Stembele Johnson

Noni Jabavu

UHelen Nontando Noni Jabavu, umbhali kwakunye nentatheli.

Ebutsheni

Noxa uNoni Jabavu iligama aziwa ngalo kwihlabathi jikelele kubalulekile ukuqaphela ukuba igama lakhe elipheleleyo nguNontando Helen Jabavu. Umhla wakhe wokuzalwa awuchaneki njengoko maxawambi kuthiwa wazalwa ngowe-1919 okanye ngowe-1921. UNoni Jabavu wayengafuni nto emayamanisa ngokwembali kunye nobuzwe bakhe kunye nokubunjwa kwenkolo yakhe ngokwenkcubeko. Iincwadi zakhe ezimbini, Drawn in Colour (1960) kunye nenye ethi The Ochre People: Scenes from South Africa (1963) nezabhalwa ebutsheni bexesha lakhe njengombhali, nezonwabisa umxhelo ngokumangalisayo, zibonisa ukuba uJabavu wayethanda ukuzichaza ngokungakhethi cala ngokubhekiselele kubuzwe bakhe: engumntu oNtsundu nowaseNtshona ngaxesha nye, elanda umnombo wakhe wokuzalwa eNgilani naseMzantsi Afrika noxa wayengazalwa ngabazali beentlanga ezahlukileyo ngebala. Isizathu sokuzibeka kwakhe kwanti ngokuthi angalandeli mnombo uthile kungokuba noxa iinkcubabuchopho eZintsha eziNtsundu, ababhali, iinkokheli zopolitiko zexesha lakhe, ezifana noEzekiel Mphahlele okanye uJordan Ngubane okanye uNelson Mandela okanye uNadine Gordimer kuye kwafuneka bashukuxe uqhekeko olukhoyo ngokwembali phakathi kwesiko nenkolo yabumini. UNoni Jabavu wava kusisidingo ukuba akhabe ngawo omane oko wayekubona njengesiko ukuze amkele ngokupheleleyo inkolo yabumini. Kwabanye abantu, ngokwesimo saseAfrika, inkolo yabumini nesiko zazingumtya nethunga yaye zingohlukani. KuNoni Jabavu inkolo yabumini nesiko yayimihlambi eyalanayo. Indlela awayebona ngayo inkolo yabumini nesiko yayifuna nekaR.V. Selope Thema nowabanegalelo elikhulu embaleni njengoJabavu: ubungqondi babo neemvakelelo zabo zifana ngokuselubala. Noxa babeshiyana phantse ngeminyaka engamashumi amane (uR.V. Selope wazalwa ngowe-1886), umquli ongobomi bukaSelope Thema owabhalwa ebutsheni beminyaka yoo-1930 nongazange upapashwe othi: Out of Darkness: From Cattle-Herding to the Editor’s Chair ungathathwa njengomquli ozoba ngokucacileyo imizila yembali yohambo lwenkolo kaNoni Jabavu. Xa kubuyelwa umva kujongwa indlela enovakelelo nochukumiseko athi uR.V.Selope Thema acacisayo ngayo kumqulu ongobomi bakhe ukuhlangana kwakhe Elijah Makiwane|noElijah Makiwane (1850-1928) nowayetyelele uMntla weRhawuti esuka kwaSomgxada eDikeni eyokumemelela ukuba abantu baguqukele kwinkolo yabumini nobuKrestu, amasolotya ahlanganisa uNoni Jabavu noR.V.Selope anzulu ngokwembali. Yayiyinkolo yabumini eyayilandelwa nguElijah Makiwane eyenza ukuba uSelope Thema ashiye ‘ubuxaza’ ‘nobumnyama’azayamanise ‘nempucuko’ ‘nokhanyo’ ngokuthi athathe uhambo olude olusingise kwaSomgxada ukuya kufumana imfundo yabumini yobuKrestu. UElijah Makiwane wayengumakhwekwhetha wovuko-mbuso leminyaka yoo-1880 nalapho amaXhosa ayephicotha intsingiselo yenkolo yabumini ngokwembali. UMakiwane wayelilungu leNtlangano yeMfundo yakwaSomgxada nesiGqeba seMfundo sabaNtsundu. Amanye amalungu ayequka uWalter B. Rubusana, Pambani Jeremiah Mzimba, Isaac Wauchope, John Tengo Jabavu (utatomkhulu kaNoni Jabavu). UMakiwane ubhala amavo abalulekileyo angabongqondi, imbali nezopolitiko kwiphephandaba likaJohn Tengo Jabavu Imvo Zabantsundu ngokubaluleka kokulandela inkolo yabumini kubantu abaNtsundu. UJohn Tengo Jabavu wayengumntu wokuqala oNtsundu ukubangumnini wephephandaba eMzantsi Afrika.

