UDon Mattera wayexoxa izingwanekwane.
Izingwanekwane ayezixoxa kwesinye isikhathi wayeziveza ngezinkondlo zakhe, imidlalo yakhe yasesiteji noma izingxoxo zakhe zansuku zonke ezijabulisayo. Lezi zinganekwane zazimayelana nempilo emangalisayo ayeyiphila kanye nezwe elinobudlova, ayize wayekhona ukubona lonke ushintsho olwenzeka.
UDon wayengumzukulu kalowo odabuka e-Italy uPaolo Mattera owashada nowesifazane ongumxhosa wase-Eastern Cape nendlela abegqoka ngayo izingubo eziwubukhazikhazi ibibonisa usiko lwakhe nendlela akhuliswe ngayo.
Wazalelwa endaweni ngaleso sikhathi eyayaziwa ngokuthi idolobha lase-Western Native, kodwa manje sekuyindawo egcwele amakhaladi ebizwa nge-Westbury eGoli. Wakhulela e-Sophiatown ilokishi elinomsindo elaba isizinda sempilo yamasiko abantu abamnyama bakuleli ngaphambi kokuba lihlukunyezwe ngonya nguhulumeni weqembu elalibusa ngeminyaka yango-1950.
Ngesikhathi ekhula wajoyina futhi wahola iqembu lezigelekeqe elalibizwa ngokuthi ama-Vulture, futhi izikhathi eziningi wayesinda ngokulambisa njengoba wayegwazwa edutshulwa ezimpini zamaqembu ezigelekeqe. Konke lokhu kubalulwe encwadini yakhe ehlonishwa umhlaba wonke ethi-Memory is the Weapon.
Uphinde walandisa ngendlela aboshwa ngayo wabekwa icala lokubulala ilungu leqembu lezigelekeqe elaliqhudelana nezimbangi zakhe, wabhekana nesiphetho esibi ejele ngesikhathi sobandlululo ngaphambi kokuba akhululwe.
Ukuguquka kukaMattera abe isishoshovu sezepolitiki kwaqala ngesikhathi senhlangano yezinhlanga ezehlukene ezazivimba ukucekelwa phansi kukahulumeni e-Sophiatown. Wajoyina i-African National Congress Youth League futhi wakwazi ukulwa noNelson Mandela kanye nabanye emkhankasweni owawumelene nobandlululo.
Ngemuva kokubhidliza i-Sophiatown umbuso wobandlululo wabiza indawo entsha yabamhlophe ngokuthi ise-Triomf (i-Triumph).
Kamuva uDon wahlukana ne-ANC wangena kwezombusazwe kwinhlangano ebilwela abantu abamnyama kodwa wayehlale ephikisana nokuhlukana kwamaqembu.
Uhulumeni wobandlululo wambopha phakathi kuka-1973 no-1982 futhi wachitha iminyaka emithathu eboshelwe endlini.
Ngaphandle komsebenzi wakhe ekusunguleni izinhlangano ezifana ne-Union of Black Journalists uDon wayethanda ukufundisa nokwabelana ngobuhlakani kwakhe.
U-Irwin Manoim umsunguli we-Weekly Mail uchaze ukuthi kwakunjani ukusebenza naye.
“Eneminyaka ephindwe kabili kunabasebenzi uDon ubehlonishwa njengomakadebona womzabalazo, owaba isigelekeqe esemusha waphenduka isishoshovu, okwakungaqondakali ngenxa yemuva lakhe okwenza abenesithunzi,” kusho uManoim.
“Ube yisakhamuzi esihlala kulo msebenzi wokuqeqesha izintatheli, nokuthuthukiswa kwentsha okungenye yezinto abezithanda kakhulu. Ngesikhathi sokuhlukana kwezombusazwe wema ngaphezu kwengxabano engahluleli eveza amaphuzu akhe kancane kancane ngezwi elingakaze liphakanyiswe isakhamuzi esikhulile futhi esingumakadebona. “
Nakuba uDon ubesegule isikhashana, kodwa ukushona kwakhe kwethuse abaningi njengoba ngazo zonke izikhathi ubehlezi enomoya okhululekile nogcwele injabulo.
Indodana yakhe endala uGreg Mattera ithe uyise ushone ngokuthula emzini wakhe ose-Protea Glen emasontweni ambalwa ephumile esibhedlela e-One Military ePitoli.
UDon udlule emhlabeni ngosuku lukaMandela, nokuyinto efanelekile uma kubhekwa ukuthi wayeyiqabane eliseduze nalowo owayenguMengameli ngaphambilini nangemuva kokuboshwa ngonyaka ka-1960.
UMattera uthole imiklomelo eminingi yokubhala kanye nokuhlonishwa okuhlukahlukene ngomsebenzi wakhe wokusiza abantu kanye nempilo ende yezinto azifezile.
Kodwa esinye sezikhathi zakhe ezinkulu kwaba ngunyaka ka-2006 ebona igama elithi-Sophiatown livuswa futhi i-Triomf isuswa njengesinye sezitatimende ezinamandla kakhulu zohlelo olusha lwentando yeningi.