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    Grocott's Mail
    You are at:Home»ARTS & LIFE»IsiXhosa joined worldwide mother-tongue celebrations
    ARTS & LIFE

    IsiXhosa joined worldwide mother-tongue celebrations

    Grocott's Mail ContributorsBy Grocott's Mail ContributorsJune 25, 2019No Comments4 Mins Read
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    The Amazwi Puku Story Festival kick-started its 7th annual festival, running from 21 – 23 February
    2019 hosted by Nelm, based in Makhanda. The 21 February is a very important day worldwide as it is
    the International Mother Language Day. Also, 2019 has been declared by UNESCO as the
    International Year of Indigenous Languages. It was no wonder the likes of Akhona ‘Bhodlingqaka’
    Mafani wowed the crowd with his isiXhosa lingo. His isiXhosa poetry and talk on the importance of
    reading, writing and speaking in isiXhosa nailed the points home, equipping everyone and especially
    the learners.

    Ululations and whistles followed as Mafani praised his clan names, demonstrating the value of
    knowing who you are in an African way. Others joined in too, and the auditorium was abuzz,
    ‘ingulowo ezithutha’ (everyone singing their praise-names).

    “#NgesiXhosaSamNdingalwaNdibebomvu!” Mafani said to the cheers of the crowd, repeating that in
    unison with him. This simply means ‘I will die for my isiXhosa language’.

    Zongezile Matshoba followed with a short talk, explaining the importance of the event and the
    celebration of isiXhosa as one of the most important indigenous languages in Africa. He quoted
    author L.S Ngcangata who warned that isiXhosa writers to avoid things that impact negatively on
    isiXhosa literature,

    Ulwimi lwesiXhosa luxhomekeke kuni, babhali. Ziphepheni izinto ezilimaz’ uluncwadi,
    Qhwethan’ amabibi namkhwiniba, nibonis’ ubungcali. Ngenxa yenu iincwadi
    zesiXhosa zizimakade. Ziya kuhlala zikho kube ngunaphakade.

    Matshoba also quoted another writer who frequents Makhanda as manager of Wordfest, Sonwabile
    Mfecane in his book, ‘Isabhokhwe’ when he argues that isiXhosa getting thinner and thinner, but he
    does not think that the language is sick but the sick are those who are supposed to be enriching it.

    “Ndiyasithanda kakhulu isiXhosa. Ndiyasibona siyabhitya, kodwa andicingi ukuba
    siyagula. Ndicinga ukuba asondliwa. Mhlawumbi kugula lo mntu umele ukusondla.”
    “You dream and communicate with your ancestors in your own language,” he said, adding “even
    when you die, having spoken English with a TV accent, people will say …”. The crowd completed the
    sentence for him, “a Xhosa has passed on!”

    Matshoba, along with Mafani, read some poetry from the likes of Simphiwe Nolutshungu (‘Ulwimi
    Lwam lwakwaXhosa’ from Ingcango Zentliziyo, 2015) and Mangaliso Buzani (‘Ndibhala Umbongo’
    from Ndisabhala Imibongo, 2014).

    ULWIMI LWAM LWAKWAXHOSA

    Lukhangelelwa phantsi ziintlanga
    De nathi balo sadikwa lulo
    Lujijeke lwade lwagoba
    Lakrolonqwa de lwamfameka
    Kwikhaya leenkedama,
    Kulapho luqeqeshwa khona.
    Emasimini phaya akukho mnkcenkcesheli
    Ebumnyameni phaya akukho nyanga
    Engqondweni phaya akukho kucinga
    Esazeleni phaya akukho kuphila
    Entabeni phaya akukho themba
    Emafini phaya akukho thontsi.
    Asithongi kukuqokelel’ eziny’ iilwimi
    Asiphumli kukujija ulwimi
    Sihlek’ inyanga nelanga‐
    Phantsi kwamafu esiNgesi
    iAfrika yethu siyizele ngomva ukukhongozel’
    inkcubeko yaseNtshona.
    Singamakhumsha adel’ iintloni
    Ngeempumlo ukusintsentsetha
    De kusabele oondlebe zikhany’ ilanga
    Ubungqondi sibulinganisa nesiNgesi
    Ze ubudenge sibunxibise olwethu
    Inkedam’ ebazali badl’ amazimba.
    Mna ndedwa ndakulwa kubuy’ uNxele
    Ndityityimbe kuvakalelwe ubumnyama bam
    Ndilondle olu lwam‐
    Ndilondlele izizukulwana zeAfrika
    Ndakuma ke phantsi kwethunzi lezigxeko‐
    De kukhanye nasemqolombeni apho.

    (Simphiwe Nolutshungu, 2015)

    Ndibhala umbongo

    Ndibhala umbongo
    iyeza elivuselela ibhongo kumzi kaXhosa
    eliphilisa amanxeba kusapho oluNtsundu luphela
    incasa ekrakra kumzi womgquba
    ingoma yolwaluko yakwaXhosa
    ethetha ngezithethe namasiko
    ubuntu nembeko
    ubuciko nenkcubeko

    kodwa lona uthi mandithule
    zezaseMbo ezo
    kumzi kaQaba

    (Mangaliso Buzani: 2014)

    Matshoba added that these two are award winning isiXhosa authors from the Eastern Cape, are both
    winners of the South African Literary Award (SALA) that is equivalent to the SAMAs, SATMA, and
    SAFTAs but they remain unknown.

    Cebo Solombela, a fascinating facilitator for children’s programme and writer of children’s books,
    was the driver of the programme.

    The day would have not been successful enough without literature linking with other art forms. Well
    known Makhanda pantsulas, Via Kasi Movers, blessed the audience with their stage performance
    called ‘Dancing with the dead’. The piece is directed by Masixole Heshu, a Rhodes University
    postgraduate student. Two students from Ntsika Secondary School concluded the day by sharing
    with their own isiXhosa poems.

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