KUWE INSIKA YOMCULO
ANGENA engenile amazwi enduduzo ngokudlula emhlabeni kwenkakha yezomculo, uRaymond “Ray” Chipaka Enock Phiri (70).
UPhiri ozakhele udumo ehola iqembu iStimela, ushone ngezintatha zayizolo ngoLwesithathu esibhedlela saseNelspruit, eMpumalanga, emuva kokuxinwa yisifo somdlavuza wamaphaphu. Ngokusho kokhulumela umndeni, uPaul Nkanyane, bese kunesikhathi leli ciko lixinwe wukugula. Nodokotela bese bewutshelile umndeni ukuthi ngeke lisaphila isikhathi eside.
“Ushone ezungezwe ngamalunga omndeni nabangani. Nakuba besazi ukuthi ngeke esaphila isikhathi eside, sisashaqekile kodwa siyazama ukuqina ngalesi sikhathi ngoba siyayiqonda impilo,” kusho uKanyane. Uveze ukuthi bebesaba ukutshela unina walo mculi ukuthi sekumenele kwazise usekhulile (unina).
UMengameli Jacob Zuma udlulise amazwi enduduzo emndenini kaPhiri, wamchaza njengensika yomculo eNingizimu Afrika. “INingizimu Afrika nomkhakha womculo ulahlekelwe kakhulu ngale nkakha. Sikhalisana nomndeni, sengathi umphefumulo wakhe ungaphumula ngokuthula,” kusho isitatimende esithunyelwe nguMnu Zuma esiveze nokuthi uPhiri uke wahlabana ngendondo kamengameli, iNational Order of Ikhamanga eyisiliva ngeqhaza alibambe ekuthuthukiseni umculo kuleli.
UNgqongqoshe wezobuCiko namaSiko, uMnu Nathi Mthethwa, naye udlulise amazwi enduduzo kwabasondelene nalo mculi. “Kuyadumaza ukuvuka ngezindaba zokudlula kwenkakha yomculi uRay Phiri. UPhiri ubeyisishoshovu samaciko iminyaka eminingi eyilunga lebhodi leNational Arts Council of South Africa.
Ubengomunye wabebehamba phambili ekuthuthukiseni lo mkhakha. Sengathi angaphumula ngokuthula," kusho uMnu Mthethwa. USibongiseni Shabalala oyilunga leLadysmith Black Mambazo eke yasebenza noPhiri kwiGracelands, umchaze njengomuntu obenamancoko futhi kulula ukusebenza naye.
USibongiseni oyindodana kaSolwazi Joseph Shabalala - ongumsunguli weMambazo - uthe noyise ushaqekile ngalezi zindaba kwazise bayazana kulo mkhakha. “Silahlekelwe kakhulu ngokushona kwakhe,” kusho uSbongiseni.
UPhiri uzalelwe eMpumalanga mhla zingama-23 kuNdasa (March) we-1947 kanti ungene emculweni ngeminyaka ye-1960. Usungule iqembu iCannibals ngaphambi kokusungula iStimela lapho asebenze khona nenqwaba yabaculi okubalwa uPaul Simon, noNana Coyote. Ubesehambele amazwe ahlukene ngomculo wakhe.