Idelamzimba uKalushi laguqa liseyiklume
“Mama…utshele abantu bami ukuthi igazi lami angeke lize ligobhozele ize leze…. kodwa liyonisela isihlahla esiyokhiqiza izithelo zenkululeko.”
Kwakuwumhla ziyisi-6 kuMbasa ngonyaka we-1979 ngesikhathi uSolomon Kalushi Mahlangu esho la mazwi eseyonqunywa ngemuva kokugwetshwa intambo yinkantolo yobandlululo, ePretoria.
Wanqunywa ngalo leli langa ngemuva kokulahlwa ngamacala okubulala amabili nawokuzama ukubulala amabili. UKalushi, wayeyisishoshovu nedelakufa loMkhonto Wesizwe (MK), uphiko lwezempi lwe-African National Congress (ANC).
Ungomunye wamadelakufa eMK adumile ngoba wacabela indlela abalwelinkululeko abanqunywa ngoba bezibandakanye nomzabalazo wokuketula umbuso wobandlululo nokulwela inkululeko eNingiziimu Afrika.
Kulo nyaka (2020) bekuphela iminyaka engama-41 uMahlangu anqunywa ejele okwakuphanyekwa kulo abantu ePretoria.
Ayikho imibuthano nezikhumbuzo ezibekhona ezweni kulo nyaka ukuhlonipha uMahlangu njengoba kuyaye kwenzeke njalo mhla ziyisi-6 kuMbasa. Isizathu salokhu ukuthi izwe belingaphansi kwesimo sikathaqa.
Wayesamncane uMahlangu ngesikhathi enqunywa njengoba wayeneminyaka yobudala engama-23. Kwakungekhona ukuthanda kwakhe ukuzibandakanya ne-ANC neMK ngoba yizinhlangano ayengazazi lezi, kodwa inqubo yobandlululo yamsondeza kuzona ngoba yayinesihluku kwaboHlanga.
UMahlangu ukhulele emndenini ohluphekayo ngoba ukhuliswe ngunina obesebenza emajalidini abelungu ePretoria. Uyise wahamba wabashiya bebancane. Izibhelu zaseSoweto zangoNhlangulana we-1976 yizona ezavula uMahlangu amehlo, wabona ukuthi kuphilwa ezweni elimagade ahlabayo eNingizimu Afrika.
Simbona uMahlangu engasaqhubeki nesikole eMamelodi High School, washiya khona enza ibanga leshumi. Wayezalelwe khona ePretoria mhla zili-10 kuNtulikazi ngowe-1956.
Ufike eXai Xai, eMozambique, ngowe-1976, waquba izinyangana esalungiselela ukudlulela kwamanye amazwe ayothola ukuqeqeshwa okusezingeni eliphezulu kwezempi. Isitha sakhe kwabe kuwubandlululo olwalumxoshe ekhaya.
UMahlangu uqeqeshiwe e-Angola waba nguchwepheshe ekusebenziseni iziqhumane. Ngenxa yokuzimisela kwakhe akukhombisa ngesikhathi eqeqeshwa, abakhuzi bakhe bathatha isinqumo sokumthuma, bamtshale eNingizimu Afrika.
Nazo-ke insizwa zamaNdebele uMahlangu, uGeorge “Lucky” Mahlangu zikanye noMondy Motloung beqa imingcele bangena eNingizimu Afrika ngenhloso yokutshala amabhomu. Kwakuwumhla zili-11 kuNhlangulana bengena eGoli bephethe ipotimende elineziqhumane nezikhali ezihlakaziwe.
Njengoba abadala bethi elokufa alitsheli, kwaba njalo nakoMahlangu. Kwabakhona iphoyisa elalingekho emsebenzini, labasola lase libalandela emgwaqeni ophithizela amatekisi. Bacela empunzini.
Ngesikhathi bebaleka uMahlangu (uSolomon) noMotloung bangena esitolo sezimpahla zokugqoka, kwadutshulwana.
Babili abantu ababulawa kuleso sehlakalo abanye balimala kanzima. UMahlangu noMotloung bagcina sebeboshwa, omunye uGeorge Mahlangu waphelela emoyeni.
Icala likaKalushi Mahlangu laqulwa kusukela ziyisi-7 kuLwezi ngowe-1977.
Kwakuboshelwe izingqwegqwe zabameli bevikela uMahlangu o-Ishmael Mohamed SC noClifford Mailer SC.
Umbuso wobandlululo wawungawafuni nokuwabona “amaphekulazikhuni” njengoba abalwelinkululeko babebizwa kanjalo.
Isikole okwakufunda kusona izingane ze-ANC ekudingisweni eTanzania, iSolomon Mahlangu Freedom College (SOMAFCO), siqanjwe ngaye uKalushi. Umgwaqo eThekwini owawuqanjwe ngesosha leMpi yoMhlaba u-Edwin Swales VC, usuqanjwe kabusha ngoKalushi, isidlidli sezindlu ezihlala abafundi e-University of Limpopo siqanjwe ngaye uMahlangu.
Kusanda kuqoshwa nomdlalo kuthelevishini ngempilo kaSolomon Mahlangu. Abalandela umlando womzabalazo wenkululeko bayavumelana ngokuthi amagalelo kaMahlangu angelibaleke ngoba akafananga nentsha esigcwele manje evele ithele umzimba phansi uma ibona izinto zingahambi ngendlela ehlele ngayo.
Amanye amadelakufa omzabalazo anqunywa emajele ngoba elwa nobandlululo. Abanye ngababelwe iziMpi zeWankie, eZimbabwe, iMK neZimbabwean People’s Revolutionary Army (ZIPRA) becaba indlela yokukhulula iNingizimu Afrika, baboshwa bagqunywa emajele abanye bagwetshwa intambo.
Amanye amadelakufa eMK anjengoRobert John McBride waseWentworth, eThekwini, uMthetheleli Mncube waseSoweto, uThula Osborne Bopela (osanda kushona) nabanye basinda entanjeni.
UBarney Molokoana waqhumisa amabhomu ephindelela esiphehlini sikawoyela eSASOL eSecunda, eMpumalanga.
Yibona abadela impilo yabo ukuze izwe likhululeke, abanye babo akusakhulunywa ngabo noma bacatshangwe.
- nguMenzi Jele