ILODDON, Oct. 18 - I-Westminster Abbey ime ngokuzithoba ngaphansi kwemvula encane ngoLwesithathu ekuseni, njengoba izixuku zigcwele emigwaqweni ngaphandle zizohlonipha u-Dame Margaret Evans, odlule emhlabeni ngesonto eledlule eneminyaka engu-82 ubudala ngemva kokugula isikhathi eside. Lo mngcwabo, obuhanjelwe abantu abangaphezu kuka-500, ubuyinhlanganisela ehloniphekile yesiko laseSheshi nesikhumbuzo esisuka enhliziyweni, esibonisa impilo yowesifazane ohlonishwa kakhulu ngenxa yokuthobeka nokuzibophezela kwakhe ekuzuzeni umphakathi.
Inkonzo iqale ngo-11 ekuseni, iholwa yiDini yaseWestminster, uMfundisi David Hoyle. Begqoke izingubo ezimnyama zendabuko, abalilayo bangene endlini yangasese bezwa umsindo wokudlala kwesitho esinesizotha esithi "Abide with Me," iculo osekunesikhathi lihlotshaniswa nemingcwabo yaseBrithani nezikhathi zokuzindla ezweni. Phakathi kwababekhona bekukhona uNdunankulu uRishi Sunak, amalungu ekhabhinethi angaphambili, nabamele izinhlangano ezisiza abantulayo nezikhungo zemfundo uDame Margaret abeseke wasebenza kuzo.
Emazwini akhe, uSir John Williams,-uzakwabo osenesikhathi eside nomngani ka-Dame Margaret, wamkhumbula “njengamandla ozwelo nokuzimisela” owanikela iminyaka engama-50 emsebenzini womphakathi. "U-Dame Margaret akakaze afune ukugqama, kodwa umsebenzi wakhe wawukhuluma kakhulu," esho. "Kusukela ekuthuthukiseni ukufinyelela emfundweni yamabanga aphansi emiphakathini yasemakhaya kuya ekumeleleni amalungelo abantu abadala nabakhubazekile, uthinte izimpilo