Iminyaka Ka-Nelson Mandela Ejele kusho uBenjamin Pogrund

Uphawu lokwenqaba ubandlululo

©Eric Miller
Kulabo abamhlophe baseNingizimu Afrika uNelson Mandela wayengumfanekiso okhohliwe. Lokhu kwakunjalo nakwezinye izindawo zomhlaba: ngonyaka we-Rivonia Trial wokuqala iphephandaba-iNew York Times eyanyatheliswa mayelana nemibiko emibili lapho igama likaMandela eliveziwe khona; ngonyaka olandelayo, kubonakala kanye kuphela, futhi lokho kwakuphathelene noWinnie Mandela. Waqhubeka esebenza ngesibindi ukuze agcine igama lakhe lingabangela ukuba liphile, futhi lokhu kwenza inzondo yabasebenzi bezokuphepha. Ngesinye isikhathi, isinqumo sabonakala sithathwe abaholi beCongress Alliance emazweni angaphandle ukugxila emphakathini kuMandela: amandla akhe ahlonishwa futhi amenza abe isithonjana esifiselekayo.

Kuthatha isikhathi kodwa kancane kancane igama lakhe lafika phambili futhi lafika ekufanekiseni umzabalazo wokulwa nobubandlululo. Lokhu kwazibonakalisa ngezindlela ezincane ezingalindelekile: ngoMgqibelo ntambama ehlobo ngangihamba ngiya ehhovisi lasePitoli eGoli ngithumele incwadi ebhaliswe kuMandela ejele. Umuntu omnyama wayengumabhalane wenkantolo. Wayesekhathele futhi egaxekile ngaphesheya kwekhasi, ikhanda lakhe lihlezi engalweni yakhe. Nganikeza le ncwadi kuye, wayibukisa-kodwa, njengoba ebona igama, waphila ngesikhashana. Wahlala phezulu, amehlo akhe akhazimula, wanginika insizakalo engacabangi.

Ukubaluleka kukaMandela kutholakale

Phakathi neminyaka yama-1970 nango-1980, uhulumeni wobandlululo waqala ukuvusa ukubaluleka kukaMandela njengomholi. Njengoba ekhula, uhulumeni wesaba ukuthi uzofa ejele futhi abe ngumfelandawonye ekuhlanganyeleni emhlabeni wonke ukuphikisa ubandlululo. Ubekwe icala lokukhululwa ngumshana wakhe, uKhulu uKaiser Matanzima, noJohan Coetzee wePhoyisa lokuPhepha. Isimo sasiwukuthi uMandela kufanele avume ukushiya iNingizimu Afrika ngokwayo futhi aphile eTranskei, okuthiwa yi-bantustan ozimele ephethwe yiMatanzima. UMandela wenqaba.

UMandela kanye nabanye abahlanu abasondelene nabo badluliselwa eRobben Island baya ezimweni ezilula zejele lasePollsmoor ezweni. Kusukela ngo-1985, abefundisi beKhabhinethi baqala ukumhambela imihlangano eyimfihlo futhi wathathwa ukuze abone uMongameli uP. W. Botha.

Abangane Bavakashela e-Pollsmoor

Ngemva kweminyaka yokwenza izicelo ezibhaliwe ekugcineni ngavunyelwe ukumvakashela imizuzu engu-45. Ngatshelwa ukuthi ngivunyelwe ukumbona njengomngane, hhayi njengomlobi wezindaba, futhi kwakudingeka ngithembise ukuthi ngeke ngibhale ngakho. Lokhu kwakungelula kimi, futhi kwakudingeka ngithole amaphephandaba eRand Daily Mail ozakwabo ukuba bayamukele.

Ngangimazi umgcini wezokuphepha kaMandela, uWarrant Officer James Gregory. Phakathi neminyaka, kusukela kuRobben Island, umkami, u-Anne, nami sasithumele amaphakheji okudla okumnandi kuMandela ngesikhathi sikaKhisimusi. Ngonyaka owodwa, ngatshelwa ukuthi kwakuzokwabiwa nazo zonke iziboshwa esiqhingini. Ngashayela indlunkulu ejele futhi iphoyisa liqinisekisile lokhu.
'Ingabe usho ukuthi uma ngithumela i-kilogram eyodwa yamaswidi uzobahambisa phakathi kweziboshwa ezingu-1 400?' Ngibuzile.
'Yebo,' kwakuyimpendulo. Lokhu kwakungenangqondo kodwa kunalokho, kusukela ngaleso sikhathi kuqhubeke, savunyelwa ukuthumela imali eyayibizwa ngokuthi i-akhawunti yasejele kaMandela. Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, senza okufanayo kumsebenzi kaMandela, uWalter Sisulu noGovan Mbeki. Ngatshelwa ukuthi, ngoKhisimusi, bangabhala uhlu lwadla ababekufunayo futhi abagcini bahamba baya esitolo esiseduze ukuze benze ukuthenga.
Eholidini lethu lonyaka eKapa sasiyela ejele lasePollsmoor ukushiya izipho. Ngabambisana noGregory futhi wayehlale ehloniphekile futhi ewusizo.

