Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela yavukiye ku itariki ya 18 Nyakanga 1918, mu mudugudu wa Mvezo muri Umtata, icyo gihe wari mu Ntara ya Cape muri Afurika y’Epfo. Yahawe izina Rolihlahla, ijambo ry’igi-Xhosa risobanura mu buryo busanzwe “umuntu ukunda guteza ikibazo”, kandi nyuma y’imyaka yakundaga kwitwa izina ry’umuryango we, Madiba. Sekuruza we, Ngubengcuka, yari umwami w’Ubwami bwa Thembu mu Ntara ya Transkei mu Ntara y’Uburasirazuba ya Afurika y’Epfo y’ubu. Umwe mu bana ba Ngubengcuka, witwaga Mandela, yari sekuru wa Nelson akaba ari we watanze izina ry’umuryango we. Kubera ko Mandela yari umwana w’umwami n’umugore w’aba-Ixhiba, “Left-Hand House”, abavuka muri urwo rugo ntibari bemerewe gusimbura ku ngoma, ariko baremerwaga nk’abajyanama b’umuco b’igihe cyose mu muryango w’ubwami.

Se wa Mandela, Gadla Henry Mphakanyiswa Mandela, yari umuyobozi w’aho ndetse n’umujyanama w’umwami; yagizwe kuri uwo mwanya mu 1915, nyuma y’uko uwari kuri uwo mwanya ashinjwe ruswa n’umucamanza w’umuzungu. Mu 1926, Gadla yakuweho ashinjwe ruswa, ariko Mandela yabwiwe ko se yakuwe ku kazi kubera kwanga ibisabwa bidakwiye n’umucamanza. Gadla yari umukirisitu gakondo usenga Imana Qamata, akaba n’umupoligame, afite abagore bane, abana b’abahungu bane n’abakobwa icyenda babaga mu midugudu itandukanye. Mama wa Nelson yari umugore wa gatatu wa Gadla, Nosekeni Fanny, umukobwa wa Nkedama w’umuryango w’aba-Right Hand House, akaba n’umunyamuryango w’ubwoko bwa amaMpemvu mu baXhosa.

“Nta muntu wo mu muryango wanjye wari warigeze ajya ku ishuri... Ku munsi wa mbere w’ishuri, mwarimu wanjye, Madamu Mdingane, yahaye buri mwana izina ry’icyongereza. Icyo cyari ikintu gisanzwe mu banyafurika icyo gihe, bitewe n’uburyo bw’Abongereza bwo kwigisha. Uwo munsi, Madamu Mdingane yabwiye ko izina ryanjye rishya ari Nelson. Impamvu yahisemo iryo zina, sinzi.”

— Mandela, 1994

Mandela yaje kuvuga ko ubuzima bwe bwo mu bwana bwari buyobowe n’umuco gakondo w’abaXhosa n’amabwiriza yawo. Yakuriye hamwe n’abavandimwe be babiri mu rugo rwa nyina mu mudugudu wa Qunu, aho yoroye inka nka pasiteri w’amatungo kandi akina n’abandi bahungu hanze. Bombi ababyeyi be bari batazi gusoma cyangwa kwandika, ariko nyina, wari umukirisitu ukomeye, yamwohereje mu ishuri rya Metodiste ryaho igihe yari afite imyaka igera kuri irindwi. Yabatijwe nk’Umwe mu idini rya Metodiste, Mandela yaherewe izina ry’icyongereza “Nelson” n’umwarimu we. Mandela yari afite imyaka nka cyenda ubwo se yaje kuba i Qunu, ariko aza gupfa azize indwara itamenyekanye Mandela yizeraga ko ari indwara y’uruhu rw’imbere (imyanya y’ubuhumekero). Yumvise ameze nk’utakiriho, maze avuga ko yasigiwe “ubwigomeke bw’ishema” n’“ubutabera butagibwaho impaka” bya se.

Nyina wa Mandela yamujyanye mu “Ngoro Nkuru” i Mqhekezweni, aho yashyikirijwe uburere bwa Jongintaba Dalindyebo, umusimbura w’umwami w’abaThembu. Nubwo atongeye kubona nyina mu myaka myinshi, Mandela yumvaga Jongintaba n’umugore we Noengland bamufashe nk’umwana wabo, bakamurerana n’abana babo. Kuba yarajyaga mu rusengero buri Cyumweru hamwe n’abamureraga, byatumye ubutumwa bwa gikirisitu bugira uruhare rukomeye mu buzima bwe. Yize mu ishuri rya Metodiste ryari hafi y’iyo ngoro, aho yigaga Icyongereza, Xhosa, amateka n’ubumenyi bw’isi. Yakunze cyane amateka y’Afurika, yumva inkuru zatangwaga n’abasaza basuraga urugo, kandi agaterwa ingaruka n’imvugo yo kurwanya abakoroni yatanzwe n’umwe mu bakomeye, Chief Joyi. Nubwo bimeze bityo, icyo gihe yabonaga abazungu b’Abanyaburayi atari nk’abakandamiza, ahubwo nk’abazanye inyungu z’amasomo n’ibindi byiza muri Afurika y’Epfo.

Afite imyaka 16, Mandela, murumuna we Justice n’abandi bahungu benshi bajyanye i Tyhalarha gukora umuhango wa ulwaluko wo gukebwa, wari ugaragaza inzira iva ku busore igana ku bugabo; nyuma yaho yahawe izina rya Dalibunga.