Inkqubela-phambili yobomi bakhe ekubhaleni

Esi sizukulwana sikaTiya Soga sizinkcubabuchopho ngamalungu athi azala inkcubeko yabumini yesiNtu eMzantsi Afrika. UD.D.T. Jabavu (utata kaNoni Jabavu) walinga ukusasaza le nkcubeko yobunkcubabuchopho kweli kwiminyaka emininzi ayichithe njengomfundisi-ntsapho KwaNokholeji. UD.D.T. Jabavu sisifundiswa sokuqala esiNtsundu ukubamba isihlalo eMzantsi Afrika. Ukubaluleka kukaNoni Jabavu kubo bonke obu budlelwane buphixeneyo bobunkcubabuchopho kukuba umele ukubhangiswa kwenkcubeko ethile yobunkcubabuchopho nentsusa yabo ifumaneka kuTiyo Soga. Yaba nguElijah Makiwane owathi wamanya uNoni Jabavu noR.V. Selope Thema oku ekwenza ekhokelisa indlela yabumini awayephila ngayo kulo maxesha amandulo. Amandla abonakala engenakucaciseka weencwadi zikaNoni Jabavu ngenkangeleko yakhe noR.V. Selope Thema ebutsheni boo-1960 aye acaciswe xa esi sibini sibekwa kwisangqa sesiko lobunkcubabuchopho. Ngelixa kupapashwa uDrawn in Colour, le ncwadi yathakazelelwa zinkcubabuchopho ezimbini ezingoompondo zihlanjiwe eMzantsi Afrika, uZ.K. Matthews noNadine Gordimer. UZ.K. Matthews wazoba ingqokelela yemifanekiso enikisa umdla yeenkcubabuchopho Ezintsha zesiNtu kwiphephandaba Imvo Zabantsundu ukususela ngomhla wesi-3 kweyeSilimela ukuya ngomhla wama-20 kweyoMnga ngomnyaka we-1961. Le mifanekiso yayisusela kuJohn Knox Bokwe ukuya John Langalibalelele Dube ukuya kuthi ga kuSolomon T. Plaatjie. Naku uZ.K. Matthews awathi wakuthetha ngoNoni Jabavu: “UHelen Nontando Jabavu, nowaziwa kwihlabathi jikelele ngoku njengoNoni Jabavu, yintombi yesibini yongasekhoyo uD.D.T. Jabavu. Intombi enkulu yaye yasweleka ebusaneni KwaNokholeji. UHelen ufunde amabanga wakhe aphantsi kwisikolo soBuchule sakwaSomgxada kodwa wathi akugqiba amabanga wakhe aphantsi abazali bakhe bathatha isigqibo sokumthumela eUnited Kingdom ukuba aqhubekele phambi nemfundo yakhe [wayeneminyaka elishumi elinesine ubudala]….Kwizihlandlo ezibini awayethe wabuyela kuzo eMzantsi Afrika kwakuphantsi kweemeko zentlekele. Kwisihlandlo sokuqala sokubuya kwakhe wayebuyiswa kukusweleka kukanina ukanti kwisihlandlo sesibini sokubuya kwakhe wayebuyela ukuza kuzimasa umngcwabo wokuphela komnakwabo awayenaye uNtengo. UNtengo wabulawa eGoli ngethuba awayesele ezakugqiba kwiSikolo sobuGqirha seYunivesithi yaseWitwatersrand. UNony Jabavu waye wabhala incwadi ethi Drawn in Colour emva kokubuya kwakhe kumngcwabo womnakwabo. Kule ncwadi wayecacisa ngamava wakhe emaZantsi eAfrika naseUganda. UNoni Jabavu wayeye eUganda ngokuya kutyelela udade wabo omncinci uAlexandra nowayetshatele ngoko kwindoda yohlanga iMaganda (ummi waseUganda). Udade omncinci kaNoni Jabavu wahlangana nale ndoda ngexesha yayifunda amabanga okuthweswa ngesidanga okokuqala kwaNokholeji. Le ncwadi yokuqala kaNoni Jabavu iphendlwe ngokuncomekayo kwiimvaba ngeemvaba noxa kukho nabo bayigxekayo. Bonke abo bakhe bayifunda bayakungqinelana ukuba le yincwadi emangazayo nalapho umbhali azibonakalisa njengomakhi-mkhanyo oneliso elibukhali yaye izimvo zakhe ngabantu neendawo zaseAfrika zibonisa umncono wokuqaphela nokukhula kwengqondo okwakungaqaphelwa nkqu nangabahlobo bakhe. Ukuthelekisa kwakhe izithethe zesiNtu nokusetyenziswa kwazo eMzantsi Afrika naseUganda, nalapho abonisa khona ukuthamba kwentliziyo xa ehlomla ngezithethe zalapha kunezo zaseUganda, kuchazwa ngokuba kwamenza ukuba angabingumbhali oyintandane eUganda nakwezinye iindawo eMpuma Afrika. Ukutsala kwakhe isihoyo kangangokuba enzile kubonisa oko amanina aseAfrika anakho ukukwenza kweli qonga lokubhala. Kungethemba ukuba namanye amanina amaninzi ayakuzeka mzekweni ukuze andise inani lababhali abangamanina eAfrika.” (Imvo Zabantsundu, eyeKhala 15, 1961).

