ISISWAHILI lulwimi oluthethwa ngabantu abangaphezulu kwe-100 lezigidi kumazwe ali-12 kumbindi nakwimpuma yeAfrika. * Kumazwe afana neKenya, iTanzania neUganda, lulwimi olusemthethweni okanye lwesizwe. Ukongezelela, kumazwe angabamelwane kuthethwa kwa olu lwimi, nto leyo eyenza kube lula ngabantu abavela kwiindawo ngeendawo ukushishina nokunxibelelana.

Siye sanendima ebalulekileyo ekwenzeni abantu baseMpuma Afrika babe yimbumba yamanyama. Ngokomzekelo, eTanzania kuphela, kuthethwa iilwimi zomthonyama ezi-114. Khawube nombono uhamba iikhilomitha ezingama-40 ukuya kwezingama-80 ukusuka ekhayeni lakho uze udibane nabantu abathetha ulwimi olwahluke kwaphela kolwakho. Kwezinye iimeko bonke abantu odibana nabo abathetha olunye ulwimi bahlala kwiilali ezincinane. Ubuya kuthetha njani nabo? Akukho nzima ukubona isizathu sokuba kufanelekile ukuba nolwimi oluthethwa ngabo bonke abantu.

Bambi bakholelwa ukuba isiSwahili saqala ukuthethwa ukususela ngenkulungwane yeshumi. Saza saqaliswa ukubhalwa  ngenkulungwane ye-16. Abo baye bafunda ukuthetha isiSwahili baye bafumanisa ukuba sibuyelelana kwisiArabhu. Eneneni, amagama angama-20 ekhulwini akwisiSwahili ngawesiArabhu, aze onke amanye abe ngawaseAfrika. Yiyo lo nto eyenza isiSwahili sibhalwe njengesiArabhu kangangamakhulu eminyaka.

Namhlanje, isiSwahili sibhalwa ngonoobumba besiRoma. Kwenzeka njani oko? Kwakutheni ukuze kwenziwe olo tshintsho? Impendulo singayifumana xa sinokubuyela emva phaya ngenkulungwane ye-19, ekufikeni kwabavangeli base Yurophu eMpuma Afrika, bezokushumayela kubemi bomthonyama.

Ukudlula kukaVasco da Gama eAfrika ngo-1499, amaPhuthukezi akha imishini eZanzibar ukuze aguqule abantu babe ngamaKatolika. Noko ke, kuthe kungaphelanga neminyaka engama-200, amaPhuthukezi “nobuKristu” ayeze nabo babhukuqwa ngabantu basekuhlaleni.

Kwakuza kudlula eminye iminyaka eli-150 ngaphambi kokuba iLizwi likaThixo lifike eMpuma Afrika. Kodwa ngoku laliza kuza nomvangeli ongumJamani, uJohann Ludwig Krapf. Ukufika kwakhe eMombasa, eKenya, ngo-1844, kwakutshatshele unqulo lobuSilamsi kummandla ogudle unxweme leMpuma Afrika, ngoxa xa usiya ungena elizweni abantu bakholelwa kwizinyanya. Lo kaKrapf wayekholelwa ukuba iBhayibhile ifanele ifumaneke kuye wonke ubani.

Akazange alibazise ukuqalisa ukufunda ulwimi lesiSwahili. Engalibazisanga, ekufikeni kwakhe ngoJuni 1844, lo kaKrapf waqalisa iphulo elinzima lokuguqulela iBhayibhile. Okubuhlungu, kukuba kwiinyanga nje ezimbini eqalile wabhujelwa ngumfazi beneminyaka nje emibini betshatile, kwaza emva kweentsuku ezimbini kwatshona imveku yabo. Intliziyo ilihlwili injalo, uKrapf waqhubeka naloo msebenzi ubalulekileyo wokuguqulela iBhayibhile. Ngo-1847, izahluko ezithathu zokuqala zencwadi yeGenesis zapapashwa zaza zaba zezokuqala ukuba yimibhalo eprintiweyo ngolwimi lesiSwahili.

UKrapf waba ngowokuqala ukusebenzisa indlela yokubhala yamaRoma endaweni yokusebenzisa eyama-Arabhu xa wayebhala ngesiSwahili. Ezinye zezizathu zokuba ayeke ukusebenzisa indlela yama-Arabhu yokubhala kukuba “kwakuza kuba nzima kubantu baseYurophu ababeza kufunda isiSwahili” nokuba indlela yokubhala yamaRoma “yayiza kwenza kube lula ‘kubantu boMthonyama xa befunda iilwimi zaseYurophu.’” Kodwa abanye baqhubeka besebenzisa indlela yama-Arabhu  yokubhala kangangexesha elide, kangangokuba iinxalenye ezithile zeBhayibhile zabhalwa ngale ndlela. Noko ke, oonobumba besiRoma benza kwalula kubantu abaninzi ukufunda isiSwahili. Alithandabuzeki elokuba abavangeli abaninzi nabanye abantu abafunda isiSwahili bavuyiswa gqitha lolo tshintsho.

Ukongezelela ekuhlahleni indlela kumsebenzi wokuguqulela iLizwi likaThixo, lo kaKrapf wabeka isiseko esiluqilima ukuze kube lula ngabanye abaguquleli ababeza kulandela emva kwakhe. Wavelisa incwadi yegrama nesichazi magama sesiSwahili.

