Umhlangano Wokuqala
U-Albertina Thethiwe waqala ukuhlangana noWalter Sisulu ngesikhathi esebenza eJohannesburg General Hospital ngo-1941. Wayengumdlali wezombusazwe ngaleso sikhathi. Wayevame ukuhamba naye emihlanganweni yeqembu labasha kuKhongolose. Wayenguye kuphela owesifazane kule mihlangano nakuba enza kanjalo ngokusekela, engaziboni njengelungu. UWalter wamcuphuluza ngakho eminyakeni edlule wathi, "Vuma sithandwa sami, usuke unamehlo esoka lakho".UWalter ucela umshado
Laba bobabili babehamba emigwaqweni yaseGoli ngosuku acela umshado ngalo. UWalter wathatha isandla, wambuka wamcela ukuba amshade. Kusukela lapho behlangana wakhangwa nguye ukuthi wamshela isikhathi esifushane ngaphambi kokuba umbuzo womshado ufike. Wayengalungele impendulo yakhe. Wamtshela ukuthi ngaphambi kokuba bacabange umshado kwakukhona into okufanele azi ngaye. Wambuza ukuthi yini leyo futhi waphendula ngokuthi unabantwana.
Wathinteka kangangokuthi waphonsa isandla sakhe. Wabuza kuye: "Bangaki?" "bathathu." Usho kanje. umqondo wakhe wagijima. Ukushada owesifazane onabantwana kwakubhekwa njengehlazo lomphakathi. Wazama ukwehlisa umoya wambuza ukuthi bangakanani ubudala. Ngesikhathi echaza ukuthi uthathe umthwalo wemfanelo wokugcina izinganezakubo ezintathu ngemuva kokushona kwabazali bakhe. UWalter wahlatshwa umxhwele.
Wathembisa ukuhlanganyela naye umthwalo wemfanelo lapho eshada futhi akazange adumaze. Ngokushesha ngemva kwalokho wamema umfowabo ka-Albertina ukuba eze e-Orlando East ukuze aqede isikole.
Udaba lothando olukhulu eNingizimu Afrika
U-Albertina noWalter bashada ngo-1944 noNelson Mandela njengomkhaphi omkhulu. Babenabantwana abahlanu babo (uMax Vuyisile, Mlungisi, Zwelakhe, uLindiwe noNkululeko) futhi bamukela abanye abane. Ngonyaka ka-2003 uWalter washona ezandleni zomkakhe. Babeseneminyaka engamashumi amahlanu nasishiyagalo lunye beshadile.
Emngcwabeni wakhe, umzukulu wakhe wafunda lamazwi okubonga kuye: “Walter, ngizoyenzani ngaphandle kwakho? Kwakungenxa yakho ngivuka ekuseni, kwakungenxa yakho ngiphila ... Ususwe yizinto ezimbi zangesikhathi esidlule, kodwa ngazi ukuthi uzobuya kimi. Manje isandla esibandayo sokufa sithathile futhi sashiya ukungabi nalutho enhliziyweni yami.” Ubuhlobo bakwaSisulu buvame ukubhekwa njengenye yezindaba zaseNingizimu Afrika zothando olukhulu.
Translated by Nsika Khoza
U-Albertina Sisulu, owaziwa ngokuthi uMama weSizwe noma uMa Sisulu, uyaziwa ngokuba ngumshushisi waseNingizimu Afrika olwa nobandlululo kany...