Imisebenzi yakhe

Mhlawumbi kudingeka ukuba kuphawuliwe ukuba uZ.K. Matthews waye wathatha isikhundla esafulathelwa nguD.D.T. Jabavu nawathatha umhlala phantsi ngo-1946. UNadine Gordimer, nongemncinci kuyaphi kuNoni Jabavu nowaqala ukupapasha iincwadi namabali wakhe amafutshane phambi kukaJabavu phakathi ngeminyaka yoo-1950, ngomnye wobabhali abangamanina baseAfrika abangoompondo zihlanjiwe nothe wanyusela kumanqwanqwa aphezulu ubungqondi baseAfrika. Uphendlo oluphume izandla lukaNadine Gordimer lwencwadi ethi Drawn in Colour kwiphephandaba iContact leLiberal Party kaPatrick Duncan noAlan Paton lufuna ngokumandla yaye lunyanzelisa ucaphulo olubanzi: “Kwingabula-zigcawu yencwadi yakhe, uNoni Jabavu ubhala ukuba ungumntu “wamazwe amabini neentembeko ezimbini; eMzantsi Afrika apho ndazalelwa khona naseNgilani apho ndafunda khona”, kodwa incwadi yakhe ibonisa ngokuselubala ukuba ungumntu welizwe lesithathu nabelana nalo nabantu abambalwa kakhulu. Eli lizwe lelo apho iintsapho ezidumileyo zesiNtu ezifana nooJabavu zenza ilinge lokuxuma iAfrika kwinto uBasil Davidson ayibiza “umhlaba wobuntu”. Eli linge lokuxuma iAfrika lenziwa ngemfundo, inkolo nokuzinekezela ngokupheleleyo kwingcinga kaVictoria-Edward yokuphila ngokukhululekileyo nangaphandle kwamakhamandela.

Ayingabantu bonke baseMzantsi Afrika, abamnyama okanye abamhlophe abalibonayo eli lizwe njenge lizwe abaphila kulo.Manxa zonke iincwadi endinokuzicinga ezibhalwe ngamaAfrika, zichaphazela/zijongene nokungabi naxabiso lwempilo yabantu abamnyama baseNtshona, amadoda kunye namabhinqa; le ncwandi, ngaphandle kwenzuzo yokuzazi ukuba ungumntu omnyama okanye ukukhwaza uvakalisa ubuhlanga bakho, ayithatheli ngqalelo ubomi obothusayo obuziswe ngendalo yindibanisela yendlela zaseAfrika nezaseNtshona, phezu kwayo yonke into.

