UWalter Sisulu

UWalter Max Ulyate Sisulu (18 kuMeyi 1912 - 5 kuMeyi 2003) wayengelinye lamaqhawe okulwa nobandlululo futhi wayeyilungu eliholayo le-African National Congress (iANC). Wavalelwa eRobben Island ngenxa yokulwela inkululeko kulelizwe, lapho edonsa khona iminyaka engaphezu kuka-25.

 Ukuphila kwakhe esemncane kanye nempilo yakhe yangasese 

Wazalwa ngomhla ka-18 kuNhlaba ngo-1912, esigodini esibizwa ngokuthi iQutubeni, kumasipala waseNgcobo, ngonyaka lapho yasungulwa khona i-ANC. Wakhulela kulomuzi osesifundazweni sanamuhla saseMpumalanga Kapa. Umama wakhe, uAlice Mase Sisulu wayeyisisebenzi sasendlini. Uyise, uAlbert Victor Dickinson, akazange abe nendima ekukhuliseni kwakhe. UWalter wakhuliswa umndeni kanina owawuhlobene nabaThembu okusho ukuthi wayehlobene noMadiba ayesondelene naye kakhulu esikhathini esiningi sokuphila kwakhe. Umndeni wakhe wayephila ngokwesiko lamaXhosa.

Waphoqeleka ukuba ashiye isikole ngemva kwebanga lesine ayofuna umsebenzi. Naphezu kobunzima, waqhubeka efunda futhi ethanda ukubhala. Ngo-1928 wathuthela eGoli lapho enza imisebenzi eyahlukene, njengomsebenzi wobisi, umvukuzi wasemamayini, umsebenzi wasekhaya, umbhaki nomkhandi wensimbi. USisulu wayefunda esikoleni sasebusuku ukuze abe umdayisi wezindlu. 

Ngo-1944 washada no-Albertina Thethiwe ahlala naye iminyaka engu-58. U-Albertina naye wayengumlweli wenkululeko ozinikele waba umama wesizwe ngokuzidela kwakhe ekunqobeni ubandlululo nasekutholeni ubulungiswa. Baye baba nezingane ezingezabo ezinhlanu nezingane zokutholwa ezine. 

 Imisebenzi yezombangazwe 

USisulu waqala ukusebenza kwezombusazwe esemncane wajoyina inHlangano yoBuzalwane yase-Orlando (“Orlando Brotherly Society”), inhlangano esiza abantu abampofu. Ngaleso sikhathi waqala ukungena kwezombusazwe ehlela iziteleka zezisebenzi ukuze zithole amaholo angcono nobulungiswa. Ngonyaka ka-1940, waba ilungu le-African National Congress.

USisulu wazana noNelson Mandela ngo-1941 futhi wameseka ukuqeda izifundo zakhe zomthetho. Ngo-1944 uNelson Mandela, uOliver Tambo, uSisulu nabanye basungula inhlangano yentsha kaKhongolose (“ANC Youth League”). Ngo-1948 i-Nasional Party yanqoba ukhetho okuholela ekuhlukanisweni okuphelele ngokobuhlanga kuzo zonke izigaba zomphakathi. UMandela, uTambo kanye noSisulu babeyiqinisa imizamo yabo ngokuhlela imibhikisho emikhulu.  Ngonyaka ka-1949 uSisulu wakhethwa ukuba abe unobhala-jikelele we-ANC wabamba lomsebenzi kwaze kwaba ngu-1954. Ngo-1950 wabamba iqhaza ekuhlelweni womkhankaso owaziwa ngokuthi umKhankaso woKuphikisa  (“Defiance Campaign”), owawungamamashi ezweni lonke eyayiqonde ukuqeda ubandlululo ngokwebala. 

Kusukela ngo-1952, umbuso wobandlululo waqala ukuthatha izinyathelo ezinqala nokukhipha izinhlawulo ezinzima. Ekupheleni konyaka, kwaboshwe abantu  abangu-8500, ababalwa amalungu amaningi e-ANC. USisulu wayengomunye wabo. Eminyakeni eyalandela waboshwa futhi wasolwa ngamacala ahlukahlukene izikhathi eziningana. Ngomhla ka-11 kuJune 1963, uWalter Sisulu nabanye abaholi be-ANC batholwa epulazini eRivonia, ngaphandle kweGoli, ababezifihle kuyo. Baboshwa babekwa icala lokuvukela umbuso. Ngo-1964, uSisulu noMandela baquliswa icala bagwetshwa udilika-jele wayiswa esiqhingini esikude saseRobben Island.   

Ngomhla ka-15 kuOktoba 1989, ngemva kweminyaka engu-25, wakhululwa ejele. Ngo-1991, i-ANC yamkhetha njengePhini likaMengameli. Wahlala kulesi sikhundla kwaze kwaba ngemva kokhetho lokuqala lwentando yeningi eNingizimu Afrika ngo-1994 esethatha umhlalaphansi. 

USisulu wadlula emhlabeni ngomhla ka-5 kuMeyi ngo-2003 eneminyaka engu-90. Wenziwa umngcwabo kahulumeni okhethekile ohanjelwe nayiqabane lakhe elidala uNelson Mandela, umongameli uThabo Mbeki kanye namashumi ezinkulungwane zabantu abalilayo.