© Xolisa Tshongolo

09 kweyeNkanga 2023

Monti

IsiXhosa lulwimi lwesibini oluthethwa sisininzi seli lizwe loMzantsi Afrika. Sithethwa ngumyinge 16,3% yabantu beli lizwe (Stats SA 2022). Lulwimi olusemthethweni kumaphondo iMpuma Koloni, iNtshona Koloni, KwaZulu- Natala, Mntlakoloni, Freyistata, Rhawutini, naseMntlantshona.

IsiXhosa lulwimi lokuqala ukubhalwa kwiilwimi zabantsundu (Mtuze & Tena 1995). Imbali ithi amalinge okuqala okulubhala aqaliswa ekuzeni kuphela kweminyako yowe1700s ngamamishinari, apho ubhalo olusesikweni lwathi lwaba ngowe1823 (Oplant & Mtuze 1994). Ubhalo olusesikweni lwapapashwa ngokuse kufike uMfundisi uJohn Ross ephethe ilitye lokushicilela, iphepha, neinki, ngonyaka 1823. Zithe zakubakho ezi nto kwaqaliswa ukushicilelwa kwemibhalo yokuqala [kwisakhiwo setyalike] eTyhume, ndawo leyo eyathi ekuhambeni kwexesha yajikwa yaba yiLovedale Press (Shepherd 1945). Ngokuqinisekileyo, ukuqala kokubhalwa kwesiXhoa yaba kukudaleka kwemigaqo yokubhala neyokupela olu lwimi, kuthathelwa kwindlela amamishinari ayesiva ngayo isiXhosa, esebenzisa ialfabhethi yawo. Ke ngoko imigaqo yokubhala neyokupela ulwimi isiXhosa singathatha ngokuba ubudala bayo bungangaleyo yokubhalwa kolwimi isiXhosa.

Njengoko ke isiXhosa sithethwa ngokwahlukileyo kwiindawo ezahlukileyo (Tshongolo 2022), amamishinari abhala indlela yokuthetha yamaRharhabe njengesona siXhosa sifanelekileyo (Mtuze & Tena 1995). Ayenothini ke kambe ayexhwarhe khona nje ngaphambi kokuba athi saa kweli lizwe loomawokhulu? Konke akwenzayo ukuqala ukubhala olu lwimi akwenza kwelo lakwaRharhabe. Oku kudale ukuba indlela eyamkelekileyo yokubhala olu lwimi ibe yileyo yokuthetha kwamaRharhabe isiXhosa, zashiyelelwa ngasemva ezinye iindlela zokuthetha olu lwimi. Kungako ke sasisaya kuva abantu abathi ‘hayi ayisosiXhosa esi sisiHlubi okanye sisiMpondo,’ njalonjalo; kungenxa yokuba zaye zashiywa ngaphandle ezinye iindlela zokuthetha olu lwimi xa lwalubhalwa. Kude kwangunyaka 2017 apho iBhodi yoLwimi isiXhosa yeSizwe yePanSALB yathi yamilisela ukuba zidilizwe ezo ntango zocalucalulo olungena bulungisa. Iindlela ezahlukileyo zokuthethwa olu lwimi kwathiwa mazamkelwe, zigunyaziswe ngeenkqubo zokugunyazisa. Kungokunje ke asisenalo elithi ‘hayi ayisosiXhosa esi sisiMpondo’ kuba iyindlela eyahlukileyo kweyakwaRharhabe yokuthetha isiXhosa. Elimiyo lelokuba ‘isiXhosa sithethwa ngokwahlukileyo kwiindawo ezahlukileyo.’ Ubhalo lwale mihla ke lubonisa ezo nguqu. Kambe ke oku makungaphanjaniswa ngokuthi umgaqo wokubhala nowokupela olu lwimi awumnyanga; hayi, mnye umgaqo,

okwahlukileyo ziindlela zokuthetha. Ukutsho oko inye indlela yokubhala neyokupela ezo ndlela zahlukileyo zokuthethwa kolwimi isiXhosa.