UNoni Jabavu angakhangeleka njengomntu osilelayo kwizinto umzuzwana. Incwadi yakhe ayizukufumana kuhlatywa ngabo bangabacinezeli bezinto ezibhaliweyo eMzantsi Afrika. Ubunene bokunyaniseka kwayo, ubushushu bayo kwizinto zaseMzantsi Afrika- izwe lam, kulungile kungalunganga- ukuqaphela kwayo uthungelwano lwakudala lokuqondana nokujongana kwamaAfrika nento ayibiza 'amabhulu' engenadyudyu, ezi zinto ke zihlangana nokuvunyelwa okusesikweni.

Nangona kunjalo, ndingayibiza lencwadi, ngokwembono zamazwe, njengeyona inobungozi kwaye ibhaliweyo. Kuba umbhali wayo sisidalwa esisuka kwindawo ethile, apho kungeko kuvakala kwazinto zingenokwenzeka ngokwentetho yocalucalulo, umAfrika okwazileyo ngaphandle kwemigudu ukugqwesa nokwenza okwakhe njengendlela yondlebe zikhany'ilanga (abamhlophe) yokuphila, nalendawo encwadini yakhe (incwadi ephucukileyo kakhulu engaliphakamiseli phezulu ilizwi layo) eqondene noMzantsi Afrika iveza ukuba ezindlela zimbini zokuphila zihlangana njani na, nokuba kunjani na, kwiziganeko ezinje ngokuzalwa, ukutshata nokufa, ziye zilungisane kwaye zifanelane, intshona izisa ukuqiqa nokukhanyisela obuqulathwe bubuxhakaxhaka nobuchwepheshe kwalamaxesha siphila kuwo. iAfrika izisa ukuqonda kwesimo sasengqondweni kwemfuno zomntu.

Embindini webali, umbhali usithabatha asise eMpuma Afrika, apho uNoni Jabavu wayendwendwelwe udade wabo, owayetshate nommeli owaye phuma kwelase Uganda. Intlobo yamagama asetyenziswa ngeenjongo zokonwabisa/ukuhlekisa emculweni kwezintsuku anika inkcazelo/azoba umfanekiso ngokusekuvela/ ngokusezakwenzeka, nto leyo iyakube icace mhlophe kwikamva leAfrika, kodwa lube luncinane olusezincwadini/olubhaliweyo ngayo okwangoku. Ama-Afrika asuka kumazwe ngamazwe awazani, ngokufanayo nabamhlophe abasuka kwilizwe laseYurophu. Ukuziva beyimbumba bebanye kusukela kwimpendulo zepolitiki ezichasana nabamhlophe/nobumhlophe.

UNoni Jabavu wothuka nje ngaye wonke umvakashi waseMelika ngoku bona umgangatho wemisebenzi yeza manzi nogutyulo lindle. Imfundo yakhe yaseNtshona noluvo lwamaXhosa ngesidima soluntu (ngoku ngakumbi abase tyhini) siya-nyhasheka. Waye kruqulwe "lixesha lwesintu" , into ethetha ukuba abaququzeleli babesoloko bebona ukuba ukafikanga ngethuba ukuzozingqinela kwimisitho awayecelwe kuyo ukuba angawuphosi. Isiko lamaBhaganda- kwinto zoluntu nezocantsi, kwacaca ukuba linxamnye nenkolo kadade waba de wakhetha ukuqhawula umtshato ngokwencwadi, wabuyela eMzantsi Afrika. Ngokutsho kwencwadi ndingathi ngokuqinisekileyo intombi yakhe (uNjing. Jabavu) ibhale incwadi eyodwa engundoqo. Zininzi izinto ebendingazincoma endingazithethanga nangona bezindichulumancisa, ekufundeni kunye nokuba nengcinga ngezinto ezininzi njengemixholo yencwadi.

