Nontando Noni Jabavu

Umbhali nentatheli uHelen Nontando "Noni" Jabavu wazalelwa kusapho lwezifundiswa eMpuma Koloni ngowama-1919. Wathi akuba neminyaka elishumi elinesithathu, wafunda eNgilani, waqhubeka ehlala apho iminyaka emininzi. Waba ngomnye wababhali neentatheli zase-Afrika ezingamanina.                                                                           

Ngowe-1955 uNoni Jabavu wabuyela eMzantsi Afrika wahlala iinyanga ezintathu. Watyelela uyise, uNjingalwazi D.D.T. Jabavu waseFort Hare, nezizalwane eMpuma Koloni naseGoli.

Iincwadi azibhalileyo
I-’The Ochre People’ eyapapashwa okokuqala ngowe-1963 yingxelo ecacileyo yohambo lwakhe nequlathe iinkumbulo ezicace gca neziqondakalayo zelizwe awayelithanda nabantu awadibana nabo. 

“Ilizwi lombhali” kuDrawn in Colour nalo lingabangumdla:
“Ndingowamazwe amabini endinyaniseke kuwo: UMzantsi Afrika apho ndazalelwa khona neNgilani apho ndafunda khona. Ndithe xa ndifumana umnxeba ovela kutata, ndakhwela inqwelo-moya ndabuyela eMzantsi Afrika ukuze ndibephakathi kwabantu bakuthi, ndishiya umyeni wam oliNgesi emva eLondon. Ekupheleni kwala nyaka, mna naye saya kuhlala eMpuma Afrika, ukusondela kudade ekukuphela kwakhe owayetshatele apho. Apha ndibalise nto ngemvelaphi neemeko endisuka kuzo. Le yingxelo yam njengomAfrika, ngamava neendlela zokubona umahluko phakathi kweMpuma noMzantsi Afrika ekudibaneni kwazo nentlalo yaseNtshona. 

Ukusweleka
UJabavu wasweleka nge-19 kweyeSilimela ngowama-2008 eneminyaka engama-88. Esi sicatshulwa silandelayo esibhalwe yimbongi uMakhosazana Xaba yimbeko efanelekileyo enokunikwa ngenxa yesakhono sakhe sokubhala nobuntatheli

Okubhalwe ngabanye ababhali ngaye

Isigqibo sam sokubhala ibali ngobomi bukaNoni Jabavu siqhutywe kukufuna ukwazi nokucaphuka okungazenzisiyo ngenxa yento ebibonakala kum njengokungaqatshelwa kwendima yakhe yokuqala njengombhali nentatheli. Ubani kufuneka afunde nje iincwadi zakhe ezimbini (uDrawn in Colour noThe Ochre People) ukuze abone ukuba wayenesiphiwo kangakanani njengombhali weziganeko zobomi. Iikholamu zakhe zomhleli zobuntathetheli zibonakalisa isimbo sokuchaza esakha umfanekiso-ngqonweni ebekufanele ukuba besingaqhelekanga ngexesha lakhe. Ngelixa bendinodliwano-ndlebe noWally Serote owayehlala eBotswana ngexesha  naye uNoni wayehlala khona, ndifunde nto engqinisise iingcinga zam zokuqala ngaye. 

“Wayesithi thina madoda, asikwazi ukunxulumana naye (uNoni). Wayelinina elaliphila ngaphaya kwamaxesha ethu. “Le nto ithetha lukhulu nangakumbi kuba uSerote yena kuqala wayeyingcali yoncwadi nezenkcubeko.