Izingxoxo ezimangalisayo

Ekhaya eGoli ngoMgqibelo ekuseni, uWinnie utshele insizwa yokucindezeleka: wayetshelwe ukuthi uMandela unomdlavuza futhi wangifuna ukuba ngizame ukuqinisekisa amahemuhemu ngokushesha. Ngashayela i-Pollsmoor futhi ngibamba uGregory. Wangitshela ukuthi kwakungekho iqiniso kuwo; wayesebone uMandela isikhashana nje futhi wayephilile futhi esidla isidlo sasekuseni.
UGregory wangicela ukuba ngitshele lokhu kuWinnie, futhi wanezela ukuthi kwakusaba kanjani ukuthi kwakukhona abantu ababesakaza amahemuhemu njengalokhu. Ngimbonga futhi ngambuza ukuthi ngicela ukudlulisela izifiso zami ezinhle kuMnumzana Mandela futhi wathi uzokwenza kanjalo. Kwakuyisimangal futhi kunzima ukukholelwa ukuthi ngikhuluma nomgcini wewadi mayelana nesibhamu sikaNombolo 1 wezwe. Ngabeka phansi ucingo bese ngithi ku-Anne, 'Lokho kungenye yezingxoxo zefoni ezingenaso ngaphambili.'

Ukuvakasha kokulingwa

Ngilungiselela ukuvakashela uMandela Ngenza ingqondo yami ukuthi ngizokhuluma noma yini engiyifunayo futhi ngeke ngivumele noma yikuphi ukucwaninga. Ngangeniswa ejele lasePollsmoor futhi ngamukelwa nguGregory: usho ukuthi bajabule kangakanani bonke abavakashelayo. Ngokungazelelwe ngibone ukuthi i-mine yayihambele ukuhlolwa - iziphathimandla zafuna ukubona ukuthi kwenzekani ngoba iminyaka eminingi amalunga omndeni kuphela avunyelwe ukubona uMandela.
Ngangikhathazeka futhi ngiphumelele lokho ngempela ukuthi ngizohambisana nanoma yikuphi imithetho engase ibe khona. Ungakhathazeki, kusho uGregory; 'Umdala' wazi ukuthi yini evunyelwe futhi asivunyelwe ukukhuluma ngezimo zasejele. Kwakuyisikhathi esikhethekile empilweni yami: Ngangihlala esitokisini phambi kwekhasi elikhulu lesilazi futhi ngihamba noNelson Mandela, izandla zakhe ziphakeme futhi zibiza ukubingelela. Wahlala ngaphesheya kwesilazi futhi sakhuluma nakuba izingcingo zezwi, sinikeza amazwi ethu iphimbo elingenasici.
Wayenamaqhwa-abomvu futhi ubuso bakhe bubekiwe. Kodwa wazibamba futhi wayebukeka sengathi unamandla njengoba ngimgcine ngimbonile, eminyakeni engaphezu kwamashumi amabili ngaphambili. Ngashaywe yi-gravitas yakhe. Lo wayeyindoda eyayikhuthazele futhi yaba yinkimbinkimbi futhi ejulile kule nqubo. Wakhuluma ngegunya. Wayenesihlonipho kuGregory noGregory behloniphekile kuye, kodwa uMandela, owayeboshiwe nakuba ekhona, wayengumuntu ophethe.

UMandela ukhululwa

Uhulumeni waseNingizimu Afrika umemezele ngoLwesihlanu ukuthi uMandela uzokhululwa ngosuku olulandelayo. NgoMgqibelo, kwakudingeka ngiye khona ukulungiswa kwesihlalo esitolo esincane se-antitique eduze nekhaya lethu eWest Hampstead, eLondon. Ngangena ngatshela umnikazi ngenjabulo, 'Izindaba ezimnandi ukuthi uNelson Mandela ukhululwa namhlanje.'
Ungiphindela emuva, 'Ungumaphekula. Kumele ahlungwe. ' Kwakuwumzuzwana omubi kodwa awuzange ubonise umbono waseBrithani owawuthandwa ngesikhathi. Ngichitha lonke usuku e-Sky TV, nginikeza ukuhlaziya okumangalisayo ngemifanekiso emangalisa ephuma ngaphandle kwejele laseVictor Verster emaphandleni bese ephuma eGreat Parade eKapa lapho uMandela ekhuluma khona nezixuku eziningi.

Translated by Nsika Khoza

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