Isikhumbuzo: uBruce Kent

nguTim Devereux, Yiphelise iMfazwe, Juni 11, 2022

Kwi-1969, uBruce watyelela iBiafra ekuphakameni kweMfazwe yaseNigeria yaseNigeria - yayiyiNdlela yakhe eya eDamasko. Wabona indlala enkulu yabemi abaqeshwe njengesixhobo semfazwe ngelixa urhulumente waseBritane enikezela ngezixhobo kurhulumente waseNigeria. “Asikho esinye isiganeko ebomini bam esakhe salola iimbono zam ngokukhawuleza… Ndaqala ukuqonda ukuba abo banegunya banokuziphatha ngokungenalusini njani ukuba izinto ezibalulekileyo ezifana ne-oyile norhwebo zisemngciphekweni. Kwakhona ndaqalisa ukuqonda ukuba ukuthetha nzulu ngokuphelisa intlupheko ngaphandle kokujongana nemiba yomkhosi kukuqhatha wena nabanye.”

Ngaphambi kweBiafra, indlela eqhelekileyo yokukhuliswa kwabantu abakumgangatho ophakathi yamsa kwiSikolo saseStonyhurst, esalandelwa yiminyaka emibini yeNkonzo yeSizwe kwiRoyal Tank Regiment kunye nesidanga soMthetho eOxford. Waqeqeshelwa ububingeleli, waza wamiselwa ngo-1958. Emva kokusebenza njengecurate, okokuqala eKensington, emva koko eLadbroke Grove, waba nguNobhala waBucala ka-Archbishop Heenan ukusuka ku-1963 ukuya ku-1966. Abafundi baseLondon, kwaye bavula iChaplaincy kwisitalato saseGower. Imisebenzi yakhe yoxolo nophuhliso iye yanda. Ngo-1973, kwiPhulo leNyukliya leNyukliya, wayekhupha ububi kwisiseko senqanawa yenyukliya yasePolaris eFaslane- “Ukusuka kukuzimisela ukubulala, Nkosi elungileyo, sihlangule.”

Ukushiya i-Chaplaincy ngo-1974, wasebenzela uPax Christi iminyaka emithathu, ngaphambi kokuba abe nguMbingeleli weParish e-St Aloysius e-Euston. Ngethuba elapho waba nguSihlalo we-CND, de kwaba ngu-1980, xa wayeshiya iparishi ukuze abe nguNobhala Jikelele we-CND osisigxina.

Yayilixesha elibalulekileyo. Umongameli uReagan, iNkulumbuso uThatcher kunye noMongameli uBrezhnev bazibandakanya kwi-bellicose rhetoric ngelixa icala ngalinye liqala ukuhambisa imijukujelwa yokuhamba ngenqanawa ngezixhobo zenyukliya ezinobuchule. Intshukumo echasene nenyukliya yakhula kwaye yakhula - kwaye ngo-1987, iSivumelwano se-Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces Treaty satyikitywa. Ngelo xesha, uBruce waphinda waba nguSihlalo we-CND. Kweli shumi leminyaka lezidubedube, wabushiya ububingeleli kunokuba athobele umyalelo ovela kwiKhadinali Hume ukuba ayeke ukubandakanyeka kunyulo lukawonke-wonke lwase-UK ngowe-1987.

Ngo-1999 uBruce Kent wayengumnxibelelanisi waseBritani weHague Appeal for Peace, inkomfa yezizwe ngezizwe enama-10,000 eHague, neyathi yaqalisa amaphulo amakhulu (umz. ngokuchasene nezixhobo ezincinci, ukusetyenziswa kwamajoni abantwana, kunye nokukhuthaza imfundo yoxolo). Yile nto, kunye nentetho yokwamkelwa kukaNjingalwazi uRotblat kaNobel ibiza ukuphela kwemfazwe ngokwayo, eyamphefumlela ukuba aseke e-UK iMovement for the Abolition of War. Ngaphambili kunabaninzi kwiintshukumo zoxolo kunye nokusingqongileyo, uye waqonda ukuba awukwazi ukufikelela eluxolweni ngaphandle kokusebenzela ukunqanda uTshintsho lweMozulu - uye waqinisekisa ukuba ividiyo ye-MAW ethi "Ingxabano kunye noTshintsho lweMozulu" yabona ukukhanya kwemini ngo-2013.

UBruce watshata noValerie Flessati kwi-1988; njengomlweli woxolo ngokwakhe, benza isibini esinamandla, besebenza kunye kwiiprojekthi ezininzi ezibandakanya iLondon Peace Trail kunye neeNkomfa zeMbali yoXolo. Njengomkhankaseli woxolo, nasebudaleni, uBruce wayehlala ekulungele ukungena kuloliwe ukuya kwelinye icala lelizwe ukuze athethe kwintlanganiso. Ukuba ebekhe wadibana nawe ngaphambili, ebeya kulazi igama lakho. Kwanakuba esalatha ububudenge nokuziphatha okubi kwezixhobo zenyukliya kwiintetho zakhe, wayedla ngokukhankanya iZizwe Ezimanyeneyo, ngokuqhelekileyo ukuze asikhumbuze ngeNtshayelelo yoMnqophiso: “Thina bantu beZizwe Ezimanyeneyo sizimisele ukusindisa izizukulwana ezilandelayo kurhulumente. isibetho semfazwe, esithe kabini kubomi bethu sazisa usizi olungathethekiyo eluntwini…”

Wayenenkuthazo – zombini engumzekelo, nangesakhono sakhe sokukhuthaza abantu ukuba babandakanyeke, kwaye bafezekise ngaphezu koko bebecinga ukuba banako. Wayengumntu okrelekrele, ochwayitileyo kwaye okrelekrele. Uyakukhunjulwa kakhulu ngabaphembeleli boxolo eBritane nakwihlabathi liphela. Umfazi wakhe, uValerie, kunye nodadewabo, uRosemary, basinda.

UTim Devereux