Minyaka yonkhe nga-December, bekuba sikhatsi semkhosi weKwanzaa – kwakusikhatsi lapho imindeni yayihlangana yabelane kudla netipho. Futsi minyaka yonkhe, ngaphambi kwekutsi kuse, Khwezi, Lubo kanye naMalaika bebavuka behle baye emfuleni. Nabasendleleni leya khona, bebahlabela tingoma letimnadzi futsi badobhe emagungumence.
Lamatfombatane lamatsatfu ngaso sonkhe sikhatsi bekahlale ajabulile, ngoba ngalelilanga leli, bekatfola inkhosatana yemanti, Nobukhwebezane, iwamele emfuleni. Nawasondzela, bekeva livi lakhe lelihle ahlabela:
“Vukani ma-Afrika … seyifikile iKwanzaa!
Siphana tipho letinhle … sibonisana lutsandvo!
Letsani titselo, inyama kanye nemahewu.
Asidleni, sibungateni ndzawonye … sikhombisane lutsandvo!”
Lamatfombatane bekahlala elusetsentse lwemfula alalele lengoma. Belitsi naliphuma lilanga, Nobukhwebezane, awanike emabhasikidi lagcwele tibhidvo netitselo kutsi ahambe nawo abuyele emmangweni wawo.
“Usale kahle, Nkhosatana Yemanti!” bekasho njalo lamantfombatane njengoba agijima abuyela ekhaya kuze bantfu basemmangweni wawo bakhone kulungiselela sidlo sekubungata umkhosi weKwanzaa.
Kodvwa kukhona lobekuhlale kumkhatsata Nobukhwebezane. “Ngiyatibuta kutsi lamatfombatane kungani angangibongi nakatsatsa lamabhasikidi lanetitselo netibhidvo?” atibuta njengoba ahleti yedvwana.
Emuva kulommango, bonkhe bantfu bebabutsana ekhaya lashifu, bagcoke timphahla letinemibala legcamile. Ngaphandle nje kwetitselo netibhidvo letibuya kulenkhosatana yemanti, bantfu bakulommango bebeta nalokusanhlavu nenyama, futsi bebapheka ndzawonye njengoba bantfwana badlala.
Nasebadle besutsa bantfu bakulommango, bebabese baphana tipho, futsi bahlabele bajayive. Bantfu labadzala bebashintjana bacoca tinganekwane tabo labatitsandzako.
Ngalomunye umnyaka, nakufika sikhatsi seKwanzaa, Khwezi, Lubo kanye naMalaika bavuka bagijima baya emfuleni njengalokwetayelekile, bahlabela futsi badobha emagungumence endleleni. Nabasondzela emfuleni, bacaphela kutsi kukhona lokungahambi kahle. Abamvanga ahlabela Nobukhwebezane.
“Solo uselele yini Nobukhwebezane?” Malaika atibuta.
“Mhlawumbe uyagula,” kusikisela Khwezi.
“Encenye ukhohliwe kutsi lamuhla kucala iKwanzaa,” kusho Lubo.
Nabefika emfuleni, Nobukhwebezane abengekho.
Ngekushesha, kwaba nekukhanya lokwaphandla emehlo abo. Ngemuva kwaloko, livi lelikhulu lelesabekako latsi, “Noma ngubani loniketwe lokutsite kufanele atsi ngiyabonga! Loko kukutiphatsa lokuhle!” Ngemuva kwaloko lokukhanya kwanyamalala, futsi kwasala kuphela lilanga lebelisaphuma khashane etintsabeni. Lamatfombatane ativa kabi nakacaphela lakhohlwe kukwenta.
“Asikake sambonga Nobukhwebezane ngetipho lasipha tona teKwanzaa! Sihlale sihamba sesijakile,” kusho Lubo eva buhlungu.
Ngetinhlitiyo letibuhlungu, acala ahamba kancane abuyela ekhaya.
“Sitawutsini nasifika emmangweni silengisa tandla?” kubuta Malaika.
Khwezi wagucuka futsi watsi kubangani bakhe, “Bangani, … kufanele sibuyele emuva siyocolisa kulenkhosatana yemanti.”
“Kodvwa Nobukhwebezane akasifuni nalasihambe khona. Akafuni nekusibona!” kusho Lubo aphelelwa ngemandla.
