"Ngano Dzedu Inhaka Yedu" by Tendai Machingaidze

Mugore ra2001, ndakashamisika pendakafonerwa naSr. Gundula, mukuru wechikoro chinonzi Dominican Convent High School muHarare. Vanga vachida kuti ndiuye kuzodzidzisa Shona. Inini? Kudzidzisa Shona?

Ndakakurira muHarare, kunonzi kuBorrowdale. Mumba medu maitaurwa Shona nechirungu. Shamwari dzangu dzaiva dzemarudzi akasiyana siyana. Paiuya shamwari dzangu dzisingatauri Shona kuzotamba pamba pedu, vainzwa tichiseka neShona vobvunza kuti murikusekei? Ndichiri mudiki, ndakakurumidza kunzwisisa kuti chinhu chinosekesa chataurwa neShona, pamwe hachisekesi kana chataurwa nechirungu. Mazwi anogona kureva zvakafanana muchirungu neShona, asi panosara kamwe kakunzwisisa kasingagoni kutsanangurwa kune munhu asingatauri Shona. 

Ndinorangarira zuva rangu rekutanga semudzidzisi weShona paDominican Convent. Ndanga ndichidzidzisa vana vegore rekutanga nerechipiri, vakasangana vemarudzi akasiyana. Ndakanetsekana nezvakawanda. Ndaizvibvunza kuti ndinodzidzisa Shona sei kune vana vatema vakakura vachitaura Shona, nevarungu vasingatauri Shona, vese vakasangana? Ndinodzidzisa Shona sei ndichitaura navo nechirungu? Zvinyi zvendingavadzidzisa kuti vaone kuti Shona inonakidza, uye kuti chirudzi chedu chine mirairo yakawanda inogona kuzovabatsira muupenyu hwavo?

Sezvaidikanwa nechikoro, ndakadzidzisa kuverenga nekunyora, tsumo nemadimikira, nenyaudzosingwi. Asi kuneni, izvi zvanga zvisina kukwana. Ndanga ndichida kuvadzidzisa tsika nemagariro. Ndakakumbira mukuru wechikoro kuti musi veChishanu vega vega ndigone kuratidza zvidimbu zvefirimu rinonze Neria kune vana vendaidzidzisa. Iri firimu Neria rakaita mbiri nekuda kwomushakabvu Oliver Mtukudzi waiva mukuru nemuimbi murungano urwu. Taiti tikaona chidimbu chimwe, tobva tambotaura pamusoro pezvataona, tichibvunzana nekudaira mibvunzo.

Ndakashamisika kuona kuti pane zvese zvendakadzidzisa munguva yangu paDominican Convent, zvidzidzo zvakanatsa kunzwisisiswa nevana vangu, uye kuvanakidza, zvanga zviri pamusoro perondedzero rweupenyu hwaNeria, mukadzi akafirwa momurume wake. Neria ifirimu rinobudisa nyaya dzakawanda dzemhuri, wanano, kufirwa, kugarwa nhaka, upenyu hwemudhorobha, neupenyu hwekuruzevha. Ndakafara kuona vana vechirungu vachibvunza mibvunzo yakawanda kuda kunzwisisa kuti mhuri dzavo dzakasiyana nedzeshamwari dzavo sei. Ndakadada kuona vana vechitema vachitsanangura mhuri dzavo nemagariro avo echishona. Ndakaseka kunzwa vatema nevarungu vachiimba “Usawore moyo kaNeria, Mwari aneve,” vese vachinakidzwa nezvevanga vachidzidza.

Ngano dzedu - dzakanyorwa, dziri mumafirimu, nedziri munziyo - inhaka yedu. Tikasarondedzera kuti tisu vana ani, nemazwi edu, vamwe vanhu havambofi vakaziva kuti tiri vanhu vane tsika dzakapfuma nemagariro akakosha. Tikasashandisa mazwi edu kutaurira nyika kuti upenyu hwedu hunonakidza uye kuti hwakakodzera, ticharamba tingori vanhu vanotsanangurwa mumabhuku nevanhu vasinganatsi kutinzwisisa. Ini namai vangu, Ellen Machingaidze, takatanga Mosi oa Tunya Review kuti tipe vanyori vemuZimbabwe nevemuAfrica nzvimbo itsva yekurondedzera ngano dzavo. Tinoda kuti nhaka yedu yengano dzedu ichengetedzwe, uye kuti ionekwe nevanhu vemamwe marudzi kuti yakakosha. Tinogamuchira vanyori kuti vabatane nesu mukurondedzera ngano dzedu, muchirungu, nemumitauro yedu yemuZimbabwe.