BW Vilakazi

UBW Vilakazi okuyizifinyezo zamagama athi Benedict Wallet Vilakazi (1906-1947) lona ungusaziwayo kubafundi asebefunde isiZulu baze bafinyelela emazingeni aphakeme. Phela waziwa ngegalelo lemibhalo yakhe engamanoveli, izinkondlo, ngisho nezichazamazwi imbala. Kepha nakuba iningi limazi ngemisebenzi yakhe elotshiweyo, bambalwa abaziyo ngempilo yalo leli qhawe. 

Ngomhla ziyisi-6 kuMasingana kowe-1906 uMshini wakwaVilakazi nowakwakhe uLeah bathola indodana eyayingumntwana wabo wesithupha kwabayisikhombisa. Bayetha ngelikaBhambatha ngenxa yesigigaba sempi kaBhambatha wakwaZondi eyalwa ngawo lo nyaka.

AbakwaVilakazi babakhe eGroutville. UBhambatha-ke isikole wasingena khona eGroutville ngowe-1912. Wafunda lapha waze waqeda ibanga lesi-4, wase edlulela eSt. Francis College eMarianhill ngasePinetown. Kulapho aqhubeka khona nezifundo zakhe waze waphumelela ibanga lesi-6. Kukulo leli kolishi lamaKhatholika lapho wabhabhathizwa ngegama lika Benedict nelikaWallet. Lokhu kwakwenziwa ngokwemfundiso yangaleso sikhathi yokuthi umuntu osephendukele ekukholweni akube kusaba kuhle abizwe ngegama lesintu. Emva kwebanga lesi-6 wafundela ubuthishela khona eMarianhill wabuphothula ngonyaka we-1923. Kwakhona esesemabangeni aphansi kwakubonakala ukuthi uphiwe ubuchopho obukhaliphile.

Waqala ukufundisa khona eMarianhill, wabuye wayofundisa eXobho, eMgungundlovu nasoHlange. UJC noMathikuletsheni wakuphasa esezifundela ngasese, esesebenza. Kuthe angazuza iziqu zikaBA e-UNISA, isiZulu wasiphasa ngamalengiso.

Ngowe-1936 wamenywa eNyuvesi yaseWitwatersrand ukuba ayofundisa isiZulu khona. Lena kwabe kuyinyuvesi yabamhlophe kuphela. UVilakazi waba ngumuntu wokuqala ngqa ukufundisa kule nyuvesi. Akubanga lula ukwejwayela impilo yaseWits eyayinokucwasa kakhulu kuleya minyaka. Lokhu kuyezwakala nakwezinye zezinkondlo zakhe uVilakazi. Lapha wayefundisa noSolwazi uDoke wodumo lwezichazamazwi zesiZulu nohlelo lolimi. Ngawo lo nyaka we-1936 uVilakazi wahlabana ngeziqu zeBA Honours nazo ayezifundela ngasese. Kuthe ngonyaka we-1938 wthola eminye futhi iminyezane okwaba yiziqu zeMastazi. Akuthathnga minyaka mingaki emva kwalokho, ngoba kwathi ngowe-1946 waphinde wathola eminye iminyezane okwasekungeyobuDokotela. 

Ukwenza konke lokhu nje uyabhala futhi namabhuku uMphephethe. Nowe1933 wedlulisela ngenovel ethi Noma Nini, eyelanywa ngethi UDingiswayo KaJobe, ngowe-1939. Ngowe-1943 waphinda enye futhi inoveli ethi Nje Nempela. Nasekuqambeni izinondlo wayengazibekile neze phansi ngoba ibhuku lakhe lezinkondlo elithi Inkondlo KaZulu laphuma ngowe-1935 elaba yingqalabutho emabhukweni ezinkondlo zesiZulu. Phakathi kwezinkondlo ezikuleli bhuku uVilakazi uzwakala ebalisa kakhulu ngokufa kukayise, umfowabo nomkakhe wokuqala, befa belandelana. 

Ngowe-1947 uVilakazi wahlatshwa ukugula isikhashana okwathi ngomhla zingama-26 ku-Okthoba wedlula emhlabeni eneminyaka yobudala engama-41.

IMITHOMBO ESETSHENZISIWE 

Zulu ESQ, Mbhele NF, Radebe VOS, Mahlangu AB, Nkosi CP. 1995. IsiZulu Soqobo. Pietermaritzburg. Reach Out Publishers.