Bekusezinzulwini zobusuku, xa ndithekelela ibiyintsimbi yokuqala okanye eyesibini ekuseni, ndathi ndingena kwikhasi lika Google- ndaphawulwa ukuba i-"Google Doodle" bubuso buka Steve Bantu Biko.
Ndikubukile oku, yabe idada emafutheni intliziyo yam kukuzingca ngokuba inkampani enkulu kangaka – nezinze eMelika noxa sisebenzisa inkonzo yayo kwihlabathi jikelele- ithabatha ixesha lokunik'ingqwalasela, iwonge iqhawe lethu eliyinzalelwano yelokishi yaseQonce (King William's Town) i-Ginsberg eMpuma Koloni. Isizathu sokuba uBiko abe yi-Google Doodle yangomhla we 18 kweyoMnga (December) kukuba kulo nyaka ka 2016, eliqhawe beliyakube ligqiba iminyaka eyi-70 ukuba belisaphila.
Andazi ndithathe imizuzu emingaphi ndilijongile elikhasi likaGoogle – endijongile uBiko kuloo mzobo umbonisa engumfana – la mntu mtsha wayenguye ngethuba ebulawa ngokungenalusini ngamapolisa kaRhulumente wengcinizelo nge 12 kweyoMsintsi (September) 1977. Ndizive umoya wam usiwa, yasuka ingqondo yam kwezoongcinga zokuzingca ngeliwonga le-Google Doodle, ndaziva ndikhubekile, umphefumlo wam wophulwa kukucinywa ngobudlobongela kwekhandlela elalikhanya ngobuqaqawuli ngexesha lobumnyama kweli lizwe- khandlela lobunkokheli endicinga ukuba kwakuze kuthi mhla sikhululeka libe lelinye lokukhanyisela eli lizwe endleleni yokwakha uMzantsi Afrika olawulwa ngumntu womgquba, nanjengoko kwakufanelekile- sitsho sibheka phambili de sibe sikude lee namhlanje.
Kodwa mfundi, injongo yalo mbhalo ayikukukubuyisela emva njengoko bendiziva mna, ndicaphukile ndikwanenzondo kwakhona ngakubantu abathatha ubomi buka Biko. Hayi. Injongo kukuba ndithathe elithuba lo mhla wokuzalwa weliqhawe ndikubalisele ukuba ubukho, ubomi, ingcingca, nobomi buka Steve Biko bubutshintshe njani ubomi bam.
Ndithe ndiseluhambeni ngenkqwelomoya, ndibukele udliwano-ndlebe kumabona kude no "Dollar Brand", ogama linguAbdullah Ibrahim- wathetha amazwi abenefuthe elimangalisayo kum. Lo mdlali womculo womngqungqo ube namazwi athi: "Xa ubhala, bhala ngento oyaziyo." La mazwi afumene indawo yokuhlala engqondweni ebifumile kakade, nebikade izama-zamana nezibhalo nengcamango zikaBiko. Ndandingekazalwa ukuphila nokubulawa kukaBiko. Ndandingekabikho ngelixa lentsusa yeengcamango nokuqiqa kwenkolo ye-Pan Africanism- ngezo ntsuku okuphila kwamaqhawe namaqhawekazi neza kwangaphambi koBiko lowo- ooNkwame Nkrumah, W.E.B. du Bois, Frantz Fanon, Julius Nyerere, Jomo Kenyatta, Patrice Lumumba, Malcolm X, Anton Lembede, Robert Sobukwe njalo-njalo. Ndandingekacingwa nokuba ndakuze ndibe kwisizalo sikamama ngethuba lokuthutyeleziswa kwezibhalo zikaBiko – u-"Frank Talk" njengoko wayesaziwa. Nawe ke mfundi wesi sibhalo inokuba sewuqonda ukuba ngokuqinisikeleyo, ndandingu "Nongekabikho" ukusekwa kwentshukumo ye "Black Consciousness Movement".
