UKhanyisa noNthuseng baya ekhaya nababuya esikolweni.Ilanga lalitjhisa bhe! Lokha nabadlula esibhedlela, babona kungcono bahlale phasi baphumule emthunzini wesitopo sebhesi ngaphandle kwalapha kungenwa khona.Isibhedlela leso sibizwa ngokuthiwa yiCharlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital.

“Akhese utjho, uthi uyazi bona kwakungubani uCharlotte Maxeke, nokobana kubayini isibhedlela lesi sitheyelelwe ngaye?” uKhanyisa ubuza umngani wakhe.“Nalokha ngidlule lapha amahlandla amanengi, akhange khese ngicabange ngalokho bekube nje,” kuphendula uNthuseng.

Kunomfundi ozidlulelako lokha abantazana laba basacoca. Yena ufundela amaSayensi wezamaPhilo eYunivesithi yeWitwatersrand.“Nginganitjela bona kwakungubani uCharlotte Maxeke!” kutjho uBusisiwe omfundi.

“UCharlotte Makgomo Mannya wabelethwa ngeminyaka yabo-1870,” kuthoma uBusisiwe.“Yo, pheze iminyaka eli-150 eyadlulako!” kukhuza uKhanyisa.“Iye, begodu kunemininingwana ehlukahlukeneko etjhoko bona uCharlotte wabelethwa nini nokobana wabelethelwa kuphi. Abanye bathi wabelethelwa e-Eastern Cape, abanye bathi wabelethelwa eLimpopo,” kuraga uBusisiwe.

“UCharlotte waya esikolweni samamitjhinari, lapha akhamba khona phambili kumagreyidi wakhe. Wabe asebenza kuhle khulu eemfundweni zamalimi neemfundweni zeemBalo. Wabe akghona ukutlola ngelimi lesiXhosa, isiDutch kanye ne-English.”“UCharlotte waqeda iimfundo zakhe zesekhondari msinya khulu kunabanye abantwana,” kutjho uBusi adosa ummoya.“Wu! Wabe anetjhudu uCharlotte!” kutjho uNthuseng.“Wu! Wabe ahlakaniphile uCharlotte,” kutjho uKhanyisa.

“UCharlotte wabe ahlakaniphe khulu. Ngaphezulu kwalokho wabe avuma godu nangephimbo elimnandi,” kutjho uBusisiwe.“Ngemva kokutholakala kwamadayimani eSewula Afrika, umndeni kaCharlotte wafudukela eKimberley, ngeNorthern Cape.Wasebenza njengotitjhere begodu wavuma nekhwaya i-African Jubilee Choir.

“UCharlotte wakhamba nekhwaya i-African Jubilee Choir waya e-England. Bafika bavumela iimbukeli eziqakathekileko eLondon, ngemuva kwalokho bathatha ikhambo baya e-Amerika,” kuraga uBusisiwe.“UCharlotte wathola umfundalize ukobana ayokufunda eYunivesithi i-Wilberforce e-Amerika. Kwabe kuyiyunivesithi yokuthoma ehlelwe ma-Amerika ama-Afrika.”

“Lokha nakafundako uCharlotte waba majadu kwezepolotiki. Waya lapha kwakukhulunywa khona ngamalungelo wabomma. Wabe afunda nesifundiswa esiqakatheke khulu se-Pan-Africanist esingu- W.E Du Bois. Wabe amajadu nesondweni lakhe.Eyunivesithi ye-Wilberfoce, uCharlotte wahlangana nonakwakhe, uMarshall Maxeke.”

“UCharlotte noMarshall babuyela eSewula Afrika ukobana basebenze njengamamitjhinari. Bebafuna ukuqinisekisa bona boke abantwana bathola ifundo elinganako.Isondo labasiza ukobana bavule isikolo eJohannesburg ukobana kufunde abantwana abanzima bamaSewula Afrika. Bathiya isikolo leso ibizo elithi Wilberforce Institute.”

“UCharlotte watjheja iindaba zomphakathi ezithinta abomma babantu abanzima. Kodwana wabe abandakanyeka godu emajimeni wabomma beenhlanga zoke.Wasiza ukuhlela imitjhagalo elwisana nemithetho yebandlululo. Wabe azibandakanya emitjhagalweni yabasebenzi.Wabe amdosiphambili wesondo, angutitjhere, amtloli begodu amtjhotjhozeli. Wabe ayikutani yamambala!”

UBusisiwe uphetha ngokuthi, “Ngafunda ngoCharlotte Maxeke ngombana ngize esibhedlela lesi! Sabe sibizwa ngokuthiwa yiJohannesburg Hospital. Kodwana satjhugululwa sathiywa ibizo elitjha kwathiwa yiCharlotte Maxeke ngomnyaka we-2008.”“Ungumma oqakathekileko emlandweni!” kutjho uKhanyisa.“Kufanele basifundise ngaye esikolweni!” kutjho uNthuseng.

UBusisiwe uvumelana nabantazana laba ngemva kwalokho uyalayelisa, “Nisale kuhle, kufanele ngiye etlasini okwanje.”“Siyathokoza ukobana wabelane nathi ngelwazi elingaka! Sizakuhlala simkhumbula njalo uMemu uCharlotte, Dorh. Maxeke,” kutjho uKhanyisa.“Ungakhohlwa, abomma babantu abanzima banamandla! Sesizakubonana eyunivesithi!” kutjho uBusisiwe.