Ukususela ngonyaka 1823 ibe ngamahlandinyuka kubhalwa olu lwimi isiXhosa ngeendlela ngeendlela, iphuculwa ngokuphuculwa indlela yokulubhala neyokulupela. Oku kuthetha ukuba imigaqo yokubhala neyokupela ibe iguquguquka ngokuguquguqulwa kwendlela yokubhala neyokupela isiXhosa. Amamishinari ayekwenza odwa ke oku, ebhala iimibhalo yezobuKristu ngesiXhosa. Kambe ke ukubhala iimbalo zobuKristu yayiyeyona njongo yawo yokubhala kwawo olu lwimi (Twabu 1992). Kwakuwakhanyele amamishinari ukuba, ukuba ufuna imfundiso ihlale unaphakade yibhale phantsi, njengoko yenzile ke ukumiliseleka imfundiso yobuKristu kumaXhosa (Tshongolo 2015). Okubhalwe phantsi kuhlala kusisikhumbuzo enokuba izinto sele ziguquke kanganani na.

Amamishinari ke ade angenelwa ngabothuthu kumsebenzi wokubhala isiXhosa, ekuguqukeni kwamaguquka okuqala afana noNtsikana kaGabha, yena owayeguquke kwakwiminyaka yowe1779 (Kaschula 1995). Aba bothuthu nabo bafike baqhubela phambili nokusibhala ngezizathu zevangeli yobuKristu isiXhosa, bebhala amaculo (Kaschula 1995) nezinye ke iimbalo zobuKristu. Bande ngokwanda ke abothuthu abakubhalo lwesiXhosa, kwaye oko kudale iinguqu kwimigaqo yokubhala neyokupela olu lwimi. Ubungqina obusafumanekayo bokuguquka kwemigaqo bukumagama anohahazo apho kubhalo lwamzuzu belungasetyenziswa, ze kamva lwafakwa. Kaloku kwisiNgesi, ekwakuthathelwa kuso ukubhala olu lwimi, uhahazo luhlala lukhona kumagama anonoobumba abafana no[P] no[B] lungadanga luboniswe ngo[h] (Tshongolo 2022). EsiXhoseni ke oku kufuneka kuboniswe ngo[h], kungenjalo abo nobumba bayatsoliswa – izibizo ezinohahazo nezitsolisiweyo (Pumla Vs Phumla, Bhala Vs Bala, njalonjalo ke). Ezi ziinguqu ezidaleke ngokungenela kwabothuthu kubhalo lwesiXhosa, belumisa ngokwakokwalo ulwimi, belususa kubume bolwimi lwasemzini.

Oku ke kusinika isizathu esomeleleyo sokuba imigaqo yokubhala neyokupela isiXhosa mayihlale iqwalaselwa ukuqinisekisa ukuba ihlala ifanelekile. Oku kungenxa yokuba kuthe gqolo ukuvela kwezinto ezintsha nezidinga ukumiswa kolwimi ngokutsha ukuze lufanele iinguqu zophuhliso. Umzekelo, kule mihla sinezandi ezitsha eziveliswa luphuhliso, izandi ezifana no[Gr] kagrabile esongeza kweso besikho kade esikwangu[Gr] kagrobhoza; u[Kr] kakrazula no[Kr] kakrama (ukubholitha), u[Mpy] kakhompyutha (xa ungathanga ‘ikhompuyutha’); iziririzi kumagama afana no[irobhothi] zandi ezo besingenazo (PanSALB 2019). EsiXhoseni u[R] edityaniswa no[H] ukuze kuphume u[Rh]. Besufudula singenazo ke iziririzi kulwimi isiXhosa, zivele ngokuvela kwamagama adalwe luphuhliso afuna kuririzwe xa kuthethwa. Mininzi ke imizekelo esinokuyenza ukubonisa isidingo sokuhlaziywa kwemigaqo yokubhala neyokupela ukuvulela ithuba iinguqu ezidalwa luphuhliso oluqhubayo.

