IsiXhosa Intellectual Traditions (IsiXIT) Digital Archive

Au! . . . ! Isikewu esenzeke kuba fundisi base Lovedale ngomhla we 8 ku June, 1885, koke kube lixesha pambi kokuze sidibeke ngokuqelekileyo, kwabo bebemazi u Mr. JOHN A. BENNIE, beubona nomsebenzi wake kulomzi. Kuko iqalo eliti kulenteto yakowetu: | Intaka yaka ngoboya benye,'—ekungoko ke kusilungele ukuba ke sime pezu kweli dlaka, sibabalisele abafundi be Sigidimi ngobomi balowo kuvuleke incwaba lake ; ukubukeka nokubaluleka komninilo, ngesimilo, nemisebenzi. Olu lutsha luninzi lwakowetu lulitemba nakwabo batshonayo, ukuba losusela Iona apo ate amalinga abo apela kona; belufanele ke ngoko ukubonela izaci zabanye, lutabate umzekelo, nezimbo zabo kwimpilo yobu bomi, ize lwakele kambe ezalo ezihle ngapezulu, ukuba oko kunokwenzeka, koko kubanduleleyo. Umfi u Mr. BENNIE, ob'eminyaka ingapezulwana kuhle kuma 45 ubudala, wazalelwa e Lovedale apa ngosuku lwama 23 ku March, 1840. Ngelo xesha wausakiwa lomzi wemfundo, ote ke wavulwa ngokufika kuka Rev. WILLIAM GovAN ngo March, 1841. Uyise yena wagaleleka kweli lizwe evela kwela pesheya eyindodana entsha, eminyaka ima 25 ubudala, nge 15 ku November, 1821, nje ngoko sibalisilevo kwi Sigidimi senyanga edluleyo ; wazeka intokazi yasema Bulwini, e Rafu, u Miss M. M. MAKE, nge 6 ku July, 1827; ekute ngonyaka olandeleyo nge 5 ku April (saposisa ukuti ngo May) wazibula ngentombi, le ke ib'ingu Mrs. KAYSER, oncwatywe yena ngo May, 1885. Kwisituba sokufika kuka yise esiyiminyaka ema 20 pambi kokuzalwa kuka Mr. BENNIE, kuninzi ate uyise wakufeza, encediswa kakade ngabanye abafundisi belo xesha; siteta okunje ngokushicilela incwadi zemfundo; amaculo okuvunywa ezityalikeni ; nenguqulo zezi balo; ukwakiwa komzi wase Lovedale kuqala e Ncera, ize kamva ufudukele apo siyibalela kona namhla lembali, nalapo unyana wake azalelwe, waza wancwatywa kona. Ekuyicamangeni kwetu lembali, sikumbule ngenye imini ukuba kuko igqala lakowetu, lase Mabambeni, omnye wama-Kristu emihla yokuqala yentsebenzo yaba fundisi kwesi Sikolo sase Dikeni, ote wabambelela kule ndlela yelizwi, wakwenza anako ukuyisebenzela i NKOSI. Siteta u TSHUKA unyana ka PITI, esite ke ngoko sambiza ukuba aze kusibalisela ngo BENE omdala. Ezizintloko indawo esizipauleyo zezi zokuba,—U BENE omdala ube ngomnye wabafundisi abakuteleyo kunene, osandla besino bugcisa bokwenza nantoni. Ekushumayeleni, akungetshiwo ukuba ubeliciko ; kodwa amandla ake apo ebekona ebe kubugcisa bencoko embutweni, nokuba yeye nkundla, nokuba kuse ndlwini. Incoko yake ibinombizane owokurola ungaqondi wena, uve selute gxupu ezintweni zelizwi, ekubeni beniqale nge zelizwe,—njengoko senjenjalo isigcau ukuhenda impukane ngemisonto yaso. Ube nobugcisa kanjalo bokukwenzela, ngencoko, umfanekiso ocacileyo woko kulizelayo eli lizwe, ngokubonakala kwezinto ngezinto; nakuba ubesazeke ati, ' Abafundisi abayikuhlala befana uhlobo lwabo.' Ub'eyindoda elulamileyo kunene engaze ibe nalizwi libi 'mntwini, nasenzo sirwexayo. Ubube ngosuku lwe 9 ku February, 1869, eminyaka ima 73 ubudala, incwaba lake lise Middelburg, apo way'esele efudukele kona. Njengoko sesitshilo unyana wake u JOHN ANGELL BENNIE wazalwa ngomhla wa 23 ku March, 1840, wapehlelelwa