Masingangxami ngesiSwahili neMandarin kweli lizwe, iNkulumbuso yaseRhawutini mayisel’ amanzi ixole

Ulwimi sisixhobo sokuphuhlisa nasiphi na isizwe nkalwana zonke, kuquka imidlalo, ingqesho, uqoqosho, imfundo, inzululwazi, ubuchwepheshe njalo njalo. Sesi sizathu kanye esibangela ukuba amakhwelo okuba abantwana bethu bafundiswe ngesiSwahili nesiMandarin ehambisa umzimba. Oku kukungaqiqi nokuchasene nako konke ilizwe lethu elingako.

Kwilizwe loMzantsi Afrika iilwimi ezisemthethweni ngamashumi mabini, xa kuqukwa ulwimi lwezandla. Kwezi lwimi kuhamba phambili isiZulu, isiXhosa, isiBhulu, isiNgesi ngokwamanani abantu abazithethayo umhla nezolo. Yaye umgaqosiseko uphakamisa ezi lwimi zonke ukuba zisetyenziswe ekufundeni nasekufundiseni, unxibelelwano olusemthethweni, urhwebo nokunye.

Olu luvo ndiliphakamisa ngokuba iNkulumbuso yaseRhawutini iphakamise ukuba abantwana bethu bafundiswe ngesiSwahili nesiMandarin. Isizathu asibeka phambili okaLesufi kukuba abantwana bethu baya kukwazi ukurhwebelana nezinye izizwe. Endingenakutsho kukuba isizathu esi sife amanqe kodwa eneneni kunzima ukubona ukuqiqa kweli khwelo. Ingakumbi ubani xa ekhangele ukuba imali eya kulandela ukusetyenziswa kwezi lwimi iya kuvela kweyiphi na ikona. Nditsho oku ngoku imadlana ekhoyo ayanelanga kwa-ezi zethu iilwimi sithi maziphakanyiswe. OkaLesufi ingathi uyalibala.

Ingxaki ngolwimi kukuba umntu okufundisa olwimi olungelulo olwakho ufuna ukukwenza ikhoboka lakhe. Ngo1976, amaBhulu aqinisa isandla ngolona hlobo, exhaphaza abazali bethu, aqwela ngokufuna ukuba wonke umntu athethe isiBhulu. Ulutsha lweli lwama ngeenyawo lusithi azika. Abo bantwana babenyolana nomkhosi wokhuselo, abanye babo basweleka. Kungenzeka ukuba uMnu Lesufi wayeyimveku ethungululayo loo minyaka kodwa, elo dabi lika1976, lalungolwimi neelwimi zethu.

Lwalubaluleke kangangokuba amaBhulu aqala abuqonda ubuzaza bezinto ayezenza, kodwa okubaluleke nangakumbi kukuba aqonda ukuba idabi lokucinezela imidaka lwalusemqukumbelweni. Umbuzo ke ngowokuba ukuba idabi elibaluleke kangaka lalingelwimi zethu, kokuphi esele sikwenzile ukuziphuhlisa, nalapho singabanga ukuba abantwana bethu mabafunde ngeelwimi zakwamanye amazwe. Khona, asibubo ubukhoboka obo? Kutheni le nto siza kufana nenja eqheliswe ityathanga nje; yona ithi sele ikhululwe ibuye iye kuthi buthu ecaleni kwetyathanga.

Mhlawumbi lithuba eli lokuba siwuphinde umbuzo owakhe wabuzwa nguMqhayi wokuba, xa ulimo lufundiswa ngesiXhosa ingaba liyayeka na ukukhula ikhaphetshu. 

Kunamhlanje nje abantwana bathatha ixesha elide ukuqonda okona kwenzekayo kwigumbi lokufundela. Uphando olusandula kwenziwa yiPIRLS kusetyenziswana nesebe leMfundo eSisiseko lwafumanisa ukuba abantwana bethu bayasokola ukufunda nokubala ingakumbi kumabanga aphantsi. Ingaba ke ngoku iSwahili neMandarin iza kubanceda njani aba bantwana? Asivaleli abantwana bethu enkotyweni abangasayi kuze baphume kuyo. Le mibuzo mininzi kodwa iyafuna ukuba kucingisiswe ngabantu abathi baziinkokeli zabantu.

Ukuxhatshazwa kwabantu nokungathathelwa ngqalelo kwezinto ezibenza abantu njengeelwimi yingozi ekungamelanga ukuba iphindwe kweli. Ulwimi sisiseko senkcubeko yomntu. Ulwimi lukunika amandla nobukhali bengqondo, nobukrelekrele bokuhlalutya ihlabathi. Umzekelo, isiXhosa lulwimi olunesigama esityebe kakhulu, nekungalula ukuhlohla ngalo.

Kumanqanaba emfundo ephakamileyo baliqela abantu esele bebhale iithisisi, yaye bakuvavanyelwa oko. Iphondo leMpuma Koloni sele likuvavanyile ukuhlalelwa kweemviwo zematriki ngesiXhosa. Yaye baliqela abaphathi bamaziko nabahlohli kwiiyunivesithi abathetha ulwimi lwesiXhosa. Bambi kubo sele bepapashile imisebenzi yophando ngesiXhosa. Okungacaciyo kukuba balinde ntoni bengafundisi abantwana ngesiXhosa, nto leyo enganceda kakhulu ekuphuhliseni isigama esisiso, hayi ifanakalo yokuthetha isiNgesi ngesiXhosa.

Ngaphandle nje kwamaziko emfundo enomsila, kwiinkundla zomthetho sekukhe kwakhutshwa izigwebo ngesiXhosa, endingabalula iJaji eyiNtloko kweli, uJustice Mandisa Maya. Wakwenza oku ngethuba eyiNtloko yeeJaji kwiNkundla yeziBheno, eBloemfontein. Kuyacaca ke ukuba isiXhosa esi siyasebenziseka njengolwimi olukumgangatho ophezulu.

Umthetho osandula kupasiswa weBasic Education Laws Amendment uyakubethelela ukuba abantwana baqalwe ukufundiswa ngeelwimi zeenkobe. Mhlawumbi xa sele sonelisekile ukuba indima iyabonakala singakhangela ukusebenzisa isiSwahili neMandarin. Phofu ezoo lwimi zakuthethwa noobani? Ingathi le yenye nje indlela yokuphuca abantu iilwimi zabo.

Bendithi mandijike ihotom kulo mcimbi weSwahili neMandarin, isizwe singadanga salahleka okanye salahlekelwa. Abantwana bethu masibanike ithuba lokuba baphuhliseke ngeelwimi zabo, ngoba ekupheleni kosuku ukuthetha isiNgesi nezinye iilwimi zabamhlophe akukwenzi uchubeke. Ubukrelekrele yinto umntwana ayiphiwayo nokuba uthetha luphi na ulwimi.

Mandihle kodwa ndikhumbuze okwatshiwo nguRholihlahla Mandela: "Xa uthetha nomntu ngolwimi aluvayo, oko kuya entloko; kodwa xa uthetha nomntu ngolwimi lwakhe lweenkobe, oko kuya ngqo entliziyweni."

Ngombhali

UMakhi Feni nguSihlalo weKomiti eKhethekileyo yeMfundo, iNzululwazi, namaCandelo Obuchule neeMvumi, ngaphantsi kweNational Council of Provinces, ePalamente, eKapa.

*Ezi ziimbono zombhali kwaye azimelanga ezo zeli phephandaba I’solezwe lesiXhosa.