Ukubhalwa kolu lwimi kube nemingeni yako nebide idale ungquzulwano phakathi koluntu oluntsundu ebekubhalelwa lona ngamamishinari. Olu ngquzulwano belude lukhokhelele kubundlobongela bokutshiswa kweencwadi nezixhobo zokubhala nezokuprinta ukubonisa inkcaso yabantu ngakumamishinari (Twabu 1992). Njengokuba abothuthu ababhalayo babesiya besanda, amamishinari kwelawo icala ayengafuni ukuphulukana nolawulo lokubhalwa kolu lwimi. Kaloku ayefuna kubhalwe ukuthanda kwawo, ngendlela ethandwa ngawo, esayamisa nenkolo yawo. Imbali kaKaschula (2017) ithi ibingawo ebelawula imfundo. Uthi amamishinari ebengavumi ukuba ipapashwe imibhalo yabothuthu angahambisaniyo nayo; engavumi ukuba ingene ezikolweni xa sele ithe yapapashwa engakholisekanga yiyo. Oku wokufumana kumalinge okuguqula isiphelo sencwadi yodumo kaA. C. Jordan ethi ‘Ingqubo yeminyaya,’ apho kwakusithiwa mayingapheli ngokuzibulala komlinganiswa ophambili kuba ukuzibulala akulunganga kubuKristu nakuThixo (Kaschula 2017). Kuthiwa ke okaJordan wala kwama ngaye, engavumi ukusiguqula isiphelo sencwadi yakhe, de yapapashwa ke injalo.

Kuthiwa yathi sele ipapashiwe bala abalawuli bezikolo ukuba ingene ezikolweni, besithi inesiphelo esibi esingahambisaniyo nentlalo yoluntu. Ukusuka apho ke kuthiwa wasokola uJordan ukukhupha incwadi yakhe yesibini, emxhibile amamishinari ngoqhankqalazo lwakhe. Kubo bonke ke obo bungendawo, uA.C Jordan waba ngumbhali ophume izandla kwangezo ncwadi zakhe kwakusithiwa azilunganga (Oplant 1983).

Ababhali bokuqala ke ngoko kwakufuneka ukuba babhale ukuthanda kwamamishinari (Kaschula 2017). Amaguquka okuqala afana noNtsikana kaGabha ayesebenzisa kwaimveli ukuvakalisa inguquko, embonga uMdali ngendlela ange ebonge ngayo iinkosi zemveli kwizici (Kaschula 1995). Ababhali babeguqulwe ukuba bathathe oko kukukuthanda kwamamishinari bakuguqulele esiXhoseni de ibe ngathi kusisiXhosa xa kuvela ezincwadi zabo (Satyo 1995).

Imbali ke isibonisa ukuba baninzi ababhali ezazisaliwa iincwadi zabo ukuba zipapashwe ngenxa yolawulo lwabantu basemzini. Oku kwenzeke de kwesa kwixa lokucinezelwa kwabantsundu ngokobuhlanga, apho imibhalo yooS.E.K Mqhayi yathi yakhatywa nangani babengqinwa kubuchule bokubhala nokwazi izinto zesizwe ababezibhala ngobunjalo bazo. U-S. E. K. Mqhayi wamkelwa njengomnye wababhali besiXhosa abaphambili, ingakumbi ngencwadi yakhe ethi ‘Samson’ yonyaka 1907 nethi ‘Ityala lamawele’ yonyaka 1914 (Kaschula 2017).

