Iziyendane, abagayi bensimbi.
Kulenyanga lapho sibungaza ezamasiko nezomdabu ngicabanga ukuthi kubalulekile sike setshise lokhu: Ingabe ubAfrika bugcina ngemvunulo nendlamu na? Cha. Akulona iqiniso leli. Kodwa imvasa sizithola sesigxila kulezizinto kakhulu ngenxa yokweswela ulwazi.
Eqinisweni asizange thina njengamAfrika sizihluphe emvakokuba sesithole inkululeko ngo 1994, ukuthi sike sibheke kabanzi indaba yemvelaphi yethu. Uma uthi uyabheka ucwaningo ngemvelaphi yethu lusasezandleni zabamhlophe.
Kanti futhi nathi ngeke sizesisole abaholi bethu kakhulu. Zaziningi izidingo nqangi ababebhekane nazo emva kokuthi sithole inkululeko.
Manje njengoba sekuphele iminyaka engu-22 sangena embusweni wentando yeningi, sekuyacaca ukuthi lomsebenzi womlando uyadingeka.
Impela siyabona nabantu abasha besigqugquzela ezikoleni, lapho bethi bafuna izinwele zobu-Afrika zamukelwe ezikoleni.
Kanjalo ke, nakudala kwakukhona iqembu labantu elalibizwa ngokuthi iziyendane, ngenxa yezinwele zabo ezaziphothekile.
Kodwa okubalulekile ngeziyendane ukuthi kwakungabagayi bentsimbi ngo 1600s nango 1700s. Size sithi ukugaya nje yingoba lentsimbi yayisuselwa etsheni, lishiswe lize livuthe ilangabi, bese liyashaywa okommbila ugaywa etsheni, lize liqonde, liqine libe yintsimbi.
Lomsebenzi wokugaywa kwentsimbi wawubalulekile kakhulu ngoba intsimbi yayikhanda amageja okuhlakula ensimini, futhi nezikhali zempi zazikhandwa ngayo.
Amageja ashintsha indlela okwakutshalwa ngayo, futhi enza ukuthi abantu bakwazi ukutshala izitshalo isikhathi eside, ngoba sebekwazi ukugubha umhlaba bashone phansi.
Iziyendane zakhombisa ubuchwepheshe kakhulu, okunje ngo sosayensi namhlanje.
Ucwaningo lukhombisa ukuthi ukuzimela kwabo kwakuyindlela yokuvikela umphakathi ngoba ikhono ababenalo lwensimbi, lwalungenza umonakalo omkhulu emphakathini uma kungekho ulawulo. Ngesikhathi samanje singafanisa nendlela okucophelelwa ngayo uma izwe lasemhlabeni linama-Nuclear Weapons. Sizokhumbula ukuthi iNingizimu Afrika nayo yakhuthazwa yiNhlangano Yezizwe (United Nations) ngama 1990s ukuthi ivale umsebenzi wokukhandwa kwama Nuclear Weapons, ngenxa yobungozi anawo, ukuze phela kwande ukuthula emhlabeni.
Lomsebenzi wensimbi wawufaniswa nobunyanga ngenxa yezinga eliphakeme owawubukwa ngayo.
Ngakho ukukhetha lomsebenzi wokugaya insimbi kwakusho ukuzehlukanisa neningi, wawungasafani nawo wonke umuntu.
Namagama ababebizwa ngawo, ‘iziyendane,’ namanye nje ngaleli elithi ‘amalala’ ayenokudelela phakathi, empeleni ayekhomba ukungahlaliseki kwalaba gayi bensimbi.
Namhlanje emanyuvesi nakweze sayensi nobunjinyela abantu abagxile kumsebenzi wensimbi babizwa ngokuthu bangama-metallurgist. Okusho ukuthi iziyendane nazo zingafaniswa nama metallurgist angaleso sikhathi.
Kuyasigqugquzela ke nathi siyisizukulwane salabochwepheshe bensimbi, kusitshela ukuthi nathi sineqhaza esingalidlala ekwakheni kabusha kwezwe lethu lase Ningizimu Afrika, kanti futhi singene kwezolwazi nezesayensi ngokuziqhenya, ngoba sinesisekelo esikhulu kangaka.
Kulomsebenzi womculo ozobe use KZNSA Gallery sizo bona lendaba ichazwa ngomsindo nangokuhuba okusikhumbuza emandulo, kodwa futhi kusibhekise phambili.
uFrantz Fanon ebhala ngokuvuselelwa bobuAfrika, wathi: “When the colonized intellectual writing for his people uses the past he must do so with the intention of opening up the future, of spurring them into action and fostering hope. But in order to secure hope, in order to give it substance, he must take part in the action and commit himself body and soul to the national struggle.”
Lokhu kusikhumbuza ukuthi nathi singazigabisi sithi “Sesifikile,” ngoba singasaphili esikhathini sobandlululo. Kodwa kufanele nathi siphakame ukuze siphelelise umsebenzi owaqalwa abasemandulo. Loluhlelo lokubhala kabanzi luqondene nalowomsebenzi nje ngqo. Landisa ukubungazwa kwenyanga yamasiko (Heritage Month), ukuze lungagcini kuphela ngemvunulo nangesishweshwe, kodwa libe nomthelela ekuthuthukiseni isizwe sethu.
ngu- Dkt Thokozani Mhlambi
NRF Postdoctoral Fellow in Innovation
Archive & Public Culture Research Initiative
University of Cape Town