ebusaneni ngomhla wesi 5 ku April walonyaka, ngu Rev. JAMES LAING, umfundisi wase Mkubiso. Ubukwenkwana bake ubugqibele e Middelburg apo wafudukela kona uyise nge Mfazwe ye Zembe, 1846-47, apo afike asilahleke kona. Uti tapu kodwa sel'eminyaka ilishumi elinesihlanu ubudala ngo June, 1856, eze kufunda ekay' apa e Lovedale. Uhleli iminyaka emitandatu, wapuma ekufundeni ngo December 1862. Iminyaka emitatu ukususela apo uyicitele ekufundiseni e Mhlangeni (Balfour), isikolo sekolwane lika yise u Rev. W. R. THOMSON. Kute nge 1864, weza kutabata indawo yenye yetitshala zake, yokuba ngu Mfundisi no Mondli webuto lase Lovedale; londawo ke ib'iyeye titshala apa epape kunene, u Rev. ROBEBT TEMPLETON M.A., lo ngoku ufundisa kwe sama Ngesi e Rini. Umbali weli bali ke kaloku yena uqubisana no Mr. BENNIE ngo 24 July, 1866, ngokutunyelwa e Seminareni ese yimbutusana yenkwenkwana, nyakana kwangena o Rev. DANIEL GEZANI Iowa sesike sabalisa ngaye e Sigidimini. U Mr. BENNIE waye eselisoka ke eloxesha. Kute kodwa nge holide yase busika,—ngo July 1867— sabona ngabusuku butile, ngesidlo sangokuhlwa, namhla zishenxiselwa bucala inkobe, yanto yimbi itafile yemidaka : kwa mafuta, kwa zonka, kwa zikofu.—kanti koko siza kubulisa umtshakazi womfundisi wetu. Uye kuzeka kwelipezulu la Bahlambeli, esi sizwe ati ama Ngesi ngama Bechuana, u Miss MABY ASHTON, intombi yamazibulo ka Rev. Wm. ASHTON, omnye wabafundisi bokuqala be London Missionary Society pakati kwa Bahlambeli abo, eli libangwa ngama Bulu ase Transvaal ngoku. Ute kanti uziketele umncedisi okwa nje ngaye ukukutala, onobugcisa bokupata umzi, enjalo nje onobubele. Bavunyelwe ke ukuba basebenze kunye, leminyaka ilishumi linesibozo, bafumana intsikelelo enkulu emsebenzini wabo. Ushiywa ebuhlolokazini ke namhla, osel'eno nyanana ababini, u WILLIAM GOVAN,—osand' ukupumelela ngo April lo, engo sentloko kumakulu osixenxo (700) ayo yonke i Koloni, kuviwo Iwo Cape University School Elementary s umninawe wake ngu EDWARD ASHTON, OSE yinkwenkwana encinane keyena. Owamazibulo umntwana, oyintombazana, nantsiya yona inxulumene ngamacala imizimba yabo noyise, kodwa okwemipefumlo nabaya bebukana, bezidalwa ezitsha, ngo- vuyo oluhlambululekileyo kwela pezulu, nelapakade ikaya. Ukuba kuko indawo epauleke ngapezu kwezinye esimilweni sika Mr. BENNIE, luhlobo abezinikele ngalo emsebenzini we NKOSI yake, nase nkonzweni Yayo. Okwesiqu sake ebengazicingeli ni, nokuba kukusipina isimo sokuwupata lomsebenzi; evuma ukux'anyulwa nokuxamleka ngenxa yawo. Nje ngo yise simfumana evuma, ngapandle kokuti uyahlaziswa, uku ' Dubel'-udaka,' lokwaka indlu, njengokuba eb'ekwavuma ukufundisa incwadi, nokushumayela ivangeli. Simfumana, njengokuba owona msebenzi wake ebe yititshala nje, no mondli (Boarding-Master) wama Seminari, efanelwe sisihlalo sobongameli bomzi, nge xesha awatabata isikundla sika Dr. STEWART, oko u Gqira way'eye pesheya e Scotland nge 1874-75. Simfumana u Rulumente emnika iwonga lokuba ngu ' Mlamli | (lento ati ama Ngesi yi 'Justice of the Peace,') kwesi sitili sase Dikeni, ukuqubela kwelo xesba ade wawela ngalo ukuya Pesheya kwe Nciba. Simfumana ngo 1881 etunyelwa nomkake e Blythswood, ukuya kuncotula lomzi ekutshoneni eludakeni esingena kulucaza apa, xa kwakuse kute makata; wavuka, wapila lomzi kulo minyakana mibini babekona, nangani impilo yake yayise ibxekexwa, ukuze akululwe ngu Rev. JAMES MACLAREN, M.A., okona siteta nje. Ebuyile apo nge 1883, akatshongo ukuti,—Ndiyekeni ndipumle ngoku, kuba ndingena sifuba sokufundisa.