Qobe mnyaka ngoDisemba, bekuba sikhathi somnyanya weKwanzaa – bekusikhathi lapha kuhlangana khona imindeni yabelane ukudla iphane nezipho. Begodu qobe mnyaka ngelangelo uKhwezi, uLubo noMalaika bebavuka ngamasa batjhinge emlanjeni. Endleleni bebavuma iingoma ezimnandi bebakhe nobukhwebe.
Abantazana abathathwaba bebahlala bathabile, ngombana ngelangeli bebafumana ikosazana yamanzi, uNobukhwebezane, ibalindile emlanjeni. Nabatjhidelako bebezwa iphimbo layo elimnandi ivuma:
“Vukani ma-Afrika … iKwanzaa ifikile!
Siphana izipho ezihle … sitjengisana ithando!
Letha iinthelo, inyama namarhewu.
Asidleni, sigidinge ndawonye … sitjengisane ithando!”
Abantazanaba bebahlala magega nomlambo balalele ingoma. Kuthi nakuphuma ilanga uNobukhwebezane bekabanikela abomantji abazele iinthelo nemirorho bona bakhambe nayo ngemuzini.
“Usale kuhle, Kosazana Yamanzi!” Bebarhuwelela njengombana bagijimela ekhaya ukwenzela bona izakhamuzi zilungiselele umnyanya wokugidinga iKwanzaa.
Kodwana bekunento ehlala itshwenya uNobukhwebezane. “Ngiyazibuza ukuthi kubayini abantazanaba bangathokozi nabathatha abomantji abazele iinthelo nemirorho?” uyazibuza njengombana ahlezi yedwa.
Emuva le ngemuzini, boke abantu bebahlangana ekosini bambethe izambatho ezikhanyako nezinemibalabala. Ngaphandle kweenthelo nemirorho ebuya ekosazaneni yamanzi, izakhamuzi beziza neenthoro nenyama bese zipheka ndawonye njengombana abantwana badlala.
Ngemuva kobana izakhamuzi sezidlile, ziphana izipho zivume bezigide. Abantu abadala bebadlhegana ngokucoca iindaba abazithandako.
Ngomunye umnyaka, iKwanzaa nayifikako, uKhwezi, uLubo noMalaika bavuka bagijimela emlanjeni njengokujayelekileko bavuma bakha nobukhwebe nabasendleleni. Kuthe nasele batjhidele emlanjeni batjheja ukuthi kunento engakhambi kuhle. Bebangamuzwa uNobukhwebezane nakavumako.
“Kghani kungenzeka bona uNobukhwebezane usalele?” kumangala uMalaika.
“Mhlamunye akazizwa kuhle,” kutjho uKhwezi.
“Mhlamunye ukhohliwe ukuthi namhlanjesi kuthoma iKwanzaa,” kutjho uLubo.
Nabafika emlanjeni, uNobukhwebezane bekangekho.
Kusesenjalo, umkhanyo ohlabako wabavala amehlo. Kwezwakala ilizwi elihlabako nelithusako lithi, “Nanyana ngubani ophiwa okuthileko kufuze athi ngiyathokoza! Mumukghwa omuhle loyo!” Umkhanyo wasuka, kwasala umkhanyo okude wokuphuma kwelanga ngehla kwemibundu. Abantazana bazizwa kabuhlungu nabatjhejako ukuthi bakhohlwe ukwenzani.
“Asikaze simthokoze uNobukhwebezane ngezipho zeKwanzaa! Sihlala sikhamba sijarhile,” kutjho uLubo adanile.
Bathoma ukukhamba kabuthaka babuyela ekhaya iinhliziyo zabo zibuhlungu.
“Sizokuthini nasifika ngemuzini silengise izandla?” kubuza uMalaika.
UKhwezi waqala ngebanganini bakhe wathi, “Bangani, … kufuze sibuyele emuva siyokubawa ukulitjalelwa ekosazaneni yamanzi.”
“Kodwana uNobukhwebezane akasafuni litho elimhlanganisa nathi. Akasafuni nokusibona! Kutjho uLubo aphelelwe lithemba.
