Toby Shapshak
Bekuwusuku olunzima kakhulu lukaNcibijana emlandweni wentando yeningi eNingizimu Afrika njengoba uMbhishobhi omkhulu u-Emeritus Desmond Tutu ebebekwa endaweni yakhe yokugcina.
Inkonzo yakhe ibibanjelwe e-St George’s Cathedral, lapho ayengumbhishobhi khona iminyaka eyishumi, kukhunjulwa ubuqhawe bakhe bokuba isishoshovu samalungelo abantu kanye nesishoshovu esilwa nobandlululo.
“Akazange ayeke ukulwa, ukukhuluma kanye nokukhathalela abantu,” kusho uMengameli uCyril Ramaphosa kwinkulumo yakhe. “Nakuba uMnu uNelson Mandela ongasekho wayengubaba wesizwe, uMbhishobhi uTutu ubengubaba wesizwe oneziyalo nesithunzi esikhulu.”
Uphinde wathi uTutu “ube ngumhlahlandlela wethu wokuziphatha kanye nonembeza wesizwe” uphinde abe indoda eyasungula igama lobumbano lesizwe, elithi-Rainbow Nation.
“Phakathi kwethu esisadla anhlamvana, bayingcosana kuphela abaphila impilo efinyelela ekutheni bashiye isithunzi esihle emhlabeni jikelele. Esikhathini esiphila kuso manje ukuba nesithunzi kuhlotshaniswa nokuba usaziwayo kanye nodumo ezinkundleni zokuxhumana.
“Ngokungangabazeki umbhishobhi esimphelezela endaweni yakhe yokugcina ubewumuntu onesimilo, ozithobile, noseshintshe izimpilo zabantu abaningi.”
Njengesifiso sakhe emngcwabeni bebungekho ubukhazikhazi. Ibhokisi lakhe belakhiwe ngamapulangwe ajwayelekile.
Isidumbu sakhe sishisiwe, kanti umlotha wakhe uzogqitshwa endlini enkulu lapho ayethula khona izintshumayelo eziningi ezazimelene nobubi bobandlululo.
Ezinye izicukuthwane ebezikhona kubalwa owayenguMengameli wezwe uThabo Mbeki noKgalema Motlanthe, iJaji uRaymond Zondo, iPhini likaMengameli uDavid Mabuza, uCheryl Carolus, uPatrice Motsepe, noNdlunkulu uMabel van Oranje wase-Netherlands.
Izinkulungwane zabantu zithole ithuba lokugcina lokuvalelisa ngoLwesine nangoLwesihlanu lapho isidumbu sikaTutu ebesibekwe khona eSt Georges Cathedral.
Owangena esikhundleni sakhe, umbhishobhi omkhulu waseSheshi uThabo Makgoba, usenxuse ukuba isikhumulo sezindiza saseKapa siqanjwe kabusha ngegama likaTutu.