Albertina naWalter Sisulu

© Eric Miller

Umhlangano wekucala

Albertina Thethiwe wahlangana naWalter Sisulu asasebenta esibhedlela saseJozi lesibitwa ngekutsi yi’Johannesburg General Hospital’ nga 1941. Bekungumuntfu wepolitiki losemncane ngaleso sikhatsi.

Bekajwayele kuhamba naye emhlanganweni webantfu labasha benhlangano. Bekunguye yedvwa umuntfu wesifazane lobekahamba lomhlangano, bebakujabulela kuba khona kwakhe. Walter bekamudlalisa ngekuhamba kwesikhatsi atsi ‘vuma sthandwa sami wena botibonela sithandwa sakho kuphela’.

Walter wacela kutsi amushade

Bebatihambela edolobheni lase Jozi Walter nakacela kutsi amushade. Walter watsatsa sandla sakhe wamubuka emehlweni, wamucela kutsi amushade. Kusukela bahlangana wavele wabasematsandweni, ngiko kungatsatsanga sikhatsi lesidze kutsi amucele kutsi amushade. Bekangakayigadzi emphendvulo yakhe. Wamutjela kutsi bangakacabangi kushada, khona lokufanele akwati ngaye. Wamubuta kutsi yini lokufanele akwati, waphendvula watsi unebantfwana.

Watfuka ngalendlela yekutsi wate wayekela sandla sakhe. Wamubuta kutsi bangakhi? Waphendvula watsi batsatfu. Loku kwamenta wacabanga. Bekungasiyo intfo letsakaselwako emphakatsini kushada umuntfu wesifazane lonebantfwana. Wamubuta kutsi bangakanani ngebudzala.

Ngulapho amutjela khona kutsi watsatsa umsebenti wekunakekela bantfwana bakubo labancane emuva kwekushona kwebatali babo. Kwamuchaza Walter kuva loku. Wamutsembisa kutsi utomulekelela nasebashadile, futsi wasigcina leso setsembiso. Emuva kwaloko wamema umfowabo Albertina kutsi ete eSoweto atocedzelela sikolwa.

Indzaba lemnadzi yelitsandvo yaseNingizimu Afrika

Albertina naWalter bashada nga1944, Nelson Mandela bekasitolomisi lesikhulu. Baba nebantfwana babo labasihlanu (Max Vuyisile, Mlungisi, Zwelakhe, Lindiwe Kanye naNonkululeko) baphindze bapha likhaya labanye bantfwana labane. Ngemunyaka wa2003, Walter washonela etandleni temufati wakhe. Besebashade iminyaka lengu59.

Emgcwabeni wakhe, umtukulo wakhe wafundza lekhondlo lebhalwe nguAlbertina: “Walter, ngenteni ngaphandle kwakho? Bengivukela wena ekuseni, bengiphilela wena…Utsatfwe madimoni akadzeni kwekucala, kepha bengati kutsi utobuyela kimi. Nyalo kufa kukutsatsile kwashiya sikhala enhlitiyweni yami.” Budlelwane bakaSisulu bubonwa njenge ndzaba yelitsandvo lenhle kundlula tonkhe.

Translated by Thandokuhle Motha

Umsebenti lomuhla waAlbertina Sisulu

Albertina Sisulu, lowatiwa njengamake welive noma Ma Sisulu watiwa kakhulu njengemuntfu lowisane nelubandlululo phindze njengemfati wa Walte...more