Albertina Sisulu - Imphilo Yelichawe

Nontsikelelo uyatalwa

©Eric Miller

Watalwa ngu Bonilizwe naMonikazi Thethiwe nga 21 October 1918, endzaweni yase Tsomo eTsankei, Nontsikelelo wesibili ebantfwaneni labasihlanu. Make wakhe bekahlala agula ngemuva kwekusindza emkhuhlaneni waseSpain loku bekwenta Nontsikelelo atitfole ahlale anakekela bantfwana bakubo labancane.

Nakana 11 babe wakhe washona, watsi nakana 15 kwaphindze kwashona make wakhe, loko kwashiya yena kutsi assale anakekele bantfwana bakubo labancane labatsatfu. Watfola leligama la Albertina nakacala kuya esikolweni eXolobe. Ngesikhatsi acedza sikolwa semabanga laphansi, bekasamdzala ngeminyaka lemibili kubotsanga yakhe, loku kwentiwa kutsi ucala sikolwa kamuva. Noma kunjalo bekenta kahle etintfweni tesintfu kanye netemidlalo, wakhetfwa kutsi abengumholi.

Lapho umnyaka wakhe waba inking khona ngulapho anganiketwa umfundzate weminyaka lemine noma ahambe phambili kwetemidlalo. Botsishela baAlbertina kwabakwatisa loku, bate babhalela liphepha ndzaba lesiXhosa kubonakalisa kungajabuli kwabo futsi bafisa kutsi Albertina aniketwe lomhlomelo.

Lena ndzaba yabonwa bafundisi baseRoma, lakhuluma neholi Bernard Huss wase Mariazell College. Simo sekuphila eveni besenta kungabi bantfu labanyenti labakhona kuya esikolweni. Bhuti wakhe lomdzala akayanga esikolweni. Abegadza tinkhomo, futsi afune kudla kwemndeni wonkhe.

Kuba ngunesi

Nakacedza sikolwa Albertina bekufanele ente sincumo kutsi utowentani emphilweni. Liphupho lakhe bekunguba ngutsishela, kepha simo besingavumi kutsi lokukwenteke. Nakasafundza eMariazell bekasatsatse sincumo sekuba yi’nun’ ahlale angashadi. Wabona kutsi kuba yi’nun’, kutoba yinkinga ngeke akhone kunakekela umndeni wakhe ngoba ema’nun’ akaholi.

Loku kwamenta watsatsa sincumo sekuba ngunesi. Ngalena mali bekayitfola ngekuba ngunesi, wakhona kusita kufundzisa bantfwana bakubo. Wacala kufundzela eJohannesburg General Hospital ngemunyaka wa1940, wase ucala kusebenta nga1946. Ngalesinye sikhatsi bekahamba ayohlola tiguli emakhaya atfwele tintfo takhe tekusebenta enhloko.

Asasebenta ngulapho khona Albertina wahlangana khona nendvodza yakhe Walter Sisulu. Njengemuntfu weANC, bantfu bekucala kufundzisa Mandela, Walter bekangene kakhulu kutepolitiki. Kungakudzala naAlbertina watitfola sekangenile kutepolitiki. Wadlala indzima lenkhulu kucedza libandlululo. Wagcina sekatiwa njengamake welive.

Emaflegi andizela phansi

Albertina Sisulu washona mhlaka 2 June 2011, aneminyaka lengu 92. Bekasekhaya lakhe eLinden abukela mabona kudze nebatukulu bakhe. Belisito lekucala bagijimela lapho, kepha bangakhoni kumuvusa. Mengameli wangaleso sikhatsi Jacob Zuma wavakashela umndeni wakhe ayowudvudvuta.

Wamemetela kutsi live litokhipha imali yemgcwabo wakhe phindze nemaflegi elive atondizela phansi kusukela nga 4 June kute kube lilanga lancwatjwa ngalo. Albertina ushiya ngemuva bantfwana bakhe bo, Max, Mlungisi, Zwelakhe, Lindiwe naNonkululeko kanye nebatukulu labangu26.

Translated by Thandokuhle Motha