INcwadi kaMormoni eSoweto
UPiet Mafora wayehambisa izimpahla eGoli ngelinye ilanga ngonyaka ka-1968 ngesikhathi eqala ukubona indlu yokukhonza yeBandla likaJesu Kristu labaNgcwele beziNsuku zokuGcina. Wayekuthanda lokhu ayekubona, uPiet wayeseqenjini laseSoweto elalinamalunga ayekholelwa futhi eyifunda iNcwadi kaMormoni, kodwa akekho eqenjini owake wahlangana nelungu leBandla. Kwaba sobala ukuthi yingani lendlu yokukhonza yayilapho eyayikhona: iBandla lalisendaweni eyayihlala abelungu kuphela; kodwa wonke amalungu eqembu likaPiet ayemnyama, futhi kwakuyisikhathi lapho umthetho waseNingizimu Afrika wawungakuvumi ukuhlangana kwabantu bezinhlanga ezahlukene.
Nakuba kwakukhona lezi zinkinga, ilunga leqembu uMoses Mahlangu lalizimisele ngokuthatha isinyathelo sokuxhumana nalendlu yokukhonza. Isakhiwo seBandla sasingenamuntu ngesikhathi uMahlangu evakasha khona kokuqala, kepha ngesikhathi esebuya wahlangana noMaureen van Zyl, ilungu leBandla elamxhumanisa nekhaya lemishini. Masinyane nje uMahlungu wahlangana nomongameli wemishini wamchazela ngesifiso sakhe neseqembu lakhe sokungena eBandleni nokuthola isipho sikaMoya oNgcwele.
Abaholi bemishini babekuthanda kakhulu ukukholwa kukaMahlangu, kodwa babekhathazekile ngokuthi babezoqhubekela kanjani phambili. Amalungu eqembu likaMahlungu ayezinikele, futhi nabaholi babekholwa wukuthi iBandla lalingakhula ngamandla uma selimisiwe eSoweto. Kepha phezu kobunzima obabungobaseNingizimu Afrika, kwakukhona umthetho eBandleni kusukela ngonyaka ka-1850 owawuvimba ukugcotshelwa ebuphristini kwabesilisa abamnyama. Bengazi ukuthi bazobhekana kanjani nomthetho weBandla kanye nokucindezelwa nguhulumeni ukuba bengazihlanganisi izinhlanga ezahlukene emabandleni, abaholi bemishini bamcela uMahlangu ukuba alinde.
UMahlangu namanye amalungu eqembu lakhe balinda kwaze kwadlula iminyaka eyishumi. Ngonyaka ka-1978 uMongameli uSpencer W. Kimball wamemezela ukuthi abangcwele base bengagcotshelwa ebuphristini “ngaphandle kokubheka ubuhlanga noma ibala,” kepha eNingizimu Afrika, izinkinga zazilokhu zikhona. Abaholi bemishini nabesikhonkwane babonisana ngendlela yokuqhubekela phambili nakuba babebhekene nohulumeni nemithetho yakhe nokufela ngaphakathi kwamanye amalungu eBandla angabelungu ngokunjalo nabanye abaholi abambalwa bendawo. “Sabheka imigomo eNcwadini kaMormoni,” Kwasho umongameli wesikhonkwane u-Olev Taim, ebona ukuthi amaNefi namaLamani akunqoba ukwehlukana okukhulu phakathi kwabo ukuze baphile ndawonye evangelini.
UMoses no-Elizabeth Mahlangu, cishe ngonyaka ka-1992
Ngonyaka ka-1980 amalungu eBandla eNingizimu Afrika ayesekulungele ukuqala umsebenzi wokumisa ibandla elinabantu bezinhlanga ezahlukene. Ezweni lonke okokuqala kulowo nyaka, baningi abamnyama nabaxubile ngokwebala ababhabhadiswa kunabelungu. Esifundazweni saseNatali, maningi amaNdiya angena eBandleni. UMahlangu namalungu eqembu lakhe babhabhadiswa ngoSepthemba.
Baqala ukuya enkonzweni ewadini laseGoli, bevuka ngehora lesine ekuseni ukuze bafike ngesikhathi. Ngezinye izikhathi, babezwa izinkulumo eBandleni ezingezinhle ngobuhlanga neziphathelene nepolitiki yangaleso sikhathi. Ngezinye izikhathi, babekhuthazwa yizibonelo ezinhle, njengesikhathi lapho omunye umama elungisa okwakushiwo ngumfana wakhe okwakungafanele ngokumkhumbuza ngokushesha ukuthi, “LeliBandla ngelawo wonke umuntu.”
Ngonyaka ka-1981 kwamiswa igatsha leBandla eSoweto, amalunga angabelungu njengoMaureen van Zyl eza elokishini ezokhonza nabakwaMahlangu nabanye abangcwele abamnyama. Ngenkathi bechitha isikhathi ndawonye futhi belalelana, bakha ubungani obungapheliyo, yize babehlukene ngokobuhlanga nangamasiko.