiko lobunkcubabuchopho. Ngelixa kupapashwa uDrawn in Colour, le ncwadi yathakazelelwa zinkcubabuchopho ezimbini ezingoompondo zihlanjiwe eMzantsi Afrika, uZ.K. Matthews noNadine Gordimer. UZ.K. Matthews wazoba ingqokelela yemifanekiso enikisa umdla yeenkcubabuchopho Ezintsha zesiNtu kwiphephandaba Imvo Zabantsundu ukususela ngomhla wesi-3 kweyeSilimela ukuya ngomhla wama-20 kweyoMnga ngomnyaka we-1961. Le mifanekiso yayisusela kuJohn Knox Bokwe ukuya John Langalibalelele Dube ukuya kuthi ga kuSolomon T. Plaatjie. Naku uZ.K. Matthews awathi wakuthetha ngoNoni Jabavu: “UHelen Nontando Jabavu, nowaziwa kwihlabathi jikelele ngoku njengoNoni Jabavu, yintombi yesibini yongasekhoyo uD.D.T. Jabavu. Intombi enkulu yaye yasweleka ebusaneni KwaNokholeji. UHelen ufunde amabanga wakhe aphantsi kwisikolo soBuchule sakwaSomgxada kodwa wathi akugqiba amabanga wakhe aphantsi abazali bakhe bathatha isigqibo sokumthumela eUnited Kingdom ukuba aqhubekele phambi nemfundo yakhe [wayeneminyaka elishumi elinesine ubudala]….Kwizihlandlo ezibini awayethe wabuyela kuzo eMzantsi Afrika kwakuphantsi kweemeko zentlekele. Kwisihlandlo sokuqala sokubuya kwakhe wayebuyiswa kukusweleka kukanina ukanti kwisihlandlo sesibini sokubuya kwakhe wayebuyela ukuza kuzimasa umngcwabo wokuphela komnakwabo awayenaye uNtengo. UNtengo wabulawa eGoli ngethuba awayesele ezakugqiba kwiSikolo sobuGqirha seYunivesithi yaseWitwatersrand. UNony Jabavu waye wabhala incwadi ethi Drawn in Colour emva kokubuya kwakhe kumngcwabo womnakwabo. Kule ncwadi wayecacisa ngamava wakhe emaZantsi eAfrika naseUganda. UNoni Jabavu wayeye eUganda ngokuya kutyelela udade wabo omncinci uAlexandra nowayetshatele ngoko kwindoda yohlanga iMaganda (ummi waseUganda). Udade omncinci kaNoni Jabavu wahlangana nale ndoda ngexesha yayifunda amabanga okuthweswa ngesidanga okokuqala kwaNokholeji. Le ncwadi yokuqala kaNoni Jabavu iphendlwe ngokuncomekayo kwiimvaba ngeemvaba noxa kukho nabo bayigxekayo. Bonke abo bakhe bayifunda bayakungqinelana ukuba le yincwadi emangazayo nalapho umbhali azibonakalisa njengomakhi-mkhanyo oneliso elibukhali yaye izimvo zakhe ngabantu neendawo zaseAfrika zibonisa umncono wokuqaphela nokukhula kwengqondo okwakungaqaphelwa nkqu nangabahlobo bakhe. Ukuthelekisa kwakhe izithethe zesiNtu nokusetyenziswa kwazo eMzantsi Afrika naseUganda, nalapho abonisa khona ukuthamba kwentliziyo xa ehlomla ngezithethe zalapha kunezo zaseUganda, kuchazwa ngokuba kwamenza ukuba angabingumbhali oyintandane eUganda nakwezinye iindawo eMpuma Afrika. Ukutsala kwakhe isihoyo kangangokuba enzile kubonisa oko amanina aseAfrika anakho ukukwenza kweli qonga lokubhala. Kungethemba ukuba namanye amanina amaninzi ayakuzeka mzekweni ukuze andise inani lababhali abangamanina eAfrika.” (Imvo Zabantsundu, eyeKhala 15, 1961). Mhlawumbi kudingeka ukuba kuphawuliwe ukuba uZ.K. Matthews waye wathatha isikhundla esafulathelwa nguD.D.T. Jabavu nawathatha umhlala phantsi ngo-1946. UNadine Gordimer, nongemncinci kuyaphi kuNoni Jabavu nowaqala ukupapasha iincwadi namabali wakhe amafutshane phambi kukaJabavu phakathi ngeminyaka yoo-1950, ngomnye wobabhali abangamanina baseAfrika abangoompondo zihlanjiwe nothe wanyusela kumanqwanqwa aphezulu ubungqondi baseAfrika. Uphendlo oluphume izandla lukaNadine Gordimer lwencwadi ethi Drawn in Colour kwiphephandaba iContact leLiberal Party kaPatrick Duncan noAlan Paton lufuna ngokumandla yaye