Uphononongo nzulu lwamasiko nezithethe kwiincwadi ezichongiweyo zesiXhosa: "Ityala lamawele no "Ukuba ndandazile" - Diko, Mlamli (Rhodes University, Faculty of Humanities, School of Languages and Literatures, 2020)
Olu phando lujolise ekubhentsiseni nasekuphononongeni nzulu indima yamasiko nezithethe kwiincwadi ezichongiweyo zesiXhosa ezizezi, "Ityala Lamawele" (1914) ibhalwe nguSamuel Edward Krune Mqhayi kunye no "Ukuba Ndandazile" (1967) ibhalwe nguWitness Kholekile Tamsanqa. Amasiko nezithethe aya kuthi aphononongwe ngala: ukulobola, ingqithi nesithembu. Kwakhona, la masiko nezi zithethe ziya kuthi ziphicothwe kugudlwa kwizinto zesiNtu ezinobuzaza eziqhushekwe zaze zancathama phantsi kwawo. Umzekelo, phantsi kwesiko lokulobola kukho izithethe ezithiwe qhushe phantsi kwalo ezifana nokuhota, ukuyalwa komtshakazi nezinye. Zonke ezi zinto ziya kuthi zivelelwe. La masiko nezi zithethe zichongwe kuba kukholeleka into ethi zitshatshele ngokwendima eziyidlalayo kwezi ncwadi zimbini. Ukubalasela kwawo la masiko nezithethe akwaneli ekubeni indima yawo ityhilwe kwezi ncwadi kuphela, koko indima yawo ithi ityhile banzi ngentlalo kaXhosa. Lilonke, aba babhali babini ababhali ngezinto ezingaziwayo okanye ezibuntsomirha, koko babhala ngemiba echaphazela amaXhosa ngqo. Umphandi uya kuthi aqhaqhe iindlela la masiko nezithethe aqhutywa ngazo, iinjongo zokwenziwa kwawo kwakunye neziphumo xa ethe la masiko enziwa okanye angenziwa ngokusesikweni. Konke oku kuya kuthi kwenziwe egameni lobuXhosa bemveli. Umphandi uya kukwenza oku ngeenjongo zokuphicotha nzulu intsingiselo ngokwamasiko nezithethe zamaXhosa ezama ukutyhila obona bunyani bufihlakeleyo bamasiko nezithethe kunye nokuzalana kwawo nentlalo yamaXhosa. Ngaphezulu, kukutyhila into ethi kwaXhosa amasiko nezithethe ziintsika zokuphila, ngako oko ananto ithile ayithethayo kuthi thina maXhosa ungaphiki nje kuba ezakwaLizwi zidungadungile ngendlela yazo kumzi kaPhalo ze zasahlukanisa nezinto zoobawo bethu. Kunamhlanje nje azinqabanga iintetho ezithi ukunqula iminyanya nezinyanya bubuhedeni, ukuxhela ibhokhwe kuyongxengxezwa bubudimoni. Kule ngxoxo, kuya kujongwa isakhono nobuchule bababhali abathe babusebenzisa njengesixhobo sokukhusela inkcubeko yamaXhosa eyathi yabhunyulwa ngamaNgesi yasala nje ibhityile, yiyo ke ngoku le esele igululwa okwamathumbu ngurhulumente wenkululeko. Lilonke, kwa kolu phando kunconywa ababhali abaziingcungela ekubeni basebenzise ulwazi lwabo lolwimi ekukhuseleni inkcubeko yamaXhosa athi xa ahlomla ngayo uMkonto (2005: v) athi: The study of the survival of cultural traditional customs in isiXhosa literature is an overdue task facing literary critics. Le ngcali ingentla apha ihlaba ikhwelo kubaphandi besiXhosa ukuba banyathelele phezulu bephanda bebhentsisa ubunyani bamasiko nezithethe kuncwadi lwesiXhosa. Olu phando, ngaphezu kwazo zonke izizathu, lusabela elo khwelo. Kwelinye icala, uthi uSaule (1996) xa ethetha ngoMqhayi, nangona uMqhayi lo