“Ngivumelana noKhwezi,” kutjho uMalaika. “Kufuze sibuyele emuva soyokubawa ukulitjalelwa. Ngitjho nanyana singekhe simfumane uNobukhwebezane, singamtjhiyela umlayezo efesini.”
“Mbono omuhle,” kutjho uLubo, uthoma ukuzizwa ngcono. “Ngiyazi endleleni nasibuyela emlanjeni singakha ubukhwebe kube sisipho sakaNobukhwebezane.”
Abantazaba bathatha umgodla ozele ubukhwebe. Bebamomotheka godu njengoba bagijimela emlanjeni godu. Nabatjhidelako bezwa ingoma emnandi abebayazi kuhle:
“Vukani ma-Afrika … iKwanzaa ifikile!
Siphana izipho ezihle … sitjengisana ithando!
Letha iinthelo, inyama namarhewu.
Asidleni, sigidinge ndawonye … sitjengisane ithando!”
“UNobukhwebezane ubuyile! Ikosazana yamanzi ibuyile!” Barhuwelela, bagijimela magega nomlambo. UNobukhwebezane bekahlezi phezu kwelitje emaphethelweni womlambo, amomotheka. “Kosazana, sibawa usilibalele akhange khesikuthokoze ngezipho osipha zona zeenthelo nemirorho! Kutjho uMalaika. “Iye, sibawa ukulitjalelwa Nobukhwebezane. Sibawa usilibalele,” kurabhela uKhwezi.
“IKwanzaa sikhathi sokuphana izipho. Namhlanjesi sikuphathele isipho!” kutjho uLubo, wanikela uNobukhwebezane umgodla ozele ubukhwebe. UNobukhwebezane waqala ngemugodleni wamomotheka. “Ubukhwebobu bubonakala ngathi bumnandi. Ngiyathokoza, bangani!”
“Nathi siyathokoza, Kosazana, ngezipho ohlala usipha zona qobe mnyaka ngeKwanzaa. Siyathokoza,” uMalaika utjho aphethwe ziinhloni.“Bangani bami, … iKwanzaa sikhathi sokuphana, sethabo, sokuthula nethando! Tjhidelani ngifuna ukunifundisa ingoma etja! UNobukhwebezane wathoma ukuvuma:
“Hlala uthokoza, hlala uthanda nawe uzokwamukela!
Hlala uthokoza, hlala uthanda nawe uzokwamukela!
Hlala uthokoza, hlala uthanda! Lokhu kuhlala kukuhle!”
Wathi, “Njeke, rhabani niye ekhaya,”. “Kuba lada! Napa abomantji beenthelo nemirorho. Banilindile.”
“Siyathokoza, Kosazana Yamanzi. Siyathokoza, Nobukhwebezane!” kutjho abantazana.
“Nikhambe kuhle! Nithabele iKwanzaa!” kurhuwelela uNobukhwebezane.
“Nawe, Kosazana! Siyathokoza!” kurhuwelela abantazana.
Kwathi abantazana nabafika ngemuzini, izakhamuzi besele zibalindile.“Siyathokoza bantazana. Kubonakala kwangathi nize neenthelo nemirorho eminingi ukudlula eenkhathini ezidlulileko, siyathokoza!” kutjho ikosi yendaweni.
Lokha abantazana nabezwa lokhu, baqalana … bamomotheka. Bebazi ukuthi uNobukhwebezane ubalibalele. “Siyathokoza, Kosazana,” batjho ngokuhleba.
[Get story active!] Yenza indaba le ibemnandi!
Kghani umndenakho namkha umphakathi unendima oyidlalako ekugidingeni umnyanya wendabuko ye-Afrika namkha yeSewula Afrika? Ubizwa ngokuthini begodu kugidingwa ini?
Ngiziphi iinthelo namkha imirorho enihlala niba nayo nanigidingako? Dweba ezinye zeenthelo nemirorho leyo.
Zitlamele ingoma otjho ngayo ukuthi uyathokoza ngezinto ezihle ozamukela qobe langa.
