Iqhawe nobuhle boKhahlamba
Ziyofa izinsizwa ziyosala izibongo. NoNelson Mandela, umengameli wokuqala wentando yabantu nosopolitiki ohlonishwa umhlaba wonke, wakufakazela lokhu mhla ethi: “Ambalwa amagama abantu akhunjulwayo uma bengasekho.”
Linjalo negama likaJosiah Tshangana “JT”, umfana wasoKhahlamba, iqhawe lomzabalazo, uthisha, umbhidi wekwaya, isethenjwa saseNdlunkulu, induna, usomabhizinisi, umhleli wephephandaba nomengameli wesine we-African National Congress (ANC).
UGumede washeshe wazibonakalisa ngaphambi kokuba negalelo elibonakalayo ekulweni nombuso wengcindezelo nenqubo yamadlagusha, into eyamenza wagcina engumengameli kaKhongolose.
UGumede wazalelwa eHealdtown, eMpumalanga Kapa, ngo-Okthoba 9, 1867.
Umkhaya wakhe owagcina ewumengameli we-ANC Women’s League, uCharlotte Makanya uwubufakazi balokho. Sengathi yimfundo yamaWeseli eHealdtown Wesleyan Mission Station eBhofolo, eMpumalanga Kapa, nenqubo yemfundo yamaNgisi okwamfaka lo mqondo.
NgokweSouth African History Online, “abashumayeli beVangeli baseWeseli bangamavulandlela ekulweni nokucwaswa kwabesifazane ngokwemigomo yabo yokufundisa nokukhulula abantu besifazane abamnyama. Omunye wababefunda noJosiah, wuCharlotte Makanya, owagcina engumengameli we-ANC Women’s Congress.”
Kodwa ukuloleka kwakhe kwipolitiki nasogebhezini kwenzeka esikoleni samaSheshi, i-Anglican Institute for Africans eRhini esasifundisa abantu bodwa, abelungu befunda eSt Andrew’s College.
Ngemva kokuthi xhinti efundisa e-Adam’s College lapho ayengomunye wabaholi bekwaya, eyibambe nenye ingqalabutho yomzabalazo uSaul Msane, wangena emzabalazweni wakwaZulu. Ngenxa yalokhu wagcina esewumeluleki weSilo uDinuzulu.
Ngesikhathi sezimpi zamaBhunu noZulu, uGumede wayecabanga ukuthi amaNgisi aqinisile ukuthi ayosiza uZulu abuyelwe wumhlaba. Ngenxa yalokhu wayibamba ngasohlangothini lwamaNgisi etholene phezulu namaBhunu. Kubo bonke ubuqhawe nokwethembeka kwakhe, amaNgisi ambambisa utalagu.
Kusobala yilesi silonda esamenza wagcina encamela amakhomanisi, ikakhulu ngemuva kokuvakashela eBrussels, eBelgium, naseRussia lapho abona ubudlelwano bokungacwasi kwamakhomanisi. Lokhu kwamenza wagcina ethe: “Ngilibonile iJerusalema elisha”.
Okunye okukhulu ayokhunjulwa ngakho umzukulu kaKhondlo kaMncinci woQwabe ukuqinisa ubudlelwano beCommunist Party of South Africa (esiyiSouth African Communist Party namuhla), umbutho wabasebenzi ngesikhathi ewumengameli kaKhongolose phakathi kuka1927 no-1930. Umlando ukhomba ukuthi ukudlela ndawonye kukaKhongolose namakhomanisi wakuqala ngaphambi kuka1927 engakakhethelwa ekubeni wumengameli. Kucaca bha ukuthi wayenobuhlakani obumangalisayo kwezepolitiki nasekuhleleni.
UGumede uyohlale ekhunjulwa ngegalelo lakhe ngesikhathi eyisakhamuzi sasoKhahlamba. Ngemva kokuzinza kule ndawo, uGumede wagcina eyinduna yenkosi yamaNgwane uNcwadi, owayephila ngokuphebeza imizamo yamaBhunu yokudla umhlaba woyisemkhulu.
UMasipala wasoKhahlamba uyaziqhenye ngokuba yikhaya likaGumede, ngoba yize azalelwa eMpumalanga Kapa kodwa ukhunjulwa kakhulu ngamagalelo akhe njengesakhamuzi saseBergville. Kulapha alwela khona inkululeko yabo bonke abantu namuhla lapho kungenakucwasana ngokobuhlanga, ubulili, inkolo nezinga lempilo.
Ngo-2012 ekhumbula uGumede, umengameli Jacob Zuma wathi: “Impilo kaMengameli Gumede igcwalisa isisho esithi izigagayi azizalwa kodwa zenziwa wumzabalazo.”
Ngeshwa uGumede akadumanga njengabaholi bakaKhongolose abanjengoJohn Langalibalele Dube, Albert Luthuli, Oliver Tambo noMandela.
Nakuba iyinhle njengesithombe esisebhukwini indawo yasoKhahlamba kodwa ifana noGumede. Kungenxa yalokhu uMasipala wasoKhahlamba useqhulwini lokuhlonipha uGumede nale ndawo. Kule mikhankaso kunesiFundo sikaJosiah Gumede nokuqhakambisa le ndawo enhle nenothile.
UKhahlamba lukapakela ezifundazweni ezintathu, okuyiMpumalanga Kapa, iFree State neKwaZulu-Natal. Enye yezinto ehlonishwa ngazo yiMaloti-Drakensberg Park World Heritage Site, i-Unesco eyithatha njengegugu lomhlaba. Igabe ngezintaba, umfula uThukela, Ihlane Wilderness area, imidwebo yabaThwa, iRoyal National Park, izitshalo nezilwane okuyigugu.
Kule mikhankaso yokuhlonipha nokuqhakambisa umlando kaGumede noKhahlamba, uMasipala wasoKhahlamba unanele esiphakamisweni seKwaZulu-Natal Tourism Master Plan, ewumkhombandlela wokuthuthukisa ezemvelo eyavunywa yikhabhinethi yesiShayamthetho ngo-2012.
Lolu hlelo luthi kunezinto eziyisikhombisa ezinkulu ezithinta ezokuvakasha okufanele ziqhakanjiswe ukuze iKwaZulu-Natal ibalwe nezindawo ezisesicongweni zokuvakashelwa.
Angingabazi ukuthi ukube lisekhona izemtiti kodwa elalizigqaja ngobuntu eliwuGumede ngabe lishumayela ivangeli lokuhlalisana ngokuthula.
Ngokuhlonipha uGumede sifaka igxalaba ekufukuleni ezokuvakasha zasoKhahlamba, ukudala amathuba omsebenzi nomnotho wendawo.
UMlungisi Ndlangisa yiMeya kaMasipala wasoKhahlamba. Lo masipala ungomunye wabahleli besiFundo sikaJosiah Gumede esizoba kusasa.