RIP “Mama Sisulu”: Omunye ‘wamaqhawe amakhulu’ aseNingizimu Afrika

Albertina 'Mama' Sisulu (21 October 1918 - 2 June 2011): Iqhawe laseNingizimu Afrika elilwa nobandlululo

Isisho esithi 'ngemuva kwawo wonke umuntu ophumelelayo, kukhona umuntu wesifazane ’okuye kwaba yisikhathi nesikhathi esiboniswa ngaso eNingizimu Afrika ngesikhathi somzabalazo wokulwa nobandlululo. Kwakunjalo ngo-Albertina Sisulu, a “colossus” yamandla kumyeni wakhe ongasekho uWalter Sisulu ngokumelene nombuso wobandlululo. Umyeni kaMama Sisulu ongasekho uWalter ubengumeluleki womunye wabalwi nabaholi abanethonya kakhulu emhlabeni, Nelson Mandela.

Uzalelwe u-Albertina Notsikelelo, Umama uSisulu washada noWalter in 1944 wayemi ngakuye phakathi kobunzima. Ngemuva kokungena kwakhe 2033, wathi “babefana nezinkukhu ezimbili. Omunye uhlala ehamba ngemuva komunye.” UWalter, owayeyisekela likamongameli we-African National Congres (ANC), unikezwe udumo ngokuletha uNelson Mandela ephathini. Iqiniso lokuthi umyeni wakhe wayeboshwe amahlandla ayisishiyagalombili, kuvinjelwe, baboshelwe endlini, wazama kabili ngokuvukela umbuso, bese eboshelwa impilo e 1964, futhi wathumela eRobben Island lapho ahlala khona 25 iminyaka eceleni kukaMandela, akazange avimbele uMama uSisulu othandweni lwakhe ngomyeni wakhe kanye nesizwe. Yize umzabalazo wabo wokulwa nombuso wobandlululo wawusho ukuthi uWalter no-Albertina bazosebenzisa imali kuphela 15 iminyaka ejwayelekile sindawonye ngaphambi kokungena kwakhe 2003, akazange aphelelwe uthando nokuncoma umyeni wakhe.

Ngaphezu kokukhulisa 5 izingane ikakhulukazi eyedwa, UMama uSisulu naye wadlala indima ebaluleke kakhulu emzabalazweni nasekwakhiweni kamuva kombuso omusha waseNingizimu Afrika ngemuva kobandlululo. Wayekhankasela amalungelo abesifazane nezingane futhi wayengumholi we-United Democratic Front, umfelandawonye obalulekile wokulwa nobandlululo ngawo-1980, futhi abe ngumholi ku-ANC nophiko lwayo lwabesifazane. Okunye akufezile kufaka phakathi inkonzo ephalamende ye 4 unyaka ngemuva kokhetho lokuqala lwezinhlanga ezahlukahlukene e 1994. Uphinde waqoka uMandela njengoMengameli kwathi ngemuva kwalokho wakhethwa ngazwilinye ngamalungu ePhalamende.

Isizwe sonke saseNingizimu Afrika sisekuseni ngemuva kokudlula emhlabeni kukaMama Sisulu. UMongameli Zuma umemezele ukuthi “ungu-matriarch futhi ungumhlengikazi ngokomsebenzi, Umama uSisulu wayengomunye wabomama abaqavile besizwe futhi waba ngowokugcina emaqenjini omzabalazo wenkululeko yeNingizimu Afrika…. Ngenkathi sikhala ngokulahlekelwa kwakhe, kumele simbonge kakhulu ngokuzinikela kwakhe ngokuzinikela kubo bonke abantu baseNingizimu Afrika kanye nesintu sonke, ngenxa yokupha kwakhe komoya nangokufundisa isizwe ukuthobeka, inhlonipho ngesithunzi somuntu nozwela kwababuthakathaka, abampofu nabacindezelwe.”

INelson Mandela Foundation egameni likamengameli iphinde yaphawula ukuthi uMama Sisulu “Isibindi emzabalazweni wethu wenkululeko naseminyakeni yokuqala yentando yeningi yethu entsha kanye nensika yamandla emndenini wakwaSisulu ngenkathi umyeni wakhe uWalter esejele, ubesebenza njengesibonelo sokuzidela nokusebenza. ”

Ngenkathi abaningi bezolukhumbula uthando, ukuzinikela nempilo uMama uSisulu ezinikele emndenini wakhe nasezweni alithandayo, uzophila kuze kube phakade njengesibonelo samandla omoya wokupha, ukuzidela namandla.