Kukho amazwi endingaqondi ukuba siwathathel'ingqalelo ngokupheleleyo; lawo abhekisa ekutshatyalalisweni kokuzingca kwethu njengabantu abamnyama- amazwi athetha ngqo nemeko yokuziqonda ukuba akukho mntu nawaliphina ibala, ongcono kunathi. Ndiziva ndivakalelwa xa ndifunda izibhalo zikaBiko. Nangona ndandinayo ingqondo (nokuba yayingekavuthwa ncam) ngeminyaka yokugqibela yolawulo lobandlululo; nangona ndathunyelwa ngabazali bam ukuyokufunda kwizikolo zabelungu kwangaphambi ko1994- mna imbala ndingulo athetha ngaye uBiko xa esithi: "Abelungu kumele benziwe baqonde ukuba ngabantu, hayi ngcono. Kwangaxesha nye abantu abamnyama mabaziqonde ukuba ngabantu, kwaye abangobantu abakumgangatho ongaphantsi kwabamhlophe" ("...as a prelude whites must be made to realise that they are only human, not superior. Same with Blacks. They must be made to realise that they are also human, not inferior.")
Umnyaka yayi ngu1991 ndiyokubhala iimviwo zokukwazi ukwamkelwa ndifunde kwisikolo ekungoku nje sibizwa Kingsridge samantombazana eQonce (KHS). Injongo yezoomviwo yayikukubona ukuba usemgangathweni okanye ukulungele na ukufundiswa uziqondisise izifundo zalapho. Enye injongo yayikukuqwalasela ukuba unalo na ulwazi lwelwimi lwesiNgesi nanjengokuba kwakufundiswa ngesiLungu kuphela khona. Iimviwo ezo zaziquka nezo zezibalo (Maths), kwaye kukoluviwo apho ndazibona ndibhala izinto zomqala wam. Mandikunabele. Ndicinga ukuba ndandingomnye wabantwana abakrele-krele phakathi kwabanye abantwana. Kwisikolo samabanga aphantsi endandifunda kuso eZwelitsha eNontsapho (gama elatshintswa laba yiQaqamba ukubhukuqwa kukaLennox Sebe ngu Oupa Gqozo) ndandisoloko ndiphuma kwindawo yokuqala eklasini ukuqala kwa-Sub A (Grade 1) ukuyokuqhina kwa-Std 2 (Grade 4). Ndiyile ke ukuyokubhala iimviwo eKHS- ndathi xa ndijonga iphepha lezibalo zabonakala zilula gqitha kum. Phi na phi, kwathi gqii ingcinga kum ethi: "Asanda, mis'ingqondo, kusebalungwini apha, kwaye bona bakrele-krele gqitha kunathi bantu bamnyama. Ukuze upase, sukuzenza ngohlobo oqhele ukwenza ngayo kuba bohlukile abelungu." Yaba kukuphithanisa izibalo zam ke oko! Nene ngenene, ndalutshona uviwo. Andizange ndiyithethe inyani kubazali bam ukuba kutheni nditshonile, ingakumbi umama wam nowayengumfundisi-ntsapho weMaths neScience. Ndandiqinisekile ukuba uyakundolula ngobu yatha bam, anditswikile amakhwapha (nanjengoku babesenza oomama bethu ngaloo mihla). Ngonyaka olandelayo, ndaphinda ndayokuzibhala iimviwo- ndenza njengoko ndandifundisiwe ngabahlohli bam abamnyama baseQaqamba, ndaphumelela, ndiyokufunda eKHS ukususela ngonyaka ka1993 kwa-Std 3 (Grade 5).
Injongo yale mbaliso yam kukuzama ukukubonisa mfundi- ingakumbi wena useze ngobuso elizweni ukuba akukho bulumko nokubhedesha ubumhlophe.
