Lungani Zungu
UKebby Emmanuel Maphatsoe wajoyina umzabalazo wokulwa nobandlululo esemncane, futhi nokulahlekelwa yingalo ekudingisweni kwakungeke kumvimbe ekunikeleni ngempilo yakhe emzabalazweni wezepolitiki.
UMaphatsoe oneminyaka engama-59, ushone ngoLwesibili ngemuva kokugula – eqeda uhambo lwakhe emlandweni womzabalazo osudonse amashumi eminyaka.
UMaphatsoe waqala umsebenzi wakhe wezepolitiki e-Soweto – lapho ahola khona i-Congress of South African Students, i-Soweto Youth Congress futhi kamuva wahola i-South African Youth Congress ngowe-1970.
Impi yakhe kwakuwukubona ukulingana phakathi kwabantu bonke baseNingizimu Afrika, kungakhathalekile ukuthi ungowaluphi uhlanga, futhi akazange ame lapho iNingizimu Afrika yangena entandweni yeningi ngowezi-1994.
Ngeminyaka yama-1980, uMaphatsoe wajoyina uphiko oluhlomile lwe-ANC, uMkhonto weSizwe, kwathi ngokuhamba kwesikhathi waya e-Russia eyoqeqeshelwa ukuba isosha.
Ngaphambi kwalokhu, wawela amazwe amaningi ase-Afrika, kubandakanya i-Angola ne-Uganda, lapho alahlekelwa khona yingalo ngemuva kokudutshulwa ngowe-1991.
Ezingxoxweni ezedlule, uthe wadutshulwa neqembu lamaqabane ekhempini ye-ANC ngenkathi eqa eNingizimu Afrika.
Ubudlelwano bakhe nalowo owayenguMengameli wezwe uJacob Zuma – owayeyinhloko yezobunhloli ku-ANC ngaleso sikhathi – bungabhekwa kusukela ngesikhathi sakhe e-Angola nase-Uganda.
UMaphatsoe ubengomunye wezishoshovu zenkululeko ababuyela ezweni bebuya ekudingisweni ngaphambi kokhetho olwaba yingqophamlando ngowe-1994.
Kodwa umehluko ophawulekayo phakathi kwakhe nabanye ababelwela inkululeko kwakungukuthi wayengumuntu onentshisekelo kakhulu.
“Ngesikhathi ethola intando yeningi ngowe-1994, wazitshela ukuthi ukulahlekelwa yingalo kwakungelona ize,” wake wacashunwa esho kanjalo ephephandabeni le-ANC.
Kusukela ngonyaka wezi-1994, wakhuphuka waba nguMengameli weMkhonto weSizwe Military Veterans Association kwaze kwaba ukuthi i-ANC ihlakaza le nhlangano ngoNhlangulana.
UMaphatsoe akazange alinge ukuphikisa lesi sinqumo, ngenkathi abantu abanjengoCarl Niehaus besilwisa ngokusobala.
Lokhu kwamxabanisa nabalingani bakhe. Baphenduka izitha zakhe bamsola ngokuthi ubathengisa empini yomphefumulo we-ANC phakathi kwamaqembu kaZuma noMengameli uCyril Ramaphosa.
UMaphatsoe uphinde wasebenza njengePhini likaNgqongqoshe Wezokuvikela namasosha angomakadebona ezempi kusukela ngowezi-2014 kuya kowezi-2019.
Ushiya ngemuva unkosikazi wakhe, uLerato, nezingane zabo.