UBongo Witbooi ngumzobi owaqala uhambo lakhe kwizitrato ezinothuli zaseSoweto Diepkloof, apho wachitha khona ubuntwana bakhe ejikelezwe ngamandla aphilileyo obomi basezidolophini.
Ukanti kamva, usapho lwakhe lwafudukela kwidolophana yakwiphondo leMpuma Koloni iCacadu yayifudula ibizwa ngokuba yiLady Free, kwilali yakwaTshatshu. Le yindawo eyayingenamabonwakude, kwaye kulapho uBongo wafumana khona isakhono sokuzoba. Uthi wayengenanto ngaphandle kwephepha kunye nomfanekiso-ngqondweni, waqala ukuzoba yonke into emjikelezileyo – ukusuka ebusweni bootitshala bakhe ukuya kwiindawo zobomi bakhe bemihla ngemihla.
Kusenjalo uthi ukuzoba akuzange kube yinto nje yokuchitha ixesha, kodwa kwaba yifestile kwihlabathi awayenokuyila aze alidale.
Elityendyana lomfana lalahlekelwa nguyise lisemncinci nto leyo eyashiya isithuba esamphosa kwixesha lokudakumba okukhulu.
“Ngala maxesha obumnyama, ukuzoba kwaba yindawo yam yokuzimela – indlela yokujongana nentlungu, ukucinga ngethemba, nokubalekela kwihlabathi” utsho uWitbooi.
Uthi umama wakhe waba ngumama kunye notata, emnika ulwalathiso, uthando, kunye nenkxaso engagungqiyo.
Ukanti uthe xa wayeneminyaka elithoba ubudala, uBongo wafudukela eKapa kwiphondo leNtshona Kolon, ze emva koko wabuyela eSoweto. Uthi nangona ubunzima bezitalato zasezidolophini babugquba, kodwa yena wayephethe uthando olungagungqiyo lobugcisa. Ukwathe ootitshala bezikolo zakhe baqala ukuqaphela isakhono sakhe, kwaye ngonyaka ka2008, olu dumo lwaphumela ekubeni afumane indawo yokuqala kuKhuphiswano loBugcisa lweZikolo eziPhakamileyo zaseGauteng – lowo ke uthi uwibona njengomzuzu ocacileyo owaqinisekisa isipho sakhe esingaqhelekanga.
Ekhuthazwa ngabacebisi bakhe kwiSikolo samaBanga aPhakamileyo saseBopasenatla, uBongo wanikwa ithuba lokuya kuqeqeshwa kwisikolo zobugcisa zaseGoli, apho waphucula khona izakhono zakhe waza wandisa umbono wakhe wobugcisa. Kwakulapha, esengumfana oze ngobuso ezweni, apho wathatha inxaxheba kumboniso wakhe wokuqala weqela kwigalari – amava awabumba umbono wakhe ngobugcisa, emfundisa ukuba ubuchule bunokuthetha amabali angaphaya kwamagama.
UBongo usebenza kakhulu ngepeyinti yeoyile, i-acrylic, i-charcoal, kunye ne-mixed media, edala imisebenzi ecacileyo, echukumisayo, kunye neyi-semi-abstract ebalisa amabali othando, ithemba, ubuwena, kunye namava omntu. Indlela yakhe yokuzoba ibalasele ekuboniseni ubuntu obukhulu. “Sidibanisa izinto ezicacileyo, ezinzulu, nezikhanyayo – ndivumela abaxhasi bam ukuba bazive, bacinge, kwaye baqhagamshelane nobugcisa bam kwinqanaba leemvakalelo” utshilo kwingxelo yakhe.
“Emva kwesikolo samabanga aphakamileyo, ndaalandela izifundo zam zemfundo ephakamileyo eBoston Media House, ndigxile kwi-3D animation kunye nobugcisa. Italente yam yaguqulelwa ngokukhawuleza kumathuba obuchwephesha, kubandakanya nomsebenzi kwi-Urban Brew Studios, kodwa ubizo lothando lwam lokwenyani lwalungenakwenzeka ukulityeshela”.
Ukanti kuhambo lakhe waqalisa inkampani yakhe, edala iintengiso ze-animation, kwaye wafikelela kwinqanaba elichaza umsebenzi ngokuvelisa ividiyo yomculo we-animated ye-Mi
Casa, eyafumana ukuqatshelwa kwihlabathi liphela kwaye yaphumelela amabhaso – ephakamisa umsebenzi wakhe ukuya kwinqanaba elitsha.
Ekugqibeleni, uBongo wagqiba ekubeni azinikele ngokupheleleyo kubugcisa obubonakalayo.
Kusenjalo uWitbooi wafumana ubudlelwane obukhulu bophawu
neJetour, elungiselela imiboniso eyadibanisa uyilo lweemoto kunye nokubonakaliswa kobugcisa – intsebenziswano eyaqinisa ngakumbi iprofayili yakhe yamazwe ngamazwe. Ukususela ngoko, ubambe imiboniso eJohannesburg naseKapa, wasebenzisana neegalari, waza wathengisa umsebenzi wakhe kumaqonga aphesheya,
esabelana ngombono wakhe kunye netalente yakhe nehlabathi.
Nangona ephumelele, iphupha likaBongo lokugqibela lilobuqu kwaye liguqula izinto: ukuseka isikolo sobugcisa – okanye nesikolo sobugcisa esihambahambayo – ukuzisa imfundo yobuchule kwiindawo zasemaphandleni. Njengoko ekhulele kwiindawo apho amathuba ayenqongophele khona, uthi ufuna abantwana kwezi ndawo baqonde
ukuba umsebenzi wobugcisa awupheleli nje ekunokwenzeka kodwa unokufezekiswa, ingakumbi kulutsha olumnyama olunokuthi lungazange lucinge ngobomi bobuchwephesha kwezobugcisa.
Ibali likaBongo Witbooi lelokunyamezela, inzondelelo, kunye nombono – uhambo oluvela ezitalatweni ezinothuli kunye nobunzima bomntu ukuya ekuqatshelweni kwamazwe ngamazwe, konke oku ngelixa ephethe umsebenzi wokunika amandla isizukulwana esilandelayo sabaculi. Ubugcisa bakhe benza okungaphezulu kokutsala; bukhuthaza, buxelela amabali, kwaye buvula iingcango kumathuba awayengenakucingelwa ngaphambili.
