UMzi kaXhosa uyibona seyigobele esandleni sisithwakumbe sokushiywa nguMadiba, uSopitsho, uYemyem, uNgqolomsila uvela bambhentsele, unyana kaNosajini. Lowo ke asiwumbi ingenguye uNjingalwazi Peter Tshobisa Mtuze. Le yinkunkqele yenjanjalarha kasozilwimi, inkcubabuchopho, umbhali, itoliki, ichaluza lolwimi, umsasazi kwakunye nengqondi. Kambe ke kunzima ukumchaza ngokukuko lo mphakathi, unokuchazwa kwaziingqondi ezifana naye. Le yindembelele, ibiliphakathi elikhulu leKomkhulu leSizwe sikaXhosa kangangendlela awusebenzele ngawo lo mzi, ezijula ijacu, ezikhonzela. Ibiya kusuka ithi imbongi yakuGompo ukuba esi sithwakumbe besehle isaphila: asikuthumanga ngazo izicengo, asikuthenganga ngayo imibengo; bekungenganzuzo zimakhwezikhwezi, bekungengazipho zimakhwezikhwezi…
Akuvumi ukuba kuthiwe ufile unyana kanoSajini. Ngoko ke sithi ulele. Imisebenzi yakhe ayiniki ukuba kuthiwe ufile, imenza ukuba ahlale ephila; nelizwi lakhe lihlale linkenteza ezindlebeni zethu, kuba lishicilelwe kwiincwadi zakhe ezizezi: UDingezweni, Indlel’ ebhek’ enkundleni, Iingada zibuyile endle, Alitshoni lingaphumi, Ungakhe uxelele mntu, Umdlanga, njalonjalo ke, ukubala nje ezimbalwa. UMadiba ebekwanguye nomguquleli ophume izandla. Umsebenzi wakhe omangalisayo siwubonile kwiinguqulelo ezimbini: kuLong Walk to Freedom kaNelson Mandela awayiguqulela ukuba ithi Indlela ende ebheka enkululekweni, nakwenye ethi Ndibhala into ethandwa ndim kaSteve Biko.
IBhodi yeeLwimi yoMzantsi Afrika iyazingca ngokwazana noMadiba ngokuthi izinikele ekufezekiseni umsebenzi wesizwe exakathiswe wona nguMgaqosiseko weli. UNjingalwazi ngomnye wamavulandlela ekusekweni kweXNLB, eyibhodi yolwimi isiXhosa yesizwe kwisithuba sonyaka we1999. Wahlala elilungu isithuba seminyaka elishumi elinesihlanu, apho wakhe wangusekelasihlalo wongasekhoyo uNjingalwazi Nompumelelo Jafta. Ukwasebenzile kwiZiko loChazomagama esiXhosa leSizwe phambi kokuba libe phantsi kwePanSALB. Ngonyaka ka2010 ube ngumtyunjwa kumagqibela kankqoyi kukhuphiswano lolwimi isiXhosa kwiPanSALB Multilingualism Awards. Kwaba luvuyo nochulumanco ukuwongwa kwakhe ngePanSALB–ALASA Sizwe Satyo Language Development Award ngonyaka wama2022.
Eli gongqongqo ukufa lisiginyele imbunguzulu enjalo ukubaluleka esizweni, ingakumbi kwimicimbi yokuphuhliswa kolwimi isiXhosa. IBhodi yeeLwimi yoMzantsi Afrika ithi isizwe masithuthuzeleke, nosapho lwamkele ukukhululwa kwakhe kwiindzingo zobu bomi. Idinga lakhe ulifezile!
Lukhanyo Sigonyela
