UTiyo Soga
Umhlahlindlela wengqondi yeAfrika uTiyo Soga wazalelwa kwiphondo leMpuma Koloni ngonyaka we-1829. Unina yayinguNosuthu, uyise, uJotello Soga wayengumcebisi omkhulu weNkosi eyongameleyo yamaXhosa, iNkosi uNgqika.
USoga wahamba isikolo seemishinari apho uphawu lwakhe lobulunga lwaqatshelwa yimishinari, uWilliam Chalmers owamlungiselela ukuba abhale uviwo lokungena eTyhume kwisikolo sabafundisi ngonyaka we-1844.
Usoga kuviwo, wakhwankqiswa yingxaki yokuthabatha elula ebhodini. Nangona kunjalo, uChalmers waqinisekisa intloko yaseTyhume, uWilliam Govan amkele uSoga owathi ekuhambeni kwexesha wazibonakalisa, engomnye wabo bathathu babephumelele emagqabini phantse kuzo zonke izifundo zakhe.
Ngonyaka we-1846, “iMfazwe yeZembe” yehla ngakumda kwiphondo leMpuma Koloni, uSoga wazikhusela kunye nonina eFort Armstrong, waqhubeka nokufunda ebusuku ngomlilo. UWilliam Govon wagqiba kwelokubuyela eScotland kwaye wathathela uSoga kuye ukuqhubela phambili amathuba akhe.
USoga ekuthiwa waguqukela ngokugqibeleleyo kwinkolo yobuKrestu eseyinkwenkwana ngenxa yamava okholo awawafumana kwisikolo secawa, waye waphehlelelwa eScotland ngonyaka we-1848.Wabuyela kwiphondo leMpuma Koloni, ukusukela ngonyaka we-1849 wasebenza njengotitshala ngenkolo yobuKrisru nomvangeli phambi kokuba abuyele eScotland ayokufunda izifundo zobuThixo. USoga wathweswa isidanga kwizifundo zobuThixo kwiYunivesithi iGlascow enama-27 eminyaka, wabekwa njengomfundisi webandla i-United Presbyterian Church ngonyaka we-1856, umAfrika wokuqala ukuphumelela oku.
Ngonyaka we-1857, watshata nentokazi yaseScotland,uJanet Burniside. Babenabantwana abasixhenxe. Phambi kokuba abhubhe ngonyaka we-1871, wayalela abantwana bakhe,abanye ewayefuna bafumane imfundo eScotland, ingazange yabenzela ntloni into yokuba uyise wabo wayengum-Afrika. “Yiyo nayiphi na intwana elunge necwenge njengaleyo yehla kwimithambo yabazalwane bam abanyanisekileyo”, wabhala.
Wabiza abantwana bakhe ukonwabela inkumbulo ngomama wabo “njengonobulungisa, inkathalo noqoqosho, intokazi engumKrestu”. “Nakuhlala ninombulelo nokunxulumana kwenu nolumanyano nohlanga olumhlophe”, wabayalela. USoga wabonisa nokuqondana ngokobuzwe ngokubhekiselele kulwabelwano lohambo lwawo onke ama-Afrika, kuquka ukuthi saa kwamakholwa. Kuhambo lwakhe lokubuyela eMzantsi Afrika ngonyaka we-1857, wabhala into ngoku eyaziwa njengephephandaba lokuqala ukuveliswa ngumntu omnyama woMzantsi Afrika.
USoga wabhala iintsomi, amaqhalo, amavo, umlibo weenkosi nembali kwaye ekuthanda ukuqamba amaculo ecawa. Wasebenza ngokungadinwa, efundisa, eshumayela, ebhala- de saluti yakhe yaxhwaleka wosulelwa nasisifo sephepha ngonyaka we-1866.
Nangona kunjalo, waqhubeka wasebenza kuguqulo lwendumasiso lwenoveli yodidi engumzekeliso kaJohn Bunyan, Uhambo lomhambi,walenza ibali lahambelana namava amaXhosa kwaye walenza lwaba lolona ncwadi lubalulekileyo nolunempembelelo kwinkulungwane ye-19 kuMzantis Afrika emva kweBhayibhile. Emva kweminyaka emini, wonyulwa kwibhodi ukuhlaziya uguqulo lweBhayibhile yesiXhosa apho wabanegalelo elikhulu. Nangona, uSoga zange aphile ukuze abone ukupapashwa kwayo. Wasweleka ngenxa yesifo sephepha eThuthurha ngaseGcuwa ngonyaka we-1871 eneminyaka engama-42.