“IsiXhosa lilifa, uncwadi lwesiXhosa lilifa.”
La ngamazwi atshiwo nguGqirhalwazi Athambile Masola, nothe wabhala wakhupha ingqokolela yemibongo engumzame wokuzikisa nokuphonononga ubumnandi nobunzima bobomi kwihlabathi esiphila kulo namhlanje.
Waziwa kakhulu njengombhali obhala izincoko, kodwa uGqirhalwazi Masola uthe nangona esaziwa kanjalo imibongo sekumzuzu eyibhala kodwa ibiyinto azenzela yona bucala yaye ibingashicilelwanga. “Imibongo yona yohlukile kwizincoko, kodwa ndithe ndakuqaphela ukuba ezi zinto ndizibhalayo ayizozincoko okanye amabali kodwa yenye into efika kum ngesiXhosa ndabona ukuba mandilandele kwelo khondo,” utshilo.
Ethetha ngesihloko sencwadi yakhe, Ilifa, uGqirhalwazi Masola uthe ilifa ulijonge ngendlela ezimbini ezahlukeneyo; kwelinye icala isiXhosa njengolwimi lwenkobe lilifa ukanti kwelinye, uncwadi lwesiXhosa lilifa.
“IsiXhosa lilifa, xa sijonga indyebo yenkcubeko lanto ithi ukuba ulwimi oluthile awulazi, ulwimi nenkcubeko yabo bantu awusoze uyazi. Kwintshayelelo ndibhalile ukuba kukho indyebo yoncwadi lwesiXhosa abantu abaninzi abangayaziyo, eshicilelwe njengo Hambo Lomhambi elipapashwe ngowama-1868. Ndiqaphele ukuba lide ibali ukogqitha nokutolikwa kwebhayibhile. Ngoko ke kum, uncwadi lwesiXhosa lilifa, nolwimi lwesiXhosa lilifa,” utshilo.
Uqhuba ngelithi abazali bakhe bamfundise kwizikolo zabantu abamhlophe, apho waqaphela indlela abebafundiswa ngayo eyayifuna bangabi ngabantu abangabo okanye bazamkele ububona. “Xa uyibona lento imihla ngemihla, nangona abazali babesithumele ukuba siyofunda, isiphumo esingalindelekanga ngumandlalo okanye isiseko sabo kukusihlutha izinto esinazo, ukusihlutha ubumi bethu, ukusityhuthula sibe ngamaqokobhe alento bona bafuna uyenza,” utshilo.
Uthe uqale ukufunda isiXhosa njengolwimi oluphangaleleyo kunyaka wakhe wesithathu kwiyunivesithi yase Rhodes njengoko kwisikolo samabanga aphezulu wenza isibhulu njengolwimi lwesibini logama isiXhosa sasifundiswa njengolwimi elongezelelweyo. ”IsiXhosa babesifundisa njengolwimi olongezelelweyo, indlela ababekhetha ngayo babesenza ingathi akukho into inexabiso okanye inesihlahla kuso,” utshilo. Lo ka Masola uthe kulapho aqale khona ukuzilanda, waqaphela ukuba ibali lide kuquka ukulahlekelwa yindyebo, umhlaba nokuxuthwa izinto.
Ethetha ngehlobo abhale ngayo imibongo yakhe, indlela isiXhosa esithethwa ngayo kulemihla, nesiXhosa esithethwa edolophini, uthe indlela yokulondoza isiXhosa kukubonisa indlela esiphila ngayo kwixesha lenkululeko ekhaphukhaphu.
Uthe ukhethe ukubhala ngalendlela ngoba ukubhala isiXhosa esasityenziswa ngababhali bangaphambili njengo SEK Mqhayi kunokubonisa ukunganyaniseki kwaye asibonisi indlela esiphila ngayo namhlanje nangendlela ulwimi olutshintshe ngayo kule minyaka.
Uthi abantu bayithandile incwadi kuba nabo bebeziva ngokuba isiXhosa sabo asigqwesanga bavuyela ukuthenga incwadi abakwazi ukuyifunda. “Into emnandi ngalento yalencwadi uyithenga kunye nencwadi kaMthunzikazi Mbungwana ethi Unam Wena, okhulele eCala, nesiXhosa sakhe sibonisa isiXhosa esithethwa eCala. Kubalukile ukuba sinyaniseke ngokuba isiXhosa sohlukile siyeke ukwenza abantu bazive belihlazo ngendlela abathetha ngayo isiXhosa,” utshilo.
Uqhube ngelithi ufundile ukuba abantu abaninzi bayafuna ukufunda ngolwimi lwabo lwenkobe. “Abantu abazofunda lencwadi bazobona uvavanyo okanye ulingo, ndinqwenela afike umntu enengqondo ephangaleleyo xa ezofunda lencwadi, bazobona amabali abalisa ngobomi bethu ngoku, ngethemba ke lokuba bazozibona kulento ibhaliweyo, bachukumiseke ukuba nabo baqalise ukubhala ngeelwimi zabo,” ugqibe ngelitshoyo.
Zishicilelwe yi uHlanga Press, ezincwadi ziyafumaneka e The Forge, Book Lounge, Bargain Books, Fogarty’s, Protea Boekwinkel, Exclusive Books, nase Loot.co.za.
