Enoch Sontonga

UEnoch Mankayi Sontonga (c. 1873 – 18 April 1905) wayengumqambi weengoma waseMzantsi Afrika, owaziwa kakhulu ngokubhala iculo lesiXhosa elithi “Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika" ("God Bless Africa"), nelathi lashunqulelwa laze laculwa njengesiqingatha sokuqala somhobe wesizwe waseMzantsi Afrika ukususela ngo-1994. Ngaphambili, eliculo lalingumhobe osesikweni we-African National Congress ukusekela ngo-1925. Lengoma yathathwa okokuqala yi-Tanzania (eyayisungula ukuba yi-Tanganyika ngeloxesha) njengo mhobe wayo wesizwe ngo-1961 emveni kokufumana inkululeko yalo kumaBritani, laze layiguqulela kulwimi isiSwahili. Ngo-1964 iZambia nayo yayithatha njengomhobe wesizwe yalandelwa yiBotswana kunye neZimbabwe (eyayiguqulela kwisiShona "Ishe Komborera Afrika" ukusuka ngo-1980 ukuya ku-1994. UMzantsi Afrika wayenza umhobe wayo wesizwe ngo-1994 nayo emveni kokufumana inkululeko.

Ubomi bokuqala kunye nemfundo

USontonga, ngumXhosa owazalelwa kwisixeko sase -Uitenhage kwiKoloni yaseMpuma Kapa. Waqeqeshelwa ubutishala kwiZiko laseLovedale waza emva koko wasebenza njengomfundisi-ntsapho kunye nomphathi wekwayala kwisikolo semishini yamaWesile eNancefield, kufutshane nesixexo iJohannesburg iminyaka esibhozo.

Umsebenzi

Ivesi yokuqala kunye nekhorasi ka "Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika " yaqanjwa ngo-1897 kwaye ekuqaleni yayijongwe ukuba ibe ngumhobe wesikolo. Kukho abathi ityhuni yayo wayibhala kwakuloo nyaka. Yaculwa okokuqala esidlangalaleni ngo-1899 kumcimbi wokubekwa kukamfundisi Mboweni, nowayesakuba ngumfundisi waseWesile wokuqala ongumTsonga. Ivesi ezisixhenxhe ezilandelayo zathi zabhalwa mva yimbongi yomXhosa u-Samuel Mqhayi.

USontonga wasweleka ngomhla we-18 kuTshazimpuzi ngo-1905. Ngokwesiqinisekiso sakhe sokufa, wabulawa sisifo se-gastro-enteritis kunye ne-appendix eyayinemingxunya neyayingunobangela oqhelekileyo wokufa ngelo xesha - amanzi ayengakhuselekanga ncam.

Ubomi bomntu

USontonga watshata noDiana Mgqibisa nowayeyintombi yomfundisi kwicawe yama-Episcopal yamaWesile aseAfrika, baze bazala unyana. UMgqibisa wathi wasweleka ngo-1939.

Ilifa

Le ngoma yaqala ukwaziwa kakhulu emva kokuba ikwayara kaJohn Langalibalele Dube yeOhlange Institute yayisebenzisayo. Bayidlala kwintlanganiso yeSouth African Native National Congress ngo-1912. Yaculwa emva komthandazo wokuvala yaze iANC yayithatha njengomhobe wayo wokuvala ngokusesikweni ngo-1925. Yashicilelwa eLondon njengo “Nkosi sikelel’ iAfrika” ngo-1923 yaza yapapashwa yiLovedale Press ngo-1927.

Iminyaka emininzii, indawo yengcwaba likaSontonga yayingaziwa, kodwa ekugqibeleni yafunyanwa ikwicandelo "UbuKristu Bomthonyama " kumangcwaba aseBraamfontein ekuqaleni kweminyaka yoo-1990. Esinye sezizathu nesathi sabangela ukuba ingcwaba lakhe lihlale lingumnqa kukuba lalibhalwe phantsi kwegama elithi "Enoch" endaweni yokuba libhalwe phantsi kwefani yakhe u-"Sontonga".

Ngomhla wama-24 kweyoMsintsi ngo-1996, ingcwaba likaSontonga labhengezwa njengendawo yesikhumbuzo yesizwe, kwaye isikhumbuzo kwindawo leyo satyhilwa nguMongameli welo xesha uNelson Mandela. Kwangalo msitho mnye, uEnoch Sontonga wanikwa iMbasa yeNkonzo eNcomekayo yaseMzantsi Afrika -igolide (South African Order of Meritorious Service).

Bona kwakho

• Sol Plaatje