E kaya na Dr Peter Magubane

© David Meyer-Gollan

Vutomi bya ntirho

Kamara ro dzumba eka rona ra Dr Peter Magubane ritaleriwe hi swimbitani swokhavisa swa mihlovo-hlovo leswingana vuhlalu xikan’we na swovatliwa. E khoneni kuna gramophone yakhale swinene leyingalo gel aha etlhelo kayona kungana xifaniso xa yena a khome poropita xa muhlovo wa ntima na wobasa.

Endzhaku nyana kuna xidloko, ni jaha ntiyela ra Sophiatown riyimekile. Loko atshama kusuhi na fasitere, kusungula kuva naku vonakala hi misisi ya Dr Magubane leyi yandhuma yobasa. Xifaniso lexi hinga siyiwa na xona hi lexi xa wanuna loyi ntirho wakwe evuton’wini awu hambanyiseki ni matimu yaku ringana hafu ya century ya tiko ra Afrika Dzonga.

Kusuka eka muchayeri kuya eka muteki wa swinepe

Sophiatown,1955. I muqivela namadyambu. Majaha na tintombi lavanga bomba se vahumile kuya hungasa, vabombile swinyawula. Tintanghu ta swirhendze swo leha tiku rat-a-tat-tat eka switarata leswi swa ritshuri. Vunanga byo tsokombela bya jazz byi ku tshuneta ekusuhi na shebeen yale kusuhi.

Endzeni kutwala foot-tapping, saxophones na mabulu yoka yanga heli. E khoneni kutshame jaha ntiyela ro yimeka ra 23 wa malembe Peter loyi adya mabulu nivanghana vakwe kusuka eka Drum, Can Themba 'the English master' na Bob Gosani 'the brilliant photographer'.

Kunga se hela na lembe Peter atirhile swinyawula kusuka eka kuva muchayeri kuya eka muteki wa swinepe eka magazine leyi. Vayisa lavanharhu, hivan’wana va tinyiko leti Sophiatown yinga tikurisa. Loko van’wana vahlawule tipolotiki kuva valwisana na ntshikelelo xikanwe na xihlawuhlawu, Peter a hlawule camera. Aya emahlweni a hlamusela, 'Andzi lava ku hlayisa vutomi bya vantima va Afrika Dzonga hinkarhi walowo. Leswi hileswi nga ndziyisa eka kuteka swinepe.'

Peter hinkarhi wava 1955 anga switivi leswaku malembe lawa ya landzelaka yan’wi khomele yini. Sophiatown, namuntlha. Loko Peter akarhi a chayela exikarhi ka Sophiatown kuya e Soweto, a tsundzuka vuhlangi byakwe eswitarateni leswi. Tiyindlu ta xikhale tale mayini, leti akiweke eka ndzhawu leyi ya Sophiatown ti akeriwa ndzhawu yo tshama valungu ya Triomf ('Triumph'), misava leyinga fuwa swinene hi matimu.

Swatika swinene kutsundzuka masiku yankoka yale Sophiatown leyinga tswala valweli vantshuxeko na vanhu va vutshila kufana na Peter. Switarata leswi switele hi matimu ya vujaha bya yena: camera yakwe yosungula leyi tata wakwe anga n’wi nyika yona, rirhandzu ra mama wakwe naku tikhoma kahle, yindlu ya xibokisani leyi ndyangu wakwe awutshama eka yona, kutlhaviwa himukwana siku rin’wana ari eku tlangeni.