Indawo yoKwamkeleka

UNaume Keresia Salizani wakhulela kwikhaya elithobekileyo kusapho olunabantwana abalithoba. Utata wakhe wayevela eMalawi ekhangela umsebenzi. Ukuze baziphilise, yena nabantwana bakowabo babencedisa ekulimeni nasekuthengiseni ummoba neebhatata. Ngaphandle kwale micelimngeni, wayenokukhula okonwabileyo. “Ndabunambitha ubomi bam njengomntu oselula, kuba utata nomama, kakuhle, babethandana. Kwaye bebesithanda thina,” yena utshilo. “Ngoko ndandonwabile, ndonwabe kakhulu.”

Umntakwabo uNaume wazimanya neBandla ngeminyaka yawoma-1980, xa wayengumtsha. Wammema yena ukuba azimase kunye naye. Wavuma. “Ndivele ndeva uMoya,” yena wakhumbula. “Ndaziva ngathi ndingowakhona pha.” Ngaphambi kokuba ahambe aye kumsebenzi wobufundisi wakhe, umntakwabo wabhaptiza uNaume kumlambo okufuphi onomsinga onamandla. “Ndandibhitye kakhulu. Kwanyanzeleka ukuba andibambe andiqinise kuba amanzi ebehamba ngamandla,” wahleka. “Kwafuneka ndibambelele ndisenzela ubomi bam.”

Omnye wabafundisi bevangeli owayefundise uNaume yayingu-Edward Dube. Njengo Naume, u-Edward wayekhuliswe kwiimeko ezithobekileyo. Njengomntwana wayehamba iikhilomitha ezisixhenxe ukuya nokubuya esikolweni, enganxibanga zihlangu, kwaye wayencedisa abazali bakhe emasimini ukuphuma kwesikolo. Esengumfana wasebenza njengesicaka sasekhaya kusapho lwabaNgcwele beMihla yokuGqibela abamhlophe, olwammemela ecaweni.

Xa u-Edward wayeqala ukuya ecaweni, wayeziva engakhululekanga, ngokuba ibandla lalimhlophe ngokugqithisileyo. “Njengoko ndandingena kwisakhiwo senkonzo, ndandifuna nje ukuphinda ndiphume,” wakhumbula. Emva kwecawa, wakhumbula, umongameli wesebe wambulisa, kodwa ukuziphatha kwamanye amalungu kwamenza waziva engamkelekanga: “Ngaloo mehlo, uyazi? Ngamehlo nje, ngathi awungowalapha.”

Kungekudala emva koko, u-Edward waya kwinkomfa yesithili eHarare, apho wabona amalungu amaninzi Amnyama eBandla. Ekhuthazekile, waqhubekeka esiya apho waza wabhaptizwa ngeyeThupha. Kwiminyaka emibini kamva, wakhonza njengomfundisi wevangeli wexesha elizeleyo. Ngeli xesha, wafundisa uNaume nosapho lwakhe. Ngexesha leenyanga ezingama 27 zakhe zenkonzo yomsebenzi wobuvangeli, u-Edward waqalisa ekubeni “ezolile” ekuzuzeni ukuzithemba njengoko wayesebenza kunye nabo waza wafunda ukuthanda abantu abaninzi abahlukileyo kuye.

Emva komsebenzi wakhe wobufundisi, yena noNaume baqala ukubhala iileta kwaye ekugqibeleni bagqiba ekubeni batshate. Baceba umsitho olula awayeza kunxiba yena ilokhwe eqhelekileyo aze yena anxibe isuti yakhe yomsebenzi wobuvangeli. Kodwa oodade boMbutho waManina besebe lika-Edward eKwekwe bangenelela ukunceda. UNaume waphela ekhetha phakathi kweegawuni zomtshato ezintle ezintathu. Abazali babo, abasakwabo, namalungu eBandla bazalisa isakhiwo senkonzo yaseKwekwe ngolo suku lumnandi.