Umhlangano noNelson Mandela
UDorh Peter Magubane ukhumbula umhlanganwakhe wokuthoma ophephileko nendoda ezakuthi ngokukhamba kwesikhathi ibalwe njengabangani bakade. ‘Begade kumalanga lawa uMandela asebenza ngezomthetho. Begade ngidinga igcwetha elizokujamela ubaba ebegade abandakanyeke engozini yekoloyi, nje-ke ngaya kuMandela kanye nema-ofisini wakaTambo,’ uyakhumbula. ‘Ngaleso isikhathi begade ngingazi bonyana babandakanyeka kangangani epolitikini yenarha.
UMandela wangitjela bonyana umatasa khulu begodu azange avume ukuthathana namacalami, njengombana bekaqedelela umsebenzi ebegade banawo. Ngafanele bonyana ngithole elinye igcwetha.’ Ngokukhamba kwesikhathi, abentwana baka-Peter bababangani nabentwana bakaMandela ngombana begade bangena esikolweni esisodwa e-Swaziland.
‘Begade ngikghona ukubaqalelela ngesithuthi ukuthi baye esikolweni, njengombana begade bonyana unina [Winnie Madikizela-Mandela] bekangakghoni ukwenza bunjalo ngombana naye bagade adingisiwe. Okuhle kukhuthi begade nginabantu ebegade ngithembele kibo ebegade bangadanisi,’ kunaba u-Peter. Kabuthaka, pheze ngokungaka nqophi, kwakheka ubuhlobo phakathi kwabosopolitiki ababilaba — omunye okhuluma ngamezwi kanye nezenzo, nomunye okhuluma ngekhamera.
Ivakatjho le-Robben Island
UDorh Peter Magubane uvakatjhela uNelson Mandela ejele le-Robben Island, uqinisa ubuhlobo phakathi noMongameli walokha kanye nosokhamera. ‘Ngasebenzisa ibizo lesiXhosa — Ralanqobuso Mtirara. Angazi nokuthi bangivumela njani ukuthi ngingene, kodwana bangivumela. Sobabili sabuseleka emuva ukuyokubona bonyana isikhathi sele sisikhambele kangangani kodwana sobabili begade siqinile ehliziyweni,’ kutjho u-Peter.
UMandela wangithokozisa ngomsebenzi weenthombe ebegade ngiwenza ukukhuphela inarha ebaleni ngaphandle kokusaba.’ Umhlangano mufitjhani begodu kunzima ukuthoma ikulumo enye njengombana begade mapholisa amabili ajame eduze nabo. Kunjalo nje, u-Peter uyazi bonyana ukulumathana nokuthintana okuhle kwenzakele phakathi kwamadoda amabili.
Ithuba Elikhulu khulu
Ngomhlaka-11 kuMhlolanja 1990, uDorh Peter Magubane ucalana nokuswaba. ‘Ilanga lomlando omkhhulu khulu enarheni, lokha uMandela nakatjhatjhululwa ejele, kwapha ukuthatha kweenthombe kwami isitjhijilo esikhulu. Iwoma elikhulu labantu begade libuthene e-Victor Verster prison e-Paarl.
Abantu begade bakhwele phezu kweembhesi kanye namatrogo. Abathathi beenthombe begade bajame ngewumo begodu ngahlanganyela nabo ngilinga indawo elungileko ukwenzela ukufoda iinkhathi eziligugwezo. Nasele uMandela aphumela ngaphandle, iwoma loke labantu lasunduzanela phambili ngamandla kangangobana sagcina sele siminyezelekile.
Ebizelweni lami loke, leso begade kusikhathi sokuthatha iinthombe esimasikizi khulu lapho ngahluleka ukuthatha iinthombe khona. Ngangihlangahlangene khulu begodu ngiswabile, kodwana begade ngingenzani? Ebekukhona begade kukuthi ngiragele phambili ngiphumule ngokuzitjela bonyana ngakghona ukufoda ezinye iinkhathi eziphambili.’ Ithuba elikhulukhulweli liza lokha u-Peter abanomunye umhlangano noMandela.
Nanyana begade ahluleke ukufoda isikhathi esiqakatheke khulu nje ‘amagadango wokuthoma wetjhaphuluko’, u-Peter wahlonitjhwa ngokukhethwa njengomthathiinthombe kaMandela osemthethweni ukuthi abike bekagadangise itjhuguluko lenarha leminyaka emine lokuya entandweni yenengi.
Kuthoma Ikhambo
Kuthoma ikhambo lomlando. U-Peter uyincenye yezehlakalo zangamalanga ezenzakalako emaphilweni wamaSewula Afrika ngesikhathi seminyakakhe emine yokuba sesikhundleni njengomthathi weenthombe osemthethweni. Usisebenzisa kuhle isikhathi sokuba seenkhundleni ezikulu ezikhona mayelana namathuba weenthombe avela endleleni yokuya etjhaphulukweni lepolitiki.
U-Magubane uhlathulula ngokuthi ubudlelwano bakhe noMandela baqina njani njengombana begade bakhamba boke ‘endleleni yokuthula boke’. ‘Besele sithembana begodu bagade sihloniphana kuhle.njengomthathiinthombe, njengomuntu otlola phasi umlando, angekhe wakghona ukukhuluma iqiniso nangabe awukghoni ukulibalela. Ngesikhathi seminyaka eqakathekileko le, ngazitholela leso isdingo sokuba nokubekezela; kufuze uzifundise ukuvuma bonyana amaphutha ayenziwa.’
Isithombe Esithandekako
Uzokufumana iinthombe zakaMandela ancamile begodu abambe umntwana; kesinye isikhathi uyagida bekajayive. Le yindoda amaSewula Afrika amhlophe ebagade bacabanga bonyana izokuhluka.
Esikhundleni sokuqinisekisa ukusaba kwabo okukhulu wokungaqotjhwa enarheni, wabapha izandla zokuthula, ngokuthi: “Izani, sisebenzeni soke, asakheni inarha le soke.” Kubonakala iminyembezi emehlweni ka-Peter nakakhumbula iinkhathezi nesehlakalwesi esarholela esithombeni sakhe asithanda khulu encwadinakhe yesihloko esithi: Man of the People: A Photographic Tribute to Nelson Mandela.
‘Kungesinye salapho uMandela ajayiva khona emgidini we-72nd esathathwa e-Kippies e-Newtown, Johannesburg. Ukghona ukubona ithabo letjhaphuluko lirhanyazela emehlwenakhe.’ Lokha u-Peter anikela ngeenthombe ezilukhulu kuNelson Mandela wathi ‘Bengifuna ukukuthokoza Madiba ngokungithemba, begodu nokungipha ithuba lokutlola phasi umlando njengengcenye yepilwakhe.’ Emagameni kaNelson Mandela, isitori saka-Peter Magubane ngeenthombe zebandlululo, ‘sisize ukuvula indlela yetjhuguluko eSewula Afrika.’ Endleleni, u-Peter wazithola abekezelela ukuzidima yena kokhunye kwakhe.
Abadozi phambili, kanye nabajameli behlangano ye-African National Congress kwaba ngebokuthoma ukubotjhwa. Kwathi msinya ngemva kwalokho wal...