wayenobuhlobo nabefundisi bezakwaLizwi nokhanyo kodwa akazange ayivumele ingqondo nentliziyo yakhe ithwetyulwe ziinkolo neenkcubeko zasemzini. Ukutsho ngokwakhe oku uSaule (1996: 20) xa ahambisa enjenje: Although Mqhayi was obviously a brain child of the missionaries, he did not, unlike many writers at that time, allow their influence to engulf his thoughts. He uses a Bible as a technique rather than as an instrument that guides him towards predestined objectives. Le ngcinga kaSaule ingentla igxininisiwe kwilixa elingaphambili nguDikeni (1992: 12) xa wayesithi: It is clear that Mqhayi as one of the early writers could not address the political situation of the South Africa directly in his novel. He had to use an extended metaphor to avoid the strict laws of censorship. This he did by using a Biblical story and adapting it to his culture. Ngokwezi ngcali zimbini, kuyaqapheleka ukuba nangona uMqhayi lo ifuthe laseNtshona lazama kangangoko linako ukumthwebula kodwa ukuhlakanipha kwakhe kwamenza wagwencela okwesikhwenene kwiingcambu zakhe, kwisizwe sakhe, kumasiko nezithethe zakwaXhosa. Kungani ke ukuba singangamphakamiseli phezulu lo mbhali ngokuthi simane sindwendwela iimbalo zakhe sihlaba sikhangela ukuba zithetha ukuthini na kuthi sizwe sikaXhosa xa sikule ndawo sikuyo nje? Kwelinye icala, uMkonto (2005) umqhwabela izandla uTamsanqa xa athi nangona wayefundile akazange ayivumele imfundo imntywilisele eludakeni lwaseNtshona hleze buthi obu buncwane bezi ncwadi zakhe zifana no "Buzani Kubawo" (1958), "Ukuba Ndandazile" (1967), "Imitha Yelanga" (1967) kunye nezinye zaziya kufela engqondweni yakhe engakhange afundise umzi kaXhosa ngobuXhosa bawo. UMkonto (2005: 17) uhambisa athi xa ethetha ngoTamsanqa: Most of his experiences which he shared with people at the time were of hardships ... probably these were some of the experiences that triggered the themes expressed in 'Buzani kubawo' and 'Ukuba ndandazile' Ngokwala mazwi angentla, okona kuncomekayo ngoTamsanqa kukuba uthe nokuba sele ehlangabezana neenzingo zobomi kodwa wabona kukuhle ukuba afundise umzi kaXhosa ngaloo mahla ndinyuka kuba kakade lisiko kwaXhosa into yokuba xa uye wagileka endaweni ethile uze ufundise abanye ukwenzela ukuba bangangeni kulaa mgibe ubuwele kuwo. Bubuntu ke obo. Ubukhulu becala bezinto athe wadlula kuzo uTamsanqa zicazululwe kwisahluko sesibini esidandalazisa ubunzululwazi mlando mbali wobom ngababhali. Okunye, uTamsanqa sesinye sezizukulwana esathi saneTamsanqa lokukhula ngeliya xesha amasiko nezithethe kwaXhosa bezisaqhutywa ngendlela encomekayo kunangoku, kodwa umfundi makaqaphele ukuba umphandi akazami kuthelekisa amaxesha amasiko nezithethe ezaziqhutywa kodwa ubona kubalulekile ukuba icace inkolelo ethi amasiko nezithethe namaxesha awayeqhutywa ngawo awasafani. Kolu phando nzulu okunye okuphambili kukuthi nangona aba babhali babini bathi basebenzisa ulwimi oluntsokothileyo nezagwelo zokubhala ezifihlakeleyo ngendlela enomkhitha kodwa