INyuvesi yaKwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) iqoke uSolwazi uNompumelelo Zondi njengoSihlalo Wocwaningo iMazisi Kunene Research Chair eSikoleni SezobuCiko – okuwumlando obalulekile eKolishi LezeSintu kanye nasekukhuliseni ucwaningo olugxile e-Afrika.
Ngo-2026, le Nyuvesi igubha iminyaka engu-20 kwashona uSolwazi Mazisi Kunene, imbongi yesizwe yaseNingizimu Afrika kanye nomunye wabacwaningi abahlonishwayo emibhalweni yesiZulu nasemasikweni okuhlakanipha ase-Afrika. Lesi sikhundla sihlonipha ifa lakhe ngesikhathi siqhubekisela phambili ucwaningo olugxile olimini, emlandweni wesintu nasekubambisaneni nomphakathi.
USolwazi Zondi uthe ukuqokwa kwakhe kule ndima kubalulekile kakhulu kuye nangokwesikhungo.
“Ukuqokwa kwami njengoSihlalo Wocwaningo iMazisi Kunene Research Chair eKolishi LezeSintu eNyuvesi yaKwaZulu-Natal kuyilungelo elikhulu futhi kuwumthwalo omkhulu,” kusho yena. “Ikakhulukazi njengoba sigubha iminyaka engu-20 selokhu kwashona uMazisi Kunene.”
USolwazi Zondi ungomunye wabafundi asebechithe isikhathi eside e-UKZN, njengoba aqedela zonke izifundo zakhe zeziqu zokuqala nezeziqu eziphakeme kule Nyuvesi ngaphambi kokwakha umsebenzi ovelele kwezemfundo.
Iqhaza likaSolwazi Kunene emibhalweni yase-Afrika nasekuthuthukiseni izifundo zolimi liseyingxenye ebalulekile yombono wale Research Chair.
UKunene, owayeyimbongi, isazi kanye nongqondongqondo, umsebenzi wakhe wawugxile kakhulu emlandweni wase-Afrika nasezinkambisweni zomlomo. Waba negalelo elikhulu ekuqwashiseni umhlaba ngobunzulu nangobuhlakani bezifundo zolimi lwase-Afrika. Ngemuva kweminyaka esephesheya ngenxa yobandlululo, wabuyela ukuzofundisa eNyuvesi yaseNatali, manje eyi-UKZN, waqinisa indawo yale Nyuvesi ekuthuthukiseni izifundo zemibhalo yase-Afrika.
I-Mazisi Kunene Research Chair yakhelwe phezu kwalelo fa ngokweseka ucwaningo lwezilimi zase-Afrika, ulwazi lomdabu, imibhalo kanye nezifundo zezeSintu ezihlanganisa imikhakha ehlukene. Iphinde ibonise ubudlelwano obuqhubekayo phakathi kweKolishi LezeSintu kanye neMazisi Kunene Foundation obuhlose ukulondoloza imibhalo yakhe nokwandisa ukufinyelela emsebenzini wakhe.
USolwazi Zondi uthe umbono wobuhlakani bukaKunene uzoqhubeka nokuba yisikhuthazo.
“Umsebenzi wakhe wobuhlakani nowobuciko wawuphawulwa ukuzinikela okukhulu kwezobulungiswa emphakathini, ukugubha amasiko ase-Afrika kanye nokuhlanganisa izindlela zobuciko bendabuko nezanamuhla,” kusho yena.
Uveze ukuxoxwa kwezindaba, ubuwena besintu, ukusungulwa kwezindlela ezintsha zolimi kanye nokubandakanyeka komphakathi njengezinto ezizoba yisisekelo somsebenzi wakhe kulesi sikhundla.
“Ngihlose ukuthatha ugqozi kulezi zingxenye zomsebenzi wakhe ukuze ngiqhubekisele phambili ucwaningo nemisebenzi yobuciko ekhuthaza futhi iphakamise amazwi nezindaba zabantu abavamise ukunganakwa.”
“Ngokwakhela phezu kwefa likaMazisi Kunene, ngihlose ukuqhuba ucwaningo olunomthelela, imisebenzi yobuciko kanye nokubambisana nomphakathi okuzophakamisa iSikole SezobuCiko kanye neKolishi LezeSintu.”
Ingxenye enkulu yomsebenzi kaSolwazi Zondi ibe ukuhlola ubudlelwano phakathi kwezilimi zase-Afrika, imibhalo kanye nobulili. Uthe uhlose ukuqhubekisela phambili lolu cwaningo ngalolu hlelo.
“Ngizobe ngihlola izindlela ezintsha zocwaningo ezigqamisa ukuhlangana phakathi kwezilimi zase-Afrika, imibhalo kanye nobulili, kugxilwe endleleni lokhu okusiza ngayo ukuqonda ubuwena, amasiko kanye namandla emphakathini,” kusho yena.
Uphinde wagcizelela ukubaluleka kokuqinisa indawo yezilimi zomdabu emfundweni ephakeme.
Uthe isinqumo se-UKZN sokwenza ukufundwa kolimi lwesiZulu kube yimpoqo kubafundi beziqu zokuqala sibonisa ukuzibophezela kweNyuvesi ekuthuthukiseni ulwazi lomdabu kanye nokuhlukahluka kwezilimi eNingizimu Afrika.
USolwazi Nobuhle Hlongwa, oyiNhloko kanye neDini yeSikole SezobuCiko e-UKZN, usamukele ukuqokwa kukaZondi, ethi kuyisinyathelo esibalulekile ekuthuthukiseni izilimi zase-Afrika kanye namasiko obuhlakani emfundweni ephakeme.
“Ukusungulwa kweMazisi Kunene Chair kuyinto enencazelo enkulu futhi ebalulekile ngokwamasu,” kusho uHlongwa. “Kuqinisekisa ukuzibophezela kwesikhungo ekubekeni phambili amasiko obuhlakani base-Afrika emkhakheni wezemfundo.”
Uthe lesi sinyathelo siqinisa indawo yeNyuvesi njengomholi ekuthuthukiseni ucwaningo lwase-Afrika ngesikhathi kuhlonishwa ifa likaMazisi Kunene, umsebenzi wakhe osalokhu uyisisekelo emibhalweni yase-Afrika.
Ingxenye ebalulekile yalo Sihlalo Wocwaningo kuzoba ukuthuthukisa isiZulu njengolimi lwezifundo. UHlongwa uthe lokhu kuzobandakanya ukukhiqizwa kwemisebenzi yezemfundo esezingeni eliphezulu ngesiZulu, ukuqondisa abafundi beziqu eziphakeme kanye nokwakha uhlelo lwezifundo olukhombisa ulwazi lomdabu.
Lolu hlelo kulindeleke ukuthi luphinde lukhuthaze ukubambisana phakathi kwemikhakha ehlukene yezifundo.
Ukusungulwa kweMazisi Kunene Academic Chair kuphinde kwamukelwa yiMazisi Kunene Foundation (MKF).
Usihlalo we-MKF, uMnu Andries Botha, uthe lokhu kuwumphumela wobudlelwano obudala phakathi kweMKF ne-UKZN obekunesikhathi eside buhlelwa. Uthe lesi sikhundla siyisinyathelo esikhulu ekuvikeleni nasekuqhubekiseni phambili ifa lobuhlakani lembongi engasekho.