lunyanzelisa ucaphulo olubanzi: “Kwingabula-zigcawu yencwadi yakhe, uNoni Jabavu ubhala ukuba ungumntu “wamazwe amabini neentembeko ezimbini; eMzantsi Afrika apho ndazalelwa khona naseNgilani apho ndafunda khona”, kodwa incwadi yakhe ibonisa ngokuselubala ukuba ungumntu welizwe lesithathu nabelana nalo nabantu abambalwa kakhulu. Eli lizwe lelo apho iintsapho ezidumileyo zesiNtu ezifana nooJabavu zenza ilinge lokuxuma iAfrika kwinto uBasil Davidson ayibiza “umhlaba wobuntu”. Eli linge lokuxuma iAfrika lenziwa ngemfundo, inkolo nokuzinekezela ngokupheleleyo kwingcinga kaVictoria-Edward yokuphila ngokukhululekileyo nangaphandle kwamakhamandela. Abakho baninzi abamemi baseMzantsi Afrika, abantsundu nabamhlophe, abayakulibona eli hlabathi njengelabo. Phantse yonke incwadi endinokuyicinga, ebhalwe ngumntu ontsundu, igxile kwintselo nokungabikho kwanto okuhlukumeza umntu ontsundu wasetyhini okanye oyindoda ophila ubomi baseNtshona. Le ncwadi isengela phantsi ukumangaza okuza njengokudaliweyo ngamasuntswana eendlela zaseNtshona nezesiNtu phantsi kwako knoke oko kwenzekayo. UNoni ubonakala echasele okwethamsanqa koko kwenzekayo ngalo mzuzu. Incwadi yakhe. Incwadi yakhe ayisokuze itsala ukugxekwa ngabakhi-khanyo eMzantsi Afrika. Ukunyaniseka kwayo okuzothileyo, imfudumalo yayo kwizinto zaseMzantsi Afrika – ilizwe lam, lilungile ligwenxa - nokuqaphela kwayo uqhagamishelwano oludala lokuqonda nokujonga phakathi kwabantu abaNtsundu kuquka nokungabikho madol’ anzima ukubiza “AmaBhulu”. Zonke ezi zinto ziyakwamkelwa eMzantsi Afrika ngothakazelelo olukhulu. Noxa kunjalo le ncwadi ndingayichaza njengeyona inobungozi xa ndiyijonga ngamehlo kamafelandawonye. Oku kungena yokuba umbhali wayo sesasidalwa sisuka esithubeni, ngumnqa kanongekhehle wexesha lengcinezelo, ungumntu oNtsundu ukwazileyo ukucubungela nomsonto abenze obakhe ubomi bomntu omhlophe, yaye la ndawo yencwadi yakhe (incwadi ephucuke kunene enesingqi esizothileyo) ithetha ngoMzantsi Afrika ityhila indlela entle ezidibana ngayo ezi nckubeko. Le ncwadi ikwenza oku ngokuthi ibonise ukuba ezi nkcubeko zizihlalutya njani iziganeko ezibalulekileyo zobomi ezifana nokuzala, ukutshata nokufa njengoko zikwenza oku ngokuncedisana. INtshona iza nokuqiqa nokhanyo kwisithethe ngokuthi ihambelana nezobuchwepheshe nezobunzululwazi kwihlabathi lale mihla. IsiNtu sizisa ukuqonda izidingo zeemvakalelo zomntu nzulu. Embindini wencwadi umbhali ugxila kwiMpuma yeAfrika apho uNoni wayetyelele khona udade wabo nowayetshatele kwindoda yesiNtu eligosa lasemthethweni eUganda. Uburharha bencwadi busikrobisa kubhaqo oluya kuye lubuye luqheleke kwiAfrika yonke yengomso kodwa okubhalwe kancinci ngalo. Abantu abaNtsundu abaphuma mbombo zone zelizwekazi iAfrika abaqhelenanga ngohlobo abamhlophe abangamafelandawonye abangaqhelananga ngayo eYurophu. Ubunye yingcamango yezopolitiko nesetyenziswa ukulwa ifuthe labamhlophe…UNoni Jabavu wayethe manga njengaye nawuphi na umkhenkethi waseMelika bubuchule bokulungisa ingxaki zamanzi ngezandla eMpuma Afrika. Imfundo yakhe ekhululekileyo nawayifumana ngesiNgesi nendlela abona ngayo isidima somntu ngokwesiXhosa kwaye kwamenza wabona ukuba isidima samanina asiselweso, wayelugcwabevu kukungabanjwa kwexesha ngabantu, oku kwakuthetha ukuba wayeye aphose amatheko athile awayethundeziwe ngabamemi ukuba angawaphosi. Izithethe zaBaganda ---ezentlalo nezesondo --- zazingaqhelekanga kudade