Ngemihla yombuso wamaBhulu engcinezelo ngokobuhlanga bekusele kubekwe kwa-abantu abantsundu kwimizi yopapasho ukuba bahluze ukwamkeleka nokungamkeleki kweencwadi zabantsundu. Le mpi yayityhefwe ngempumelelo ngamaBhulu engcinezelo. Yiyo eyakhokhelela ekuguqulweni kolwimi ukuba lume ngendlela ebonisa ingqobhoko nkalwana zonke. Oku wokubona ekucekisweni kwamagama entsusa ukuba endaweni yawo kufakwe awasemzini okanye ahlonipha lawo entsusa. Uluchwe lomsebenzi wale mpi lolu sixakene nalo kule mihla apho kukho amagama ekuthiwa ayathuka okanye ayanyelisa nangani ingamagama entsusa. UmXhosa endinguye kule mihla akasenamnqundu uneempundu, azisaziwa ezona mpundu ukuba yindawoni; akanyi umntu wanamhlanje uyathoyiletha kuba ukunya kuthiwa kukrwada; indoda endala ayinamthondo inencanca le yabantwana. Bubhanxandini! Zonke ke izinto ezibhanxekileyo zifonjwe kolu lwimi lwethu ngenxa yale mpi yengqobhoko yayithiwe lwalwe luluchwe lwabacinezeli nabachithachithi bezizwe nezinto zazo. Iincwadi ezinentsomi efana neyayisithi ‘Intak’ enyamasi’ neyayisithi ‘Mbambe mnqundu wendod’ endala,’ nezinamaqashiso athi ‘Ndinasana lwam luthi mama ndibambe ndinye,’ zaliwa ukuba zipapashwe ngexesha lale mpi.

Umnqa ke kwinquleqhu yale mpi ingasentla kukuba la magama neentsomi namaqashiso ayesetyenziswa luluntu ekwakubhalwelwa lona, lungaboni sibhidi lona kwezo nto. Babengaboni bugwenxa kwezo ntsomi naloo magama kuba yayiyimpilo yabo leyo. Xa ke imibhalo enawo yayingamkeleki makube kwakubhalelwa bani, ntoni? Elam lithi kwakubhalwa ukuthanda kwabacinizeli okwakuhlohlwa kuthi okondonci uphendulelwa yinkwenkwe ukuze sibe yiloo nto babefuna sibe yiyo abathimbi nabacinezeli bethu. Yaphumelela ke loo migudu, kangangoko; yalifeza idinga eyayidingwe ngalo. Unangoku ke sithi aba sisitsho ngokwethu ukuba ulwimi lwethu luyathuka, luyenyelisa; olulungileyo lolwasemzini ukuze nezinto ezibizwa ngamagama esiXhosa zifaneleke xa zibizwa ngesiNgesi. Bubuphukuphuku ke ukucinga ukuba indutsu iyayeka ukuba yindutsu kuba kusithiwa ziimpundu okanye kusithiwa yieyinasi.

Kambe kwathi kanti akabuzanga elangeni! Namhlanje ulwimi lwethu luyabuya. Amagama ebekusithiwa mabi ayabuyiswa. Siyababona ababhali bale mihla bewasebenzisa kwiincwadi zabo, akunakuba kukwisihobe okanye kukumabali na. Aba ngababhali nabapapashi abadikwe yeyokosa, abaseze ngobuso elizweni, abangoovuk’ ayibambe, abangacengi bani ngolwimi lwabo. Kunjalo nje sibona nabezosasazo bekuvumela ngoku ukusetyenziswa kwala magama, lwehlile uvalo lokuba baza kumangalelwa ezinkundleni zamatyala. Loo mixhadana kanomathambelezantsi intshwencile. Nangani kunjalo ke, isekho imbinana yabasaqhankqalazayo besithi makungenziwa njalo, ithi ulwimi isiXhosa lulwimi oluhloniphayo, betsho bewuphosile umhlola ngokuhlonipha kwesiXhosa. Le mpi ke ndiyayivundlisa, ndithi iya kuqabuka sele kophulwe ilibele bubuthongo emini; isiXhosa siyagoduswa kuba siyafunwa kokwaso!

Asinakuyivala ke ingxoxo engokubhalwa kwesiXhosa singathanga sichaphazele indima yamaphephandaba (Kaschula 2017). Bekusetyenziswa amaphephandaba ukwazisa uluntu oluntsundu ngokuqhubekayo esizweni. Nangani ekuqaleni yaye izindaba zevangeli yobuKristu, iindaba zobuzwe ziye zangena ngamandla kumaphephandaba. Oku kwandise amathuba okubhala ngezinto zamaXhosa, kubandakanya ukubhaleka kwamagama ezinto ngesiXhosa. Ibe nkulu kakhulu ke indima yamaphephandama ekuphuhliseni ukubhalwa kolwimi isiXhosa, esongeza ekupapashweni kweencwadi. Njengokuba iincwadi zazisezikolweni ubukhulu becala, amaphephandaba wona ayefika kuluntu ngokubanzi, ephethe ezentlalo.