Kwizahluko ezithathu zokuqala zencwadi yeGenesis, igama likaThixo laliguqulelwe kwathiwa “nguThixo uSomandla.” Noko ke, ngasekupheleni kwenkulungwane ye-19, kwafika amanye amadoda eMpuma Afrika atyhalela phambili nomsebenzi wokuguqulela iBhayibhile yonke kulwimi lesiSwahili. Phakathi kwawo singabalula uJohann Rebmann, uWilliam Taylor, uHarry Binns, uEdward Steere, uFrancis Hodgson noArthur Madan.

Eyona nto iphawulekayo ngezi nguqulelo zeBhayibhile kukuqukwa kwegama likaThixo, kungekhona nje kwiindawo ezimbalwa kodwa kuzo zonke iZibhalo zesiHebhere! Abaguquleli ababeseZanzibar basebenzisa igama elithi “Yahuwa,” ngoxa abo babehlala eMombasa baliguqulela ngokuthi “Jehova.”

Ngo-1895 iBhayibhile yayisele ifumaneka ngesiSwahili. Kwiminyaka eyalandelayo, kwabakho ezinye iinguqulelo, nangona zingazange zisasazwe kangako. Ekuqaleni kwenkulungwane yama-20, kwenziwa umzamo wokuba isiSwahili sithethwe ngendlela efanayo ngabantu baseMpuma Afrika. Oku kwaphumela ekubeni ngo-1952 kuveliswe iBhayibhile ebizwa ngokuba yiSwahili Union Version, neyona isasazwe kakhulu. Oko kuye kwaphumela ekubeni “uYehova” abe lelona gama likaThixo laziwayo eliguqulelwe ngesiSwahili.

Okubuhlungu kukuba, ekubeni ezo nguqulelo zeBhayibhile zazingesaprintwa, negama likaThixo laye linyamalala nazo. Ezinye iiBhayibhile ziye zalishenxisa igama likaThixo, ngoxa ezinye ziye zaligcina kwezinye iindawo elivela kuzo. Ngokomzekelo, kwiUnion Version igama likaThixo livela izihlandlo ezili-15 kuphela, kodwa kuhlelo lwale Bhayibhile oluhlaziyiweyo lowe-2006, livela izihlandlo ezili-11. *

Nangona iye yaligeca naphi na apho livela khona igama likaThixo, le nguqulelo inenye into ebangel’ umdla. Kwelinye lamaphepha okuqala kukho amazwi achazayo ukuba igama likaThixo nguYehova. Oku kuye kwabanceda abo bafuna inyaniso ukuba balazi igama likaBawo wethu wasezulwini kwiiBhayibhile zabo.

Kodwa ke, akupheleli apho. Ngo-1996 iNguqulelo  Yehlabathi Elitsha YeZibhalo ZamaKristu YesiGrike iye yafumaneka ngesiSwahili. Yeyokuqala ukubuyisela igama likaThixo elithi Yehova kuzo zonke iindawo ezingama-237 ukususela kuMateyu ukuya kwiSityhilelo. Kamva ngo-2003 kwakhululwa iBhayibhile epheleleyo, INguqulelo Yehlabathi Elitsha YeZibhalo Ezingcwele ngesiSwahili. Ukuza kuthi ga ngoku, kuye kwaprintwa iiBhayibhile zesiSwahili ezingama-900 000.

Igama likaThixo alisathatyathelwanga indawo zizibizo. Ngoku, xa abantu abaneentliziyo ezinyanisekileyo befunda iNguqulelo Yehlabathi Elitsha YeZibhalo Ezingcwele, basondela ngakumbi kuYehova sihlandlo ngasinye beyifunda. Bafumanisa ukuba eli gama lakhe livela izihlandlo ezingaphezulu kwezi ngama-7 000.

Kwakhona, le Bhayibhile iguqulelwe kusetyenziswa ulwimi olulula lesiSwahili ukuze kube lula ukuyiqonda. Ukongezelela, iimpazamo ebezenziwe kwezinye iinguqulelo zeBhayibhile ziye zalungiswa. Ngenxa yoko, umfundi unokuqiniseka ukuba xa eyifunda ufunda “amazwi achanileyo enyaniso” kanye njengoko aphefumlelwa nguMdali, uYehova uThixo.—INtshumayeli 12:10.

Abanye baye banombulelo ngeNguqulelo Yehlabathi Elitsha yesiSwahili. UVincent, oneminyaka engama-21 ekwinkonzo yexesha elizeleyo noliNgqina likaYehova, uthi: “Ndavuya gqitha xa ndafumana iNguqulelo Yehlabathi Elitsha ngesiSwahili esiqondakala lula nenegama likaThixo kuzo zonke iindawo elasuswayo kuzo zezinye iinguqulelo zeBhayibhile.” UFrieda, onabantwana abathathu, uthi le Bhayibhile yenze kwalula ukuyicacisa kwabanye abantu.

Iphulo lokuguqulela iLizwi likaThixo kwisiSwahili lithathe iminyaka eli-150. UYesu wathi “Ndilibonakalisile igama lakho.” (Yohane 17:6) Ngoku, amaNgqina kaYehova angaphezulu kwama-76 000 athetha isiSwahili kule nxalenye yeAfrika avuyiswa kukwazisa abantu igama likaYehova, esebenzisa iNguqulelo Yehlabathi Elitsha.