Ukucula Iqiniso

Le ncwadi ngeka

Ukucula Iqiniso: indaba ka-Miriam Makeba
Illustrated by Louwrisa Blaauw
Written by Jade Mathieson
Designed by Bianca de Jong
with the help of the Book Dash participants in Cape Town on 30 August 2014.
ISBN: 978-1-928318-21-7
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Indaba ka-Miriam Makeba

Kudala, kudolobhakazi laseGoli,  kwazalwa ingane yentombazane. Le ngane kwabe kuyimina. Umama wangiqamba igama wathi  ngingu-Miriam. U-Miriam Makeba.

Umama wabe eyisangoma, futhi  esebenza ukuhlanza izindlu zabanye abantu. Kwabe kunzima kakhulu  kumama ukuthola imali ezosanela  sobabili. Waqala wadayisa  umqombothi ukuze sizakhele imadlana.

Imithetho yezwe yabe ibeka ukuthi ukudayisa umqombothi akufanele. Amaphoyisa ambopha umama  izinyanga eziyisithupha. Ngabe  nginezinsuku eziyi-18 nje kuphela futhi ngidinga imali. Nakuba ngabe  ngiyingane, nami ngavalelwa ejele.

Ngisemncane bengikuthanda  kakhulu ukucula. Kwathi lapho sengikhulile, ngasiza umama ukuhlanza izindlu. Ukucula amaculo ngesikhathi ngisebenza kwakwenza umsebenzi usheshe futhi nezinsuku zibe  nokukhanya. Ukucula kwakungijabulisa ngendlela engingakwazi ukuyichaza.

Ngangicula nasesontweni lami, futhi lokhu kwakujabulisa nabanye.  Umculo unamandla okuhlanganisa abantu ndawonye. Ukucula  kwakusiqinisa futhi kusinika isibindi.

Abantu bethi iphimbo lami liyisipho futhi izingoma zami zazikhethekile. Ngangicula nabanye abaculi futhi  umculo wethu ulalelwa  umhlaba wonkana.

Ekhaya kwakuse-Sophiatown, indawo yamasiko nomculo. I-Sophiatown,  indawo lapho abantu baseNingizimu Afrika babecula khona ngokuthula badanse ndawonye.
Kodwa abantu ababephethe izindawo ngaleso sikhathi babengathandi uma sihlangene ndawonye.
Labo ababebusa babengathandi abantu abamnyama nabamhlophe  bazwane.

Ngangazi ukuthi akulungile ukucwasa abantu ngoba benebala elingafani. Angizange ngikufihle engabe ngikholelwa kukhona, ngakho-ke labo bantu ababephethe ngaleso sikhathi babefuna ngiphume kulelizwe. Ngesikhathi ngicula e-America, ngatshelwa ukuthi ngeke ngiphinde ngibuyele ekhaya.

Abantu emhlabeni wonke bayizwa le ndaba yami. Amaculo ami nendaba yami yasiza abantu abaningi ukuba babone ukuthi kwakungekho ukuphathwa ngendlela efanayo eNingizimu Afrika kulabo bebala elimnyama. Ngakhetha ukuqhubeka nokucula ngikhuluma  iqiniso ngezwe lami, ngingakhathali.

Umhlaba wawuthanda umculo wami futhi ngamukelwa emazweni amaningi. Ngaklonyeliswa ngezindondo futhi ngaculela abantu ababalulekile emhlabeni jikelele. Ngabe ngiphila kahle,  kodwa kukhona okwabe kushoda. Ngangingakwazi ukucula ezweni lami, futhi abantu khona babengakhululekile.

Kwase kufika usuku lokukhanya ngesikhathi u-Nelson Mandela eba ngumongameli waseNingizimu Afrika. Kwaphatha abanye abantu abasha futhi imithetho ebandlululayo yadlula nesikhathi esidala. Ekugcineni  ngabuyela ekhaya nginethemba elisha enhliziyweni.

Ngemuva kwalokho ngase ngiyakwazi ukucula, ezweni elikhululekile futhi  elingacwasi. Abantu bebala elingafani babethokozela umculo ndawonye.  Ngasiza ukufeza lokhu ngaba nganginesibindi futhi ngiqinile. Ngangicula ngeqiniso ezingomeni zami zonke.