UNoni njengombhali

Indlebe kaNoni Jabavu, umzekelo uchana zonke izinto ezintsonkothileyo kwintetho yesiNgesi saseMzantsi Afrika, kwaye uyakwazi ukuhambisa ngesiNgesi, ubugcisa nobuncasa-ninzi beelwimi zeBantu ngendlela engummangaliso njengokucaca kwamanzi eglasini. Akekho umntu awakhe wakwazi ukundenzela lento ngaphambili. Ngoko kukho nendlela yakhe yokuhamba phakathi kobubanzi obuqhelekileyo: iidolophana kunye nezindlu esizaziyo nesizibonayo, kwakhona, kude ngesiquphe sizibone ukuba naziya, zintsha, ziyaphanyaza, ngokuziqaqambisa kwakhe. UNoni usoloko engumbhali olitatasholo, kodwa unesimbo; omnye uva ukuba isuka ngqo ebomini apho kungathandabuzwayo ukuba unesimbo kakhulu. Indlela wayebhala ngayo yayingummangaliso ngokuba wayebhala ngokungathi incwadi idityanisiwe. Iincwadi ezinjalo zinqabile.

Sasinqabile isigwebo esasinengqondo kwaye sibukhali esasivela kumbutho owawusakhula obizwa ukuba ngabagwebi baseAfrika (African criticism).Esi sigwebo sindilisekileyo sokubulela uNoni Jabavu sasiyinxalenye nosebenziswano lukaNadine Gordimer kunye nembali yaseAfrika ekwiizincoko ezazidityaniswe kwiThe Essential Gesture (1988), Writing and Being (1995), Living in Hope and History (1999), kunye nelitye elichaza iziganeko ezibalulekileyo ngogwebo lokubhalwa eAfrika, iThe Black Interpreters (1973). Kwiminyaka emashumi amane emveni kokubhalwa kwesi sigxeko-ncomo, azange kubekho izinto ezibhaliweyo ngoNoniJabavu, akukho nento ebhaliweyo, enofaniswa nesigxeko—ncomo esivutha njengesikaGordimer.

Nakwincwadi apho ubani angalindela kukhankanywe uNoni Jabavu, ngaphandle kokukhankanywa kwexabiso lakhe, inkokheli yeempembelelo zokulwela amalungelo abafazi baseMzantsi Afrika u M. J. Daymond eyayikhokela ngonyaka we-1996, uthi kuyabonakala ukungabikho kwakhe.

UGordimer ohleli ehlatywa amadlala, kanye kuluvo lwam malunga nokungabikho kweempembelelo zokulwela amalungelo abafazi kwizinto athatha inxalenye kuzo ezifana nenkcubeko kunye nezopolitiko, umzekelo ocacileyo, ishiyela ngaphandle ngokugqibeleleyo abo balwelwa amalungelo abafazi basemZantsi Afrika abahleli bemgweba. Isenokwenzeka ukuba lento iyatshintsha njengokuba kwinkomfa yamakhosikazi abhalayo kuluntu olulwimi-ninzi, eyayingonyaka wama-2001 eDikeni, emZantsiAfrika, kwachazwa ingxelo yokuba uNoni Jabavu wanikw’imbeko. Mhlawumbi isizathu esicacisa ukungabikho kukaNoni Jabavu kukuba kunzima ukumbeka kwimbali yengqondi kunye neyenkcubeko yomZantsiAfrika.

NjengoNadine Gordimer, uNoni Jabavu ulilungu lesizukulwana seSophiatown Renaissance ngokubhala. NjengoBessie Head, naye akakafakwa njengenxalenye yombutho wenkcubeko. Kungavela ukuba ungoyena mxhasi umkhulu. Omnye wemibuzo onzima ngoNoniJabavu, kukuba njengoR. V. Selope Thema, emveni kokuqala uncwadi ngovuthu, leminyaka ingamashumi amane idlulileyo ibingenamveliso.

Umthombo Wolwazi

Maseko, P. (2016). Consolidated Translation Practice.