uNontsikelelo Uyazalwa
Uzelwe ngu Bonilizwe no Monikazi Thethiwe ngomhla wama 21 October 1918, kwisiphaluka sase Tsomo eTranskei. uNontsikelelo Thethiwe wayengumntwana wesibini kwabahlanu. Umama wakhe wayehlala egula rhoqo kwaye ebuthathaka emveni kokusinda kwisigulo esaziwa ngokuba yi Spanish Flu kwaye uNontsikelelo kwakufuneka ejonge wakhathalela abantwana bakowabo abancinci.
Wathi xa eneminyaka elishumi nanye wasweleka utata wakhe wathi xa egqiba iminyaka elishumi elinesihlanu umama wakhe wasweleka naye, lemeko yamshiya ke enyanzelekile okokuba athabathe indawo yokuba ngumama ngokupheleleyo kubantwana abancinci kuye abathathu azalwa nabo. Wathabatha igama elithi Albertina ngexesha engena isikolo eXolobe.
Wathi ngexesha efikelela ekupheleni kwezifundo zamabanga aphantsi wayesele emdala ngeminyaka emibini kwabanye ogxa bakhe awayefunda nabo oku kwakusenziwa kukuba wayehlala engekho esikolweni. Ngaphandle koko, wayebalasela kwizifundo zenkcubeko nokudlala ibhola de wanyulwa njengentloko eyintombazana yabafundi. Linye ixesha apho iminyaka yakhe ingazange imsebenzele khona, xesha elo wathi waphulukana nokufumana izifundo zasimahla zeminyaka emine zamabanga aphezulu, nangona waye phumelele kwindawo yokuqala kolo khuphiswano.
Ootitshala baka Albertina baba nomsindo kakhulu kukungaphathwa kakuhle kwakhe, de babhalela iphepha ndaba lesixhosa elalibizwa ngokuba, Imvo Zabantsundu, bezama ukwenza ityala eliluqilima ukuze ayifumane imbasa yokhuphiswano. Ezindaba zibhaliweyo zamenza umdla uMfundisi we cawe yasekuhlaleni yama Roma (Roman Catholic Mission) ze wathetha noTata uBernand Huss kwi kholeji iMariazell.
uAlbertina wafumana ukufunda simahla iminyaka emine eMariazell, ze ilali yakhe yonke yabhiyozisana naye. Iimeko ngeloxesha eMzantsi Afrika zazingavumeli okokuba abantwana abaninzi bafumane imfundo. Ubhuti wakhe omdala wayenga fundanga, endaweni yoko, kwakufuneka egade Imfuyo asebenzele okokuba usapho lufumane okutyiwayo.
Ukusebenza njengo Mongikazi
Ekugqibeni kwakhe izifundo zamabanga aphezulu, uAlbertina kwakufanele athathe isigqibo sokuba uzakwenza ntoni emveni koko. Iphupho lakhe yayikukuba ngu Titshalakazi, kodwa iimeko zange zimvumele afezekise eliphupho. Wayejike walandela inkolo yobu Katoliki (Catholic) ngexesha efunda eMariazell kwaye, ezixelele akasokuze atshate, wayethathe isigqibo sokuba ngu Nongendi.
Ngaphantsi kwengcebiso zika tata uHuss, wabona okokuba ukuba nguNongendi kungenza kubenzima ukuxhasa usapho lwakhe. Oonongendi abafumani mfuzo kwaye abavumelekanga ukushiya izikhundla zabo emishini. Oko kwakuzakuthetha okokuba uAlbertina akazokwazi ukunceda usapho lwakhe ngokwemali okanye ababone xa bemdinga.
Ngezo zizathu wagqiba ekubeni abengu Mongikazi. Ngemali awayeyifumana ngexesha ephantsi koqeqesho, kwaye esebenza njengo Mongikazi yamnceda akhathalele oobhuti noo sisi bakhe, ebafundisa. Waqala uqeqesho kwisi bhedlela sase Rawutini iJohannesburg General Hospital ngonyaka ka 1940 waze waqala njengo mongikazi osebenza ngokubelekisa amanina akhulelweyo ngonyaka ka 1946.
Kwakunyanzeleka ahambe ngenyawo xa endwendwela izigulane ezihlala elokishini, ephethe izixhobo zakhe zokunceda namayeza esikhwameni esibeke entloko. Kwaku ngelixesha esebenza njengo Mongikazi apho uAlbertina wathi wadibana nalowo wayezakuba ngumyeni wakhe, uWalter Sisulu. Ilungu le African National Congress (ANC) kwaye engomnye wabaqeqeshi bokuqala baka Nelson Mandela.
uWalter wayengene nzulu kwezopolitiko kwaye eyinxalenye yazo, kungekudala uAlbertina watsaleka bubuqabane bezopolitiko. Wazimisela de wadlala indima enkulu ekupheliseni umbuso worhulumente wengcinezelo, ejonge phambili amashumi weminyaka yokuhluku nyezwa ngu rulumente, ukuvalelwa entolongweni nobunzima. Wade waziwa njengo ‘Mama weSizwe’.
iFlegi Zelizwe Zibhabhiselwa Ezantsi
uAlbertina Sisulu wafikelela ekupheleni kobomi bakhe ngomhla we 2 June 2011 eneminyaka engama 92. Wayekwikhaya lakhe eLinden, eRhawutini ebukele umabonakude nabazukulu bakhe, wasutywa kukugula. Aboncedo lokuqala bezempilo baxhabasha bafika, kodwa abazange bakwazi ukuvuselela ubomi bakhe.
Owayengu Mongameli weli loMzantsi Afrika ngeloxesha uJacob Zuma, wandwendwela usapho lwakhe eyokubonisa intlonipho yakhe. uJacob Zuma wenza isibhengezo sokuba uyakuthi umama angcwatywe ngu Rhulumente kwaye iflegi zelizwe ziyakuphephezeliselwa ezantsi kunesiqhelo ukususela ngomhla we 4 June ukuyokuma kusuku lokungcwatywa kwakhe ukubonisa imbeko.
iAlbertina ushiye abantwana bakhe uMax, Mlungisi, Zwelakhe, Lindiwe, kunye no Nonkululeko nabazukulwana abangamashumi amabini nesithandathu (26) nabazukulwana besizukulwana abathathu (3).
Translated by Zikhona Plaatjie
Isizathu sokuba uMandela anikeze ixesha lokonwabisa aba bafazi- kwaye yayingumbono wakhe- yayingu mceli mgeni kwilizwe....