By Fred Khumalo
I have written it in Zulu and it is published in today’s Isolezwe newspaper (28 February 2014):
Kunezinto okuyaye kuthi uma zixoxwa ngaphansi komthunzi wesihlahla, izinsizwa zehlisa inxano, kugigithekwe into engapheli – nawe uze ufake olwakho udosi kule ndaba.
Kuyothi usuwedwa, uphuza ikhofi kwakho, uzizwe usushaywa wunembeza namahloni. Lapha usuyazisola ngokuthi ubuhlekiselani ngento ebuhlungu, futhi engase ibe nomthelela omubi ezimpilweni zabantu obaziyo, abanye babo futhi obahloniphayo.
Enye yalezizi ndaba kube wukusayindwa komthetho owethusayo e-Uganda. Lomthetho osayindwe ngomsombuluko nguMongameli Yoweri Museveni ukhipha isigwebo sokudilikelwa yijele kulabo bantu okunobufakazi ukuthi bangongqingili. Uphinda ujezise nalabo besifazane abathandana bodwa, phecelezi ama-lesbian.
UMongameli Museveni uthe ubutabane sebudlangile ezweni lakhe; okuwumlilo okufanele ubhulwe ngalemithetho emisha.
Ngithe sengihleli ngingedwa ngazibuza ukuthi: ngingenaphi mina endabeni yomuntu ozikhethela ukuba ngungqingili, noma ozithola ukuthi wazalwa eyilenhlobo?
Abanye abaphikisana nobungqingili bayaye bavike ngokuthi lona ngumkhuba ofike nondlebe zikhany’ilanga kuleli. Ubezwe bethi kakulona i “siko” lethu ukuba abantu bobulili obubodwa bathandane. Leligama elithi ‘isiko’ liyingozi kabi.
Sizokhumbula ukuthi phambilini, ezingxenyeni eziningi zomphakathi ompisholo bekulisiko ukuthi uma kuzalwe izingane ezingamawele, zithathwe ziyolahlwa ehlathini, zidliwe zilwane. Kwakuthiwa amawele aletha umkhokha omubi esizweni; enza kube nesomiso, imfuyo ife. Bekuyisiko futhi ukuthi uma kukhotheme inkosi yendlalelwe ngumfokazana.
Kuhambe kwabakhanyela abakithi ukuthi lezi zindlela zobumnyama mazigwenywe. Kwenziwa yini ke ukuthi singawagwemi amanye amasiko mbumbulu asidwanguzisa emnyameni waphakade?
Kabukho ubufakazi bokuthi ubungqingili babungekho kuleli ngaphambi kokufika kwabelungu. Yikuthi nje phambilini bekufihlwa.
Manje inkuleleko efike ngo-1994, yaze yashayelelwa isipikili ngumthetho sisekeko wethu ka-1996 ivumela wonke umuntu ukuba aziqhayise ngaloko ayikho. Manje ke bazoboshelwani ongqingili? Babulawelwani?
Uma uhlaba ingulube kwakho, anginalo ilungelo lokuzokutshela ukuthi inamadimoni; uma uhlaba imbuzi ngeke ngithi ikhombisa ukungaphucuzeki kwakho. Ohlaba eyakhe akakhuzwa.
Ngike ngihlale neziwula uzizwe sezibhibhidla zithi kaku “busisiwe” ukuthi uma ungumZulu uthathe ebeSuthwini emaXhoseni njalo njalo. Nakhona kwaXhosa zikhona ezinjalo iziduphunga ezimbukela phansi umZulu. Konke loku kukhombisa ukuthi ushevu esawuphuziswa abacindezeli bamabhunu kasikawugonyuluki. Sisawumumethe.
Abacindezeli babe nemithetho evikela ukuthandana noma ukuya ocansini phakathi kwabantu bezinhlanga ezahlukene. Babethi loku kuphikisana nezimfundiso zeBhayibheli. Angilazi ke lelovesi ukuthi likuphi nendawo.
Engikwaziyo wukuthi abacindezeli bebengasithathi njengabantu abaphelele. Kepha imizamo yabo yokwahlukanisa abantu ngokwebala yehluleka. Kawusoze waphumelele emzamweni yokuphoqa umuntu ngemizwa yakhe. Ungambopha, umthembise ukumbulala – kodwa uzolandela imizwa yakhe nakuba ebabona abanye abafana naye behlukunyezwa, bethukwa, bebulawa.
Njengomuntu okukhonzile ukuhamba, afunde ezinhlotsheni ezahlukene zabantu, ngingakutshela ngaphandle kwamahloni ukuthi baningi abaholi abampisholo kulelizwe, asebephonse kakhulu esivivaneni sokuthuthukiswa kwale lizwe abangongqingili. Ngeke ubabone ukuthi bayilenhlobo. Yizinsizwa nje ezinsizweni. Kepha bayesaba ukuphumela obala ngoba loku abazalwa beyikho kubenza nyamana mbana emphakathini ongezwani nenqubekela phambili.
Bakhona ke ontanda kubukwa obonayo abacabanga ukuthi ubutabani lobu buyimfashini. Ubabone belengise izandla sengathi zilimele, begexisa amakhanda, bakhulume sakuthefula – “ungshaya dzing-dzong, my friendo! Baqwayiqwayize amehlo ngendlela eye ifakele ngisho nabesifazane amahloni.
Kepha nabo laba anginandaba nabo. Abakwenzayo kakudokwe ligayelwe mina – inqobo nje uma bengeke bangimpanse, bangibize ngo “chomee”.
Imithetho yakuleli isicela ukuthi sizihloniphe, sihloniphane, futhi sibekezelele labo abangaboni ngaso linye njengathi. Njengabantu bezwe eliphambili lapha e-Afrika ezindabeni zokuhlonishwa kwamalungelo oluntu, kufanele uHulumeni wethu abagxeke labo baholi abenza izinto eziphoxa lemithetho yethu enenqubekela phambili.
UMuseveni makaxazulule izinkinga ezweni lakhe – abophe ongqongqoshe abeba izimali; ayeke ukwenza izaba ngongqingili abaziphilela izimpilo zabo.
Ayi-ke, bo-chomee! Ngimtshele ivari, jelasi down. Neh?
– UFred Khumalo, ofunde eHarvard University, eMelika, ungumhlaziyi wepolitiki nombhali wamanoveli.