IsiXhosa sigqiba amakhulu amabini eminyaka ukusukela mhla saqala ukubhalwa eDikeni!
Namhlanje, umhla wesithandathu kwinyanga yoMsintsi, isiXhosa sidibanise amakhulu amabini eminyaka (200) ukusukela mhla saqalwa ukubhalwa phantsi. Imbali ithi isiXhosa saqala ukubhalwa ngalo mhla ngo1823 kwidolophu yaseDikeni phezu komlambo ekwabhabhatizwa kuwo iinkokeli zopolitiko eziphambili eMzantsi Afrika nakwizwekazi le’Afrika. Umsebenzi obhaliweyo wokuqala washicilelwa eRuthven Printing Press ngamadoda amabini, uJohn Ross (uLose oMdala) noJohn Bennie (uBhene oMdala). Emva kweminyaka iRuthveth Printing Press yaguqulwa yayiLovedale Press eseyiyo namhlanje nakubeni isecicini lokubhanga. ULose oMdala noBhene oMdala ngabelungu baseScotland kwizwekazi laseYurophu abafika eDikeni, kwiphondo leMpuma Koloni, bafunda ulwimi lwabantu (isiXhosa) baze balubhala emva kweminyaka emibini befikile.
Ibali lokuqala abalishicilelayo lalinesihloko esithi: “Zonke Inkomo zezi kaTixo”. Emva kweminyaka, kwavela izifundiswa ezifana noS.E.K. Mqhayi, uJ.T. Jabavu noW.B. Rubusana ezayiphuculayo indlela esibhalwa ngayo isiXhosa. Endaweni yokuthi (uTixo) owayebhalwa nguLose noBhene, bona bathi “uThixo” - kanye ngendlela amaXhosa ayethetha ngayo. Umsebenzi wokubhala isiXhosa owaqalwa ngabantu abamhlophe baseScotland, waye waphuculwa kukuvela kwamaphephandaba esiXhosa phakathi kwawo ekukho: Umshumayeli weeNdaba, Isigidimi samaXhosa, Izimvo Zabantsundu nalo Ikhwezi. Ngethuba kufika inkululeko eMzantsi Afrika ngo1994, amaphephandaba esiXhosa ebengasenawo amandla ngenxa yefuthe lesiNgesi. Kodwa siphinde sahluma ngo2015 ngethuba kuphehlelwa iphephandaba elitsha lemihla ngemihla, I’solezwe lesiXhosa, elasungulwa ngumfana waseMacirheni ongu-Unathi Kondile encediswa yinkampani ekuthiwa yi-Independent Media.
Emva kweminyaka esondele kwemine ekulo (I’solezwe), uKondile wemka wayokusungula elinye iphephandaba lesiXhosa, Iphepha Lam. Abantu abathetha isiXhosa njengolwimi lwabo eMzantsi Afrika bangaphezulu kwezigidi ezilithoba (9 000 000). Abantu abasithethayo isiXhosa bebonke eMzantsi Afrika bengengawo amaXhosa baqikelelwa kwishumi elinethoba lezigidi (19 000 000). Iqumrhu elijongene neelwimi zonke eMzantsi Afrika ekuthiwa yiPanSALB libhiyozele isiXhosa emcimbini obuseLovedale Press, eDikeni, namhlanje. Ingqonyela kaPanSALB, uMnu. Lance Schultz, ithe isikhumbuzo samakhulu amabini eminyaka kubhalwa isiXhosa lithuba lokuthathela ingqalelo umsebenzi omkhulu owenziweyo wokusiphuhlisa. “Ngumsebenzi obaluleke ngokungenakulinganiswa ukuqinisekisa ukuqhutyelwa phambili kokusetyenziswa ngobulungisa kwazo zonke iilwimi zomgquba kweli lizwe nokuvala umsantsa phakathi kweelwimi zomgquba nesiNgesi,” utshilo uMnu. Schultz.