— Hayi: akakucekisanga ukuba ngu mlimi nomkangeli wamasimi ase Lovedale, waqala elinye iqalo ukuvusa ilinga le 1872 lokuqeqesbwa kwabamnyama ebufameni. Okunene ke ate bukuqu nje nga kuqala amakowetu kwati kodwa ziyapela ezokuqala inyanga ezimbalwa babe sebe siti, ' E ! asimsebenzi lento! ngubani ongade ac'ite ixesba lake ngokuti ufunda ukulima? Yabe k'ona iyintoni na engafundwa kuko? ' Bate kwa oko pinzi, pinzi, ukuzimela abanye, nokulilahla elo lungelo abanye kusapo lwakowetu, befuna butyudeni bumbi. Wasala umnta'ka BENE, ewutwele ngokwake lomsebanzi ade aze kusishiya nje ngalo Mvulo we 8 ku June, 1885. E Lovedale u Mr. BENNIE uzalise iminyaka emashumi mabini, esebenza ekondweni lika yise, ngo nkutalo, ngo inonde, nonyamezelo olukulu, ukulupanda oluhlanga lwetu ebunyameni. Baninzi kusapo akade elunqaka apa e Lovedale abaya kuwanqina lamazwi ; nabaya kuyilanda ngovuyo imbali yake, ngokumazi into abe yiyo kubo. Ngo kwase Rementeni ub'engo Mdala wo bandla lo Free Church. Iveki yako yokugqibola emhlabeni, ayingebaliswe liyilo elinje ngati uhlobo lwayo. Ukuba besinga zibonelanga ngawetu amehlo, sazivola ngezetu indlebe, besingeze sikolwe ukuba hleliwenje lunje na uqayiso lom-Kristu pezu kokufa; nobunyaniso bala mazwi ati,—' Ebutatakeni ndiya kuqayisa ngamandla ako Tixo.' Yonke imini ye Cawa pambi kolu suku abube ngalo, uyigqibele ekubuliseni abafundisi naba fundisikazi balapa, izihlobo, nezicaka zake, elowo empakela ilizwi lemvuselelo, emshiya nesiyalo. Ingqondo yake ib'ibluzeke kakuhle, iyonke, kwada kwase kupeleni; ubuso bakazimla luvuyo nokucwayita. Izulu walityilelwa ngangokude avakale esiti, ' Andina kuluxela uyolo, nobumnandi bekaya endiya kulo; 'hleliwe nje lizwe linje na, 'hleliwe nje likaya linje na eli ndiya kulo? ' Kwezontlungu zomzimba umpefumlo ub'uxolile, wonwabile, 'de u MSINDISI weza kuwutabata ngokuzolileyo kusasa, emva kancinane kwexesha lesitoba lwalo mhla sesiwuxelile. Uncwatywe ngolwe Sibini, nge 9 ku June, 1885, e Alice, ecaleni lentombazana yake, nakufupi kwe lodade wabo incwaba. Ewe, nantso imizimba yabo ilele apo, kodwa bona nabaya bebukana kwelinye ikaya, benobunye ubuntu, ngobuzalwana obubodwa; 'yise, 'nina, 'bazukulwana kunye, badumisa, bezukisa, ngokuqaqambileyo ezulwini i NKOSI yabo ebenzele okungaka simfikele ngobunxamo, kuba ugule intsuku ezilishumi kupela. Yindodana eyafunda apa e Lovedale, nakuba apo yaqalela kona kukwesa kwa Wezo. Ungene e Lovedale ngo July, 1878, wapuma ngo December, 1881; wasel'eya kufundisa ekaya, e Bofolo, leminyaka ifikelele namhla esihlanwini. Ub'esand'ukuzeka, engekabi nawo nonyaka, intombi yakwase Bofolo, ayishiya namhla ingumhlolokazi. Kulencwadi kodwa siyitunyelwa ngu yise, sinovuyo ukubona ukuba ngomnye wabate balumka uku ' Kumbula u Mdali wake ngemini zobutsha; wazilungiselela ukuhla- ngana Naye.' Kuko lento abe nako ukulivuma elo culo lama 55 liti:— ' Kangelani nizibone Izibele ezingaka, Ezityilwe ngu Msindisi