kaNoni kangangokuba waqhawula umtshato wabuyela eMzantsi Afrika. Nencwadi nayo iye ibuyele eMzantsi Afrika--- Ngokuqinisekileyo (UNjingalwazi Jabavu) intombi yakhe ibhale incwadi ekhethekileyo, inesiphiwo sosiba. Ziyintlaninge izinto ezincomekayo ngale ncwadi endingazikhankanyanga noxa nazo zindichulumancisile ngokuzifunda nasekucingeni ngazo njengomongo. Indlebe kaNoni Jabavu, umzekelo ---ucumbungela nomsonto izingontsentse zesiNgesi zaseMzantsi Afrika yaye unakho ukuphimisela ngokupheleleyo ngesiNgesi ukuphixana okungaqondakaliyo kweelwimi zesiNtu ngendlela ecace gca nengenachaphaza. Ngokokwam, akazange abekhona umntu okwaziyo ukwenza oku ngaphambili. Kukwakho nendlela yakhe yokubhala ngezinto eziqhelekiyo: iilali nezindlu esingasaziboniyo --- de kube kanti ziyavela elubala ngendlela abhala ngayo ngokuziqaphela kwakhe ezi zinto. Kumaxesha amaninzi ungumbhali ongenasakhono sibheke phi, kodwa unobuchule, mntu wumbi uyakucinga ukuba obo buchule buvela ngqo ebomini, apho abonakalise ubuchule khona. Mhlawumbi ubhale engayazi, ngokuqinisekile engalingi ukubhala ngobuchule obunjalo, njengoko leyo iyiyo kuphela indlela yokuphumeza umlingo onjalo., incwadi engenagxeke. Ikhulile ndawuni yokuba ibengumquli odityanisiweyo. Iincwadi ezinjalo zinqabile. (“From the Third World”, Contact, April 16, 1960).

Ukugqobhozela kwayo ngendlela encomekayo nenolwamvila kuphendlo-banzi lweendlela zesiNtu ngexesha apho ukugxekwa kwesiNtu kwakuseyinto esakhasayo kwakuyinto enqabileyo kakhulu. Oku kuthathela ingqalelo ukuthanda imisebenzi kaNoni Jabavu kwakuyenye yezinto ezazishukuxwa nguNadine Gordimer ejonge kwimbali yeAfrika kwingqokelela yamavo ethi The Essential Gesture (1988), Writing and Being (1995), Living in Hope and History (1999) kunye nowonamsebenzi mkhulu kuphendlo-banzi loncwadi lwesiNtu, The Black Interpreters (1973). Kwiminyaka engamashumi amane susela oko kwathi kwavela olu phendlo, alukho uvavanyo lomsebenzi kaNoni Jabavu oluthe lwavela, okukho nolunye olukhe lwabhala olunokuthelekiswa kuvavanyo olwenziwa nguGordimer olwagcwele ziimvakelelo zemfobe. Nkqu nakwincwadi ubani ebenokulindela ukuba uNoni Jabavu akhankanywe, ukungabikho kwakhe kuselubala. UGordimer nosoloko egxekwa kabukhali, yaye ngokufanelekileyo ngokwelam uluvo, ngokungabikho kweembono ezixhasa ukukhululeka kwamanina kwiingxoxo zakhe zenkcubeko nopolitiko. Kweli ityeli ibabhulele amasaka abo baxhasa ukukhululeka kwamanina nabasoloko bemgxeka. Kunokwenzeka ukuba oku kuyaguquka kuba kwingqungquthela ethi abaBhali abangaManina kuLuntu oluLwimi-ninzi., neyayisingathelwe eDikeni, eMzantsi Afrika, kukho iingxelo zokuba uNoni Jabavu wathi waxakathiswa imixhaka (“Ingqungquthela ixakathisa uNoni Jabavu imixhaka”, Dispatch Online [eseMonti], eyoMqungu, 2001). Mhlawumbi esinye isizathu sokungabikho kwakhe uNoni Jabavu ezimbalini kukuba kunzima ukumbeka kwisikhundla esithile kwimbali yobunkcubabuchopho neyenkcubeko eMzantsi Afrika. UNoni Jabavu, njengoNadine Gordimer, ngowexesha lovuko-mbuso loncwadi lwaseSophiatown. UNoni Jabavu, njengoBessie Head, akafakwa kule ntshukumo. Kunokwenzeka ukuba ukuba uJabavu ngomnye wabaxhasi bayo abaphambili. Enye yemibuzo ephambili ephathelele kuNoni Jabavu yeyokuba, njengoR.V.Selope Thema, emva kokuqala kakuhle ukubhala ngobunkcubabuchopho, imniyaka yokugqibela engamashumi amane iyile ilize!

1. Njing. Pamela Maseko (2016) Consolidated Translation Practice