uMandea wabeka kanje ngosuku lwakhe lokuzalwa eno 89: “Masibize Abadala Bomhlaba, ayi ngenxa yminyaka yabo, kodwa ngenxa yobuhlakani babo ngabojwana noma bebuhlanganyele. Lelidlanzana alidonsi ubuhlakani balo kwezepilotiki, kwezomnotho noma kumandla ombutho wezempi kodwa ekuzimeleni nobuqotho babantu abalapha.
Abasazifuneli ukuzakhela amathuba omsebenzi wabo, abakhathalele kukhethwa ukuba banqobe, noma abavotayo abazozidlisa satshanyana kubo ukuze babaqokele ezikhundleni zesishayamthetho. Bangakhuluma noma ngabe ngubani ababona kukhle ukuba bakhulume naye futhi bakhululekile ukulandela izindlela abazibona zilungile, ngisho nalezo ezi ngahanjwa ngumuntu”.
Wabe esechaza ukuthi uRichard Branson, indoda eyakha umbuso we Virgin Atlantic futhi abazalwa suku lunye no Nelson Mandela, kanye nomculi wodumo kanye nesishoshovu uPeter Gabriel babeka kuye icebo lokusungula iqembu elincane labaholi abazinikele, abazosebenza phezu kwenjongo futhi bangabi nakulindela umphumela wabakufakile ukuba uze kubo lapho bexazulula izinkinga ezinkulu umhlaba obhekene nazo.
Kusukela lapho ngiwubonile lomcabango ukhula, uthola isakhiwo kanye namandla uba ngowempela osabalala umhlaba wonke, ‘kusho uMandela. Waqhubeka wathi wababona benzenjani ekubambeni indima yabo: Babengeke bathatha indela elula, esheshayo, kodwa babezosekela amasu azogcinika isikhathi eside ukuze babhekane nomsuka wezinkinga obekumele bafudulane nazo.
Bayibo, Ngiyabazi, bazimisele ukusebenza nolwazi lwangaphakathi nolwangaphandle; ukulalela nokuletha ndawonye abamelene nabamele belwela ubulungiswa; kuya ekussebenzeni nanoma ngubani ongqungquzelekile ukuxazulula izinkinga.
Bayakwazi ukusingatha bethule amasu amasha okwakha nezixazululo ezingandile ukuze baxhumanise labo abanezidingo zangempela kanye nalabo abanakho okukupha.
Nokusebenza nabangani babo abakumabhizinisi, bangasondeza ezobuchwepheshe ezisemgangathweni, futhi bangasabalalisi nje kuphela ukuthi kwaziwe ngalokhu okuyizinkinga osekukhohlakele ngazo, kodwa ukuba basiza ukukhomba ukuthi imithombo yosizo ingakuphi ukuze babhekane nazo.
Kodwake noma iyiphi indlela abayisebenzisayo, ngiyakholwa ukuthi isisa, nokupha okuyizakhi zangempela zoshintsho olubonakalayo. Ngiyazi ukuthi lababangani bami abaqavile bangakwazi ukukwenza konke lokhu.
Ephendula ngo Desmond Tutu, Ayishicilele kanye naye, jengoba kwakwaziwa, uMandela waqhuba wathi: Futhi ngikulindele lokho, uma umngani wami Umbhishobhi enokwenza nalokhu, bangaqhubeka bacabange ukuthi kumqoka ukubambisana kwabantu ababili kubantu bonke. Lokhu sikubiza ngomoya wobuntu, lokhu kuqavile kuma Afrika kugcizelele ukuthi umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu.
Nginokwethemba okukhulu ukuthi laba Abadala bangaba isibonelo – sokuhola, ukwalusa baphinde basekele nokunye okungasungulwa, okwabo noma okwabanye abantu. Abadala bangakhuluma ngokukhululeka futhi ngesibindi, besebenza ndawo zombili bebonwa ngabantu noma lapha ingekho ihlo elibabonayo konoma imiphi imisebenzi abayibekelwe ukuba bayenze.
Kwabangu Peter Gabriel owachaza ngalesisihloko: Kwimiphakathi esaphila ngokwesiko, Abadala njalonjalo bebenendima ekuxazululeni izinkinga, bacabangele kude bese befaka ubuhlakani babo uma kunesidingo. Nathi singenela kulomphakathi womhlaba wonke kodwa nokho asinabo abaholi abangaba nomthelela kumhlaba wonke.
Abadala bangaba iqembu labathenjwa ngumhlaba wonke, abangakhuluma ngokukhululeka, bazimele futhi baphendule ngokushesha nokuvuleleka uma kumele babhekane nokuxazulula izingxaki. Umandela, yize naye wayengomunye wabadala, kodwa ngokuthobeka wesula ekubeni asebenze kuleliqembu.
Wabeka kanje ngalokho, njengoba bengishilo, ngifuna ukuthatha umhlalaphansi ngokwempela futhi ngenxa yalokho angeke ngikwazi ukuzibandakanya kolokho okunguvothondaba womsebenzi wabo, ukuhlaziya izinkinga, ukufuna izixazululo, ukufuna abazobambisana nabo.
Translated by Nokubonga Guliwe