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Nontsikelelo a tswariwa

Utswariwe ari nwana wa Bonilizwe na Monikazi Thethiwe hiti 21 October 1918, e ndzhawini ya Tsomo ekhale ka Transkei, Nontsikelelo Thethiwe ari n’wana wa vumbirhi eka vana vantlhanu. Mhani wa yena a tshamela ku vabya naswona angahari na matimba endzhaku ko pona mavabyi ya Spanish Flu naswona Nontsikelelo a boheka ku hlayisa vamakwavu wa yena. Loko ari na malembe ya 11 tata wayena uvuye a lova naswona loko ari na malembe ya 15 kuvuye ku lova mhani wa yena, leswi nga nwisiya ari ka xiyimo xa makumu xakuva mutswari laha a fanele a hlayisa vamakwavo wa yena vanharhu. U tekile vito ra Albertina loko a sungula xikolo e Xolobe. Hinkarhi lowu anga heta tidyondzo tale primary ari nkulu hi malembe yambirhi eka lava a dyondza na vona hinkarhi walowo hikuva a tshama angari kona exikolweni. E handle ka leswi, a famba emahlweni eka migingiriko ya vuti olori na swandzhavuko naswona uvuye a hlawuriwa kuva murhangeri wa vadyondzi. Nkarhi wunwe lowu malembe yakwe yanga nwiveka eka xiyimo xoka xingari kahle hiloko ata tsoniwa mpfuneto wa tidyondzo ta mune wa malembe yale high school, hambi leswi a hume e mahlweni kumbe xiyimo xosungula eka mphikizano. Vadyondzisi va Albertina ava kwatisiwile swinene hikuva a khomiwile hi ndlela leyi yoka yinga tshamisekanga naswona vatsalele phephahungu rale kusuhi ra xi-Xhosa, Imvo Zabantsundu, laha avatshemba leswaku kutava na case yotiya leswaku ata kota ku bukuta sagwadi leri. Hungu leri rikoke rinoko ra vaprista eka kereke yale kusuhi ya Roman Catholic Mission laha vanga burisana na Father Bernard Huss e Mariazell College. Albertina uvuye a nyikiwa scholarship xa mune wa malembe e Mariazell naswona tiko rakavona ritlangerile. Swipimelo e tikweni aswivula leswaku akuna vana votala lava nyikiwaka nkateko lowu wa dyondzo. Boti wakwe lonkulu yena anga nghenangi xikolo. Kambe hambi swiritano, a risa tihomu xikan’we na ku tirha leswaku kutava na swakudya endyangwini.

A tirha tani hi Nese

Loko atava a hetile xikolo xale henhla Albertina a langutane na xiboho xaleswaku xana uta kota ku endla yini endzhaku ka swona. Norho wakwe akuri kuva mudyondzisi, kambe xiyimo axinga pfumeli leswaku norho wayena wufikeleleka. Uvuye a cincela eka vukhongeri bya Catholicism hinkarhi lowu ari e Mariazell naswona, leswi aswivula leswaku anga fanelanga ku tekiwa, kutani a hundzuka nun.

Ehansi ka vutsundzuxi bya Father Huss, u kote kuvona leswaku loko a hundzuka nun swita n’witikela kuva a hlayisa ndyangu waka vona. Ti nuns ava holi muholo naswona ava suki laha vanga vekiwa kona. Leswi aswita vula leswaku, Albertina anga ta kota ku pfuneta ndyangu wa yena hi mali kumbe kuvavona loko valava kun’wivona. Kutani a teka xiboho xova nese.

Hi mali leyi ayi hola hinkarhi lowu ari eku leteriweni tani hi nese yipfunete ku hlayisa vaboti wa yena na sesi, laha yingava nghenisa xikolo. U sungule kuleteriwa e Johannesburg General Hospital hi lembe ra 1940 kutani a sungula tani hi midwife hi 1946. Himinkarhi yotala a famba hi milenge kuya vhakela vavabyi van’wana e lokixini, laha ava a khome switirhisiwa na sutikhesi leyi a rhwala enhlokweni.

Akuri hinkarhi lowu a tirha tani hi nese laha Albertina anga hlangana na loyi atava nuna wa yena, Walter Sisulu. Tani hi xirho xa vandla ra African National Congress (ANC) un’wana wa mudzaberi wa khale wa Nelson Mandela, Walter a hoxa xandla swinene eka tipolotiki naswona hiku hatlisa u nghenise na Albertina eka kuva valwela ntshuxeko.

Uye emahlweni a rhanga emahlweni eka ku lwisana na mfumo wa xihlawuhlawu, laha anga tikuma arikarhi a xanisiwa hi mfumo wa xihlawuhlawu, ayisiwa e khotsweni naku tikiseriwa vutomi. Uvuye a tiveka swinene tani hi ‘Mother of the Nation’.

Mijeko yi chichiwa yita ehansi nyana

Albertina Sisulu u hundzile emisaveni hiti 2 June 2011 ari na malembe ya 92. Ari ekaya ka yena e Linden, Johannesburg loko arikarhi a vona TV na vbatukulu vayena loko ata sungula ku vabya swinga languteriwanga. Va xilamulela mhangu vavuye vatsutsumela e mutini yakwe kuya n’wiponisa, kambe loko vafika vakume leswaku xiyimo axingaha pfumeli leswaku va ponisa vutomi bya yena.

Khale ka president ya Afrika Dzonga hinkarhi walowo, Jacob Zuma, u vhakele ndyangu kuya rila navona. U tivisile leswaku manana Sisulu uta xiximiwa hi nkosi wa tiko laha mijeko ayi fanele kuchichiwa kukomba leswaku kule ku riliweni e tikweni kusuka hiti 4 June ku kondza kuya fika siku raku lahliwa ka yena. Albertina u siyile vana, Max, Mlungisi, Zwelakhe, Lindiwe na Nonkululeko xikan’we na vatukulu va 26 na switukulu ndhuna swinharhu.

Translated by Ike Ngobeni