Ukuthola Ithemba EThempelini
Ngomshado wabo, uJohn Mavimbela noJulia Ngubeni bathola ukuthi babekhohlwe yizindandatho zabo. Ngesikhathi uJulia nomfundisi belindile, uJohn waphuma eyobheka isixazululo wase ebuya nesongo lekhethini ayezolifaka kumunwe wamakoti wakhe.
Kwayisiqalo sokuganana okuhle. Lezi zithandani zahlala e-Everton, maduzane neTheku, lapho uJohn ayenesitolo khona futhi baqala umndeni. “Ubaba wayeyindoda enothando,” kwasho indodakazi yabo uThoba ekhumbula. “Wayevame ukumsiza umama ngomsebenzi wasendlini okwakuyinto eyayingenziwa ngaleso sikhathi. Futhi wayevame ukushintsha namanabukeni abantwana.” Kepha, kwafika ifu elimnyama ngonyaka ka-1955 ehlobo ngenkathi uJohn eshona engozini yemoto. UThoba wathi, “Lokho kwayishaya imizwa yami nomoya wami.” UJulia wasala nokubhekana nokukhulisa abantwana eyedwa.
Wenza konke okusemandleni akhe ukubaduduza. UThoba wathi. “Wasitshela ukuthi singazizwa singenaye ubaba, ngoba uBaba oseZulwini wayethembise ukuba nguYise wezintandane.” Kepha kwabanzima ukwamukela isimo kuJulia. Ukulinyazwa ngokobuhlanga okwenzeka ngenkathi kuphenywa ngokufa kukaJohn kwamshiya enobuhlungu obukhulu ngobandlululo lwaseNingizimu Afrika. Ibandla ayekhonza kulo ngaleso sikhathi lalingenanduduzo kuye: ngenxa yokwesaba ukukhonza amadlozi, kwakungakhulunywa ngabangasekho. “Kwangiphatha kabi kakhulu lokho,” kwasho uJulia ekhumbula. “Ngathi, ngingakwenza kanjani lokho ngibe ngibathanda kangaka abazali bami, nomyeni wami na?”
Cishe sekuphele iminyaka engama-30, ngonyaka ka-1981, uJulia Mavimbela wabona abafana abangabelungu besemsebenzini wokusiza eSoweto wase ethola nokuthi babengabefundisi beBandla labaNgcwele beziNsuku zokuGcina. Wabamukela ekhaya lakhe ngoba ayefisa ukwazi nje ukuthi babengobani hhayi ngoba ayefuna ukwazi ngenkolo yabo, kodwa abefundisi babe sebembuza ngesithombe sikaJohn base bezwa benogqozi lokumfundisa ngokubhabhadiselwa abangasekho. “Yilapho engaqala ukulalela khona, ngilalelisisa, nangenhliziyo yami.” “Ngesikhathi labefundisi bengifundisa ngobudlelwane obungapheliyo baphakade, ngathi enhliziyweni yami nansi-ke indlela yokuphinde ngihlangane nabazali bami nomyeni wami.” Wabhabhadiswa emveni kwezinyanga ezimbalwa.
Emveni konyaka uJulia ebhabhadisiwe, kwagunjwa umhlaba ukulungiselela ukwakhiwa kwethempeli laseGoli—elokuqala e-Afrika. Ngenxa yomzabalazo wokuqeda ubandlululo owawusekhona kulelizwe kwakuba nzima kwesinye isikhathi ukuthi ahambe esuka emzini wakhe eSoweto eya esizeni sethempeli, kodwa uJulia waqhubeka nokubuka ukukhula komsebenzi wokwakhiwa kwethempeli, waze wakwazi ngisho nokudlula kuvalwe umgwaqo ngosuku mhla ingelosi uMoroni ibekwa phezulu nokwenza wakwazi ukuwubona lowo mfanekiso usuphakanyiswa. Emveni kokunikelwa kwethempeli eNkosini ngonyaka ka-1985, ekugcineni uJulia wakwazi ukuthola ezakhe izimiso zevangeli nokwenzela abanye. Nakuba kwakukhona okungalungile okwakwenzeka ngaphandle kwethempeli, wazizwa enokuthula okukhulu ngaphakathi kwezindonga zalo. Wathi, “Ngesikhathi ngithola izimiso zami ethempelini, ngaba nomuzwa wokuthi sonke simunye emhlabeni.” Akekho oyiBhunu. Akekho umLungu. Akekho umSuthu noma umZulu. Ngikhuluma ngalowo muzwa wokuba munye.”
UJulia Mavimbela esiza abanye bathole izimiso zabo ethempelini laseGoli eNingizimu Afrika, Ngonyaka ka-1991.
UJulia wahlanganiswa ethempelini nabazali bakhe nomyeni wakhe. Ngezinye izikhathi wayekwazi ukubona ngale kwesihenqo. UThoba ekhumbula wathi, “Ngelinye ilanga waya ethempelini, wabuya wangitshela ukuthi ubone ubaba.” Waphinde wasebenza ehlanganisa nomlando womndeni wakhe. “Umama wayenentshisekelo enkulu ngokugcina imibhalo yomndeni,” kwasho uThoba. “Sasivame ukuvakashela amalunga omndeni wakithi. Futhi wayeqoqa lonke ulwazi ayeluthola.” Ukwenza lomsebenzi kwamsiza ukuthi akwazi ukuxhumana nemuva lomndeni wakhe—nokuthi akwazi ukulungiselela ikusasa. “Wathi ufuna ukusisiza sibe ngumndeni waphakade,” kwasho uThoba.