Xa ndiqwela ingqokoqho. IsiXhosa masibhalwe, kunjalo nje masibhalwe ngocoselelo nangenyameko. Ulwimi malusetyenziswe ngokufanelekileyo ukuze ababhali balucholachole lusulungekile, balufake ezincwadini ukuze lugcinakale. Njengokuba sibala amakhulu amabini eminyaka sabhalwayo isiXhosa kungenxa yababhali abathe benza ukuba olu lwimi lube kule ndawo lukuyo. Abathimbi basinceda ngokubhala olu lwimi nangokusifundisa ukubhala, kodwa asingenyali ukubayamanisa nengcinezelo yokuqala kubhalo lolwimi isiXhosa (Kaschula 2017). Kambe ke eMaMpondomseni sithi ‘akukho nto imbi kwaphela kuba umsonto uyawutsala naselindleni lenja uphume ungumsonto’ (Tshongolo 2013). Sitsala loo msonto ke ngokubhalwa kwesiXhosa ngamamishinari. Nabo bathengisa ngolwimi ngethuba bekwimizi yopapasho siyababulela, kuba ke basigcine sikhanya isibane nokuba besingakhanyi ngokoko besifuna ngako. Imigaqo yokubhala nokupela mayihlale iphuhliswa ukuze imelane nezanzulu zexesha. Ababhali mabathi gqolo bebhala, iincutshe namaqungqutha, kuba ke sele nditshilo ukuba akukho nto imbi kwaphela!

Goba msenge iibhokhwe zikutye! Ijangqela lenu.

© Gqr Xolisa Tshongolo

09 kweyeNkanga 2023

Monti

Iimbalo ezicatshulweyo

Kaschula, R. H. 1995. Preachers and poets: Oral poetry within the religious cosmology of Xhosa. South African Journal of African Languages. 15.1. PP 65-73.

Kaschula, R. H. 2017. Intellectualisation of isiXhosa literature: The case of Jeff Opland. htt://dx.doi.org/10.17159/tvl.v.54i2.413

Oplant, J & Mtuze, P. 1994. Izwi labantu. Oxford University Press South Africa: Cape Town. Mtuze, P. & Tena. 1995. Umhlobo wabafundi besiXhosa. Lovedale Press: Alice

Oplant, J. 1983. Xhosa oral poetry: Aspects of a black South African Tradition. Cambridge: Cambridge U P. PanSALB. 2019. Imigaqo yokubhal neyokupela ulwimi isiXhosa. Pretoria. PanSALB.

Satyo, S. 1995. A shot history of Xhosa literature until the early 1980s. Comparative literature and African literature. Ed. A. Gerard. Pretoria: Via Afrika. PP 65-89.

Shepherd, R. H. W. 1945. Lovedale and literature for Bantu: A brief history and forecast. Lovedale: Lovedale Press.

Statistics South Africa. 2022. Census 2022. Statistical release. Pretoria: Statistics South Africa Tshongolo, X. 2013. Amagqabantshintshi oncwadi lwemveli. Kapa: X. Tshongolo

Tshongolo, X. 2015. Iilwimi zabantsundu kwezoqoqosho eKapa: Imingeni namathuba. Uphando lweMastazi. Yunivesithi yeNtshona Koloni.

Tshongolo, X. 2022. Ukuphuhlisa ufikelelonzulu kulwazi ngokusebenzisa imathiriyeli elwimimbini kwimfundo yoqeqesho lweetitshala: Okubhekiselele kubafundi bonyaka wokuqala kwizikoMfundo enomsila eMpuma Koloni. Uphando lwePhD. Yunivesithi yeNtshona Koloni.