I-UKZN Ibambe Isifundo SikaMafika Gwala

BY: .

Click here for English version

Umbhali ohlonishwayo oyisifundiswa sase-UKZN esesithathe umhlalaphansi, uDkt Betty Govinden, wethule isifundo saminyaka yonke sesine sikaMafika Gwala ekhempasini i-Howard.

Lesi sifundo ebesihlelwe yiKolishi LezesiNtu libambisene nenhlangano i-South African History Online (SAHO) kanye ne-National Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences (NIHSS), sibanjwe ngesikhathi esifanayo nesikhumbuzo sonyaka wesine emva kokushona kukaGwala futhi besiyingxenye yohlelo locwaningo oluholwa yi-SAHO oluhlola kabanzi iqhaza lezobuCiko emzabalazweni wokulwisana nobandlululo.

Ngesikhathi sesifundo, uGovinden uhlaziye izinkondlo zikaGwala, ezibeka kokwamaqoqo ngokwendawo, ubuwena, ukuqedwa kwengcindezelo, umlando neqhaza lezinkondlo kanye nezobuCiko bezomzabalazo. Ukuqaphele ukuthi umsebenzi kaGwala uthinta izindawo ezifana nase-Mlaza, Verulam, Sophiatown, District Six nase-Sharpeville.

‘Ngalezi zindawo nezikumele, siyakwazi ukuzimbandakanya nokwakwenzeka empilweni yakulezi zindawo ngenxa yokufana kokwakwenzeka ezindaweni zabamnyama', kusho u-Govinden. ‘Zinemifanekiso enhlobonhlobo enamandla – kungaba ekhombisa ukuhlala ngokuhlukana ngenxa yobandlululo, noma ukubalula izenzo ezihlasimulisa umzimba noma ezobulungiswa zomhlaba,'  kusho u-Govindeni. ‘UGwala ubheka lezi zindawo ngezindlela ezihlukene, uzibeka zicace ngokokuhluka nokuqhudelana kwazo emicabangweni yethu – ezingqondweni zethu, uzibalula ngenxa yezikumele emlandweni wethu, ekhaya naphesheya.’

Enkondlweni ethi Identity, u-Govinden ubeka iphuzu lokuthi uGwala wayeqikelela ukugcizelela ukuthi umuntu akumele alibale ubuntu. ‘Ukubhala kuyindlela yokuveza nokunqaba ukuphika ubuwena. Ukubhala lokhu kukaGwala akukhona ukubukela phansi, "okokunika izwi abangenazwi, noma ukukhulumela abavalwe imilomo". Uyisidlulisimyalezo,’ usho kanje.

U-Govinden uthe u-Gwala wayebhala ephikisana nezokubhalwa kwezinkondlo okwakuyikho okubusayo lapho izinkondlo ezimayelana nokucweba, zikhuthaza, zingakhulumi ngezinkinga ezinkulu zempilo. ‘U-Gwala uthinta ukuqonda okuhlukile ngezinkondlo – izinkondlo zomzabalazo, izinkondlo zokulwa, izinkondlo zokungcolo, zenhlupheko nokuntuleka kobulungiswa okusizungezile,' usho kanje.

U-Govinden ukhuthaze ukwenziwa kocwaningo nokushicilelwa nokwaziswa kwabantu ngoGwala njengombhali waseThekwini, eKZN, eNingizimu Afrika, nasezwenikazi lase-Afrika. ‘Ngifisa ukugqugquzela ukufundwa kwezinkondlo nokubanjwa kwemihlangano yokucobelelana ngolwazi ngemibhalo yakhe. Lokhu kumele kube okwabafundi nothisha banoma yimiphi imikhakha. Sidinga ukusabalalisa ukuqonda kwethu ukuthi ukufunda nokufundisa emakhempasini ethu kuchaza ukuthini,’ kusho u-Govinden.

Amagama: ngu-Melissa Mungroo

Photographs: Simon Gazu