Kukho umkhuba wokuphakamelana singabantu – ingakumbi abatsha- nokugezelana ngenxa yokungafani komgangatho wokuthetha isiNgesi. Ufike abo babe nenyhweba yokufunda nabantu abakhumshayo behleka iziqhazolo xa besiva abanye abantu abangakwazi ukusithetha ngokufana nabo isiNgesi, nge-"twang" leyo. Phofu nabelungu ngokunjalo ndide ndababhaqa ukuba ungade ubogqithe ngolwazi lwelwimi labo. Ndisitsho nje, utishalakazi wam kuStd 4 (Grade 6) eKHS wandibizel'ecaleni emva kweemviwo zokugqibela zonyaka, efuna ukundixelela ndingaboni kwi-ngxelo yeziphumo zemviwo ukuba ndibogqithe bonke kwibanga ndazuza u96% kwizifundo zesiNgesi. Phofu konke oku utitshalakazi ukuthetha edidekile ukuba kwenzeke njani kubalasele umntwana omnyama kwizifundo zesiNgesi? Ndabetha ngesosantya ke ndade ndasigqiba isikolo. Kodwa, noxa ndagxila kakhulu kwisiNgesi esikolweni, akho nto ndizingca ngayo ngaphezu kokuba kungoku nje andisileli konke-konke kwilwimi lwam lwenkobe (mother tongue)- nto leyo endikubone ukubaluleka kwayo sendimdala. Kaloku awukwazi ukuzingca ngokupheleleyo ungumntu omnyama ukuba ulwimi lwakho lwenkobe awulwazi. Bambi bade bazingombe izifuba ngokwazi isiNgesi ngaphezu kolwimi lakwamawabo.
Phofu wasithetha awasithetha isiNgesi, ekuqhubekeni kobomi bam, ndiye ndafumanisa ukuba kukho abantu abakhumsha bagob'amalwimi, basikhuphe ngempumlo isiNgesi eso- uthi xa umamelisisa kakuhle kwinqontsonqa yentetho leyo, ufumanise ukuba akukho kwanto ileleyo kwiingqondo yomntu. Kwalapha ekuhambeni kwam, ndihlangene nabantu abangakwazi nokulithetha nelinye igama lesiNgesi, aze athi akundichubela imeko ngolwimi lesiXhosa, ndafumanise ukuba iingqondo zabo ziqulathe obona bulumko bemveli endandikhe ndabuva.
Madizishwankathele ezi ngcinga zam ngamazwi ka Whitney Young, i-nkokheli yentshukumo ye-Civil Rights zee "African-Americans: "Inyani yeyokuba akukho kugqama wedwa xa ungentla kunomnye umntu. Okona kubaluleka kukuba ube ngentla kunento obuyiyo ngaphambili. Akukho hlanga linegunya elilodwa lokwenza izinto ezigwenxa okanye ezinyulu, kwaye ukubaluleka komntu akunanto yakwenza nebala lakhe. Ingozi kukuba abantu bangaphazamisa inguqu kwintetho, nenguqu yokuziphatha. Nangona onke amaMelika efunde ukuthetha ngokunga krwempiyo, kwaye bakho abo bangafundanga ukucinga ngenye indlela, okanye ukwenza izinto ezifanelekileyo. Ubuntsundu buhle xa umntwana ophuma kwimimmandla yabahlelelekileyo engena kwiziko lemfundo ephakamileyo, xa indoda ifunda isakhono esitsha kumsebenzi omtsha, okanye umama ophuma kwimimmandla yabahlelekileyo elwela umntwana wakhe ukuba aphile ubomi obungcono. Kodwa nabo ubumhlophe buhle, xa buguqula intlalo ukuze nabamnyama baxhamle. Ubumhlophe bubi xa bucinezela umntu omnyama, nobuntsundu abamkeleki xa bucinezela abamnye abantu abantsundu."
Ngalamazwi, mandithathe elithuba ndithi "Akwaba ubusekhona, uphila phakathi kwethu Steve Bantu Biko. Noxa bawuthatha ngokungenalusini ubomi bakho, abazange bayibulale i-Black Consciouness kwaye bayakufeda unaphakade ukuba bangazama. Hlala uyazi ukuba noxa sihamba ngesantya esiphantsi, nathi sizukulwana sitsha sizasifundisa nge-Black Consciousness, siyaqiqa mihla le, amehlo ethu aye evuleka, kwaye siyayiphila. Apho ukhoyo sinyanya sethu: sikunqwenele usuku oluhle lokuzalwa Xhamela- qhawe lamaqhawe."