Kudala-dala, kwisixekokazi esikhulu saseRhawutini, kwazalwa umntwana oyintombazana. Loo mntwana yayindim lo. Umama wam wandithiya igama lokuba ndinguZenzile Miriam Makeba.
Umama wayeligqirha, nangona
umsebenzi wakhe yayikukucoca
amakhaya abanye abantu.
Kwakunzima kumama ukuba
nemali eyanele thina sobabini.
Waqalisa ukuthengisa umqombothi
ukuze abe nemali eyaneleyo.
Imithetho yelizwe yayingakuvumeli ukuthengisa umqombothi. Amapolisa amvalela esiseleni umama iinyanga ezinde, ezintandathu. Ndandineentsuku nje ezili-18 ubudala ngoko, ndimdinga kakhulu umama wam. Ngoko ke, nangona ndandilusana, ndavalelwa esiseleni nomama nam.
Ndiseyintombazanana encinane ndandithanda ukucula. Ekukhuleni kwam, ndancedisa umama wam ukucoca izindlu zabantu. Ukucula iingoma xa ndisebenza kwakusenza umsebenzi ube khaphukhaphu kwaye ndikonwabele oko ndikwenzayo. Ukucula kwakundonwabisa kakhulu, kangangokuba ndidinga namazwi okucacisa indlela okwakundonwabisa ngayo.
Ndandicula ecaweni, kwaye oko kwakubonwabisa nabanye abantu. Umculo unamandla okudibanisa abantu. Xa sicula sasiziva sikhaliphile kwaye somelele.
Abantu babesithi ilizwi lam lisisipho kwaye neengoma zam zikhethekile. Ndacula nezinye iimvumi waze umculo wethu waviwa kwihlabathi jikelele.
Ikhaya lam laliseSophiatown, indawo yenkcubeko nomculo; indawo apho abantu baseMzantsi Afrika babesenza khona umculo ngoxolo bedanisa kunye. Nangona kunjalo, abantu ababelawula ilizwe ngelo xesha babengabuthandi obu bunye. Abo balawuli babengafuni tu ukuba abantu abamnyama nabamhlophe babengabahlobo.
Ndandisazi ukuba yinto embi ukucalucalula abantu ngenxa yebala labo. Zange ndizifihle izimvo zam, kangangokuba abantu abalawulayo babefuna ndibhace, ndishiye ilizwe lam. Ndaya kucula eMelika. Ndaxelelwa ukuba andisayi kuphinda ndikwazi ukubuyela ekhaya.
Abantu kwihlabathi jikelele beva ngebali lam. Iingoma zam kunye nebali lam zanceda abantu abaninzi ukuba babone ukuba kukho ukungalingani eMzantsi Afrika ngakubantu abamnyama. Ndagqiba kwelokuba ndiqhubeke nokucula, ndibalisa ngento eyinyani eqhubeka elizweni lam, nokuba kunjani na.
Ihlabathi laliwuthanda umculo wam
kwaye ndamkelwa ngezandla ezishushu
kumazwe amaninzi. Ndaphumelela
iimbasa ndaza ndaculela abantu
ababalulekileyo kwihlabathi jikelele. Ubomi
bam babumnandi, kodwa kwakukho
into eyayingangathanga ncam
neyayivakala isilela. Ndandingakwazi
ukucula kwilizwe lam, kwaye nabantu
apho babengakhululekanga.
Usuku olubalulekileyo lwafika akuba ngumongameli waseMzantsi Afrika uNelson Mandela. Kwakuphethe abantu abatsha kwaye imithetho yocalucalulo yabhangiswa. Ekugqibeleni ndabuyela ekhaya ndinethemba elitsha entliziyweni yam.
Emva koko ndandikwazi ukucula elizweni elikhululekileyo, elingenalucalulo. Abantu abaphuma kwiintlanga ezahlukeneyo babewonwabela umculo wam. Ndanceda ukwenza oku kwenzeke kuba ndandikhaliphile kwaye ndomelele. Ndandicula inyaniso kwiingoma zam zonke.
IsiXhosa-Singing the Truth: The Story of Miriam Makeba
