UGeorge Mnyaluza Pemba umdwebi ngempilo yakwaNtu
Umdwebi uMnu uGeorge Pemba wayekhuthazwa izimfundiso zobuKhrestu kanye nokukhuliswa ngokwakwabo kwakwaXhosa. Nangalezo zikhathi abase-Eastern Cape babethelelwa inqubo yamaNgisi eyaziwa ngobukoloni bukaVictoria. UPemba waqala wadweba izithombe esebenzisa imibala exutshwa ngamanzi kodwa kwathi angahlangana noGerard Sekoto eCape Town ngowe-1942, uSekoto wanxenxa ukuba asebenzise opende bakawoyela emtshela ukuthi imibala exutshwa ngamanzi yase-England ‘ibucayi kakhulu’ ekuvezeni ubunjalo beNingizimu Afrika.
Ngesikhathi kulokhu kuqhubeka indlela yokucabanga ngokwamaAfrika, amaciko afana no-Ernest Mancoba, uSekoto noPemba ahambela izindawo zasemakhaya bephikisana nokwakusekubhebhetheka kokulahla okwakwenu, befuna ukubuyisa isithunzi nokuzigqaja ngamafagugu obu-Afrika. Usomlando wezobuciko u-Elza Miles uchza indlela uSekoto noMancoba behambela izindawo ezisemqoka zesizwe samaNdebele ukuze baqonde kabanzi ngezindlela zokuphila kwama-Afrika.
UPemba wanikezwa imalimboleko yiBantu Welfare Trust ilekelela ‘ohambeni lokuyoqopha indlela yokuphila kwabantu basemakhaya baseNingizimu Afrika’.
Wesekela isicelo sakhe ngokugcizelela ukuthi udinga ukuhlala ‘isikhashana nabantu bendabuko yakhe emathafeni nasemagqumeni ezwe lakhe’ ukuze akwazi ukuba qotho “njengeciko lobuzwe bami”. Umbhalo ukudayari kaPemba uyababazeka ukhombisa umthelela wohambo lwakhe.
Isibaya sasiyile nto engangiyifisa, simahliphihliphi. Kungekho lutho lwesimanje, kungekho lutho olungakukhumbuza indlu yesilungu kulesi sakhiwo sezihlahla namahlamvu. UPemba omdala wayesedlulile, sekungomunye uPemba onamandla nothakasile usethathe indawo yakhe ehungulwe imbongi yakwaXhosa uSamuel Mqhayi, onkondlo zakhe zivuselela ifagugu, izilimi namasiko kwendabuko.
UPemba wagcina esungule iRoots okuyinhlangano eyayiletha ubuwena entsheni yoHlanga ‘igqugquzela ukuziqhayisa ngesiko nemvelaphi futhi iqonde ukwakha ubu-Afrika obuzokwazi ukulumbanisa izizwe zibe nesiko elifanayo’.
Imidwebo emine lapho kukhangiswa khona imele okusemqoka ekukhuleni kukaPemba kwezobuciko, lapho ikhombisa khona ezepolitiki nezenhlalo ngendlela eziguquka ngayo eNingizimu Afrika. Ikhombisa indlela akhula ngayo kwezokudweba. Umdwebo wemibala exutshwa ngamanzi unentombazane egqoke ijezi elinemigqa, okungomdala kule midwebo futhi iyisiboniso salapho aqala khona uPemba wabuye washiya. Lena eminye emithathu ekapende kawoyela evusa uhlevane ekhombisa abesifazane bakwaXhosa besendaweni yasemakhaya edlulisa ngokudabuka umuzwa wokuzigqaja nesithunzi ekuvuseleleni ifagugu lakhe.