loo nto ibe lulutho kumzi kaPhalo kuba ushiyeke ufumbethe ulwimi lwesiXhosa. Ngaphezu koko amaXhosa ashiyeke efumbethe ulwazi ngamasiko nezithethe ekusafuneka efundisiwe. Ingcambu yolu phando ke ingamasiko nezithethe kusetyenziswa isiThako samaSiko neziThethe esiza kuchazwa banzi kwimihlathi engezantsi. Ngaphandle kokuphonononga nzulu intsingiselo yamasiko nezithethe, olu phando lukwayinkuthazo kwabanye ababhali ukuba bazeke mzekweni benjenjeya ukuzalisa umphanda kaXhosa ngamasiko nezithethe kunye nolwimi olusulungekileyo khona ukuze izizukulwana ngezizukulwana zibe nento yokufunda. Ukongeza, kukukhuthaza abo babhali baneembalo ezintlakekileyo nezibutenxarha ngokwamasiko nezithethe, nolwimi ke, ukuba baziqhelanise nokufunda iincwadi zesiXhosa, bafunde isiXhosa, baphande ngokuzinikela ngemiba yesiXhosa. Njengamntu mtsha, olu phando lukhuthaza olunye ulutsha ngokubaluleka kokulondolozwa kwenkcubeko ukuze isizukulwana esizayo sibe nokufunda kuyo. Uphando olu lujolise ekukhuliseni iimbalo zesiXhosa ingakumbi ke xa sele lubhalwe ngesiXhosa. Likho iqaqobana elibhalileyo ngesiXhosa kodwa ezinye zezo mbalo ziyakhwinisa ngenxa yegrama etenxileyo, umgangatho ophantsi wokusetyenziswa kolwimi ukunonga iintetho, nezinye iziphene. Masibe sisithi ziinzame ekukhucululeni nasekuphuculeni oko kwenziwa ngabeLungu; masingaligxeki kakhulu elo gcuntswana. Enye yezinto ezikhwinisayo kuluncwadi lwesiXhosa kukunqongophala kweencwadi ezibonisa isiNtu sethu ngendlela egqibeleleyo nemsulwa. Iyathuthumba into yokunqongophala kweencwadi ezingembali yethu ebhalwe sithi. Oku kunqongophala kufika kube negalelo elibi kubafundi neetitshala zesiXhosa ezona kufuneka zingcamle ubuncwane benkcubeko yazo kunye nabafundi jikelele. Iincwadi eziya kuthi zisetyenziswe zezo zababhali abaziinjojeli kubhalo lwesiXhosa, uS.E.K. Mqhayi noW.K. Tamsanqa. Isizathu soko asikokuba umphandi uzama ukuthelekisa ababhali koko uya kubachonga, okokuqala, ngenxa yokuba bengababhali abaphume izandla kuncwadi lwesiXhosa. Okwesibini, kunconywa ubuchule babo ekusebenziseni ulwimi nesakhono njengesixhobo sokuphakamisa umgangatho woncwadi lwesiNtu ngokuyeleleneyo namasikonezithethe. Okwesithathu, iimbalo zabo zezinye zeembalo ezithe zaphakanyiswa kakhulungabaphandi de zafumana amawonga ngamawonga. Okwesine, kudederhu lweencwadizesiXhosa ezingaka andinokwazi ukuthi ndilume umthamo omkhulu endizojika ndixakane nawo ndingakwazi ukuwuhlafuna ndiwucokisise hleze ndomiwe emqaleni ndingabisalugqiba kwa olo phando.
Keywords: Xhosa (African people); Mqhayi, S E K -- Ityala lamawele; Tamsanqa, Witness K -- Ukuba ndandazile; Xhosa (African people) -- Social life and customs; Authors, -- South African -- 19th century -- Criticism and interpretation; Xhosa (African people) -- Rites and ceremonies; Mqhayi, S E K -- Critisicism and interpretation; Tamsanqa, Witness, K -- Criticism and interpretation; Xhosa literature -- Criticism and interpretation; Xhosa fiction -- History and criticism