“Ngivumelana nawe Khwezi,” kusho Malaika. “Kufanele sibuyele emuva siyocolisa. Ngisho noma singamkhandzi Nobukhwebezane lapha, singashiya umlayeto wakhe kuletinhlanti.”
“Ngumbono lomuhle loyo,” kusho Lubo, sekacala ativa ancono. “Ngiyati kutsi endleleni lebuyela emuva emfuleni, singadobha emagungumence kuze siphe Nobukhwebezane.”
Lamatfombatane lamatsatfu abutsa emagungumence awagcwalisa sikhwama. Abemamatseka njengoba agijima abuyela emuva emfuleni. Nakasondzela, eva lengoma lemnandzi labekayati kahle:
“Vukani ma-Afrika … seyifikile iKwanzaa!
Siphana tipho letinhle … sibonisana lutsandvo!
Letsani titselo, inyama kanye nemahewu.
Asidleni, sibungateni ndzawonye … sikhombisane lutsandvo!”
“Nobukhwebezane ubuyile! Inkhosatana yemanti ibuyile!” bamemeta, bagijima baya elusetseni lwemfula.
Nobukhwebezane abehleli edvwaleni lelisondzele elusetseni, amamatseka.
“Nkhosatana, sicolisa kakhulu ngekungabongi ngetipho losipha tona tetitselo netibhidvo!” kusho Malaika.
“Siyacolisa impela, Nobukhwebezane. Sicela usicolele,” kuncenga Khwezi.
“Sikhatsi seKwanzaa sikhatsi sekuphana tipho. Lamuhla sikuphatsele sipho!” kusho Lubo, aniketa Nobukhwebezane sikhwama lesigcwele emagungumence.
Nobukhwebezane wabuka ekhatsi kulesikhwama wamamatseka. “Lamagungumence abukeka amnandzi. Ngiyabonga bangani!”
“Siyabonga nakuwe, Nkhosatana, ngetipho losiphe tona yonkhe leminyaka nasineKwanzaa. Siyabonga,” kusho Malaika ngemahloni.
“Bangani bami, … Kwanzaa sikhatsi sekwephana, sekujabula, sekuthula nelutsandvo! Sondzelani, ngifuna kunifundzisa ingoma lensha!” Ngemuva kwaloko Nobukhwebezane wahlabela:
“Ngaso sonkhe sikhatsi bonga, ngaso sonkhe sikhatsi tsandza futsi
utawutfola umvuzo!
Ngaso sonkhe sikhatsi bonga, ngaso sonkhe sikhatsi tsandza futsi
utawutfola umvuzo!
Ngaso sonkhe sikhatsi bonga, ngaso sonkhe sikhatsi tsandza! Loku kuhle ngaso sonkhe sikhatsi!”
Watsi, “Nyalo, sheshani nibuyele ekhaya. Sekuyahwalala! Nawa emabhasikidi lanetitselo netibhidvo. Banimele.”
“Siyabonga, Nkhosatana Yemanti. Siyabonga, Nobukhwebezane!” kusho lamatfombatane.
“Hambani kahle! Niyijabulele iKwanzaa!” kumemeta Nobukhwebezane.
“Nawe ngalokufanako, Nkhosatana! Siyabonga!” kumemeta lamatfombatane.
Nawefika ekhaya lamatfombatana, bantfu bakulommango bebawamele. “Siyabonga, mantfombatane. Kubonakala shengatsi nite netitselo netibhidzo letinyenti kunalenake neta nato. Siyabonga” kusho shifu walommango.
Naweva loko lamatfombatane, abukana … futsi amamatseka. Bekati kutsi Nobukhwebezane uwacolele. “Siyabonga, Nkhosatana,” asho ahleba.
[Get story active!] Yenta indzaba ibe nemdlandla!
Umndeni wakho noma ummango uyahlanganyela yini embutsanweni ngalokucondzile wema-Afrika noma bantfu baseNingizimu Afrika? Ubitwa ngekutsi yini futsi kusuke kungumbutsano wani?
Ngutiphi tinhlobo tetitselo netibhidvo lenivame kuba nato emibutsanweni yenu? Dvweba letinye taletitselo netibhidvo.
Yakha yakho ingoma lapho ubonga khona ngetintfo letinhle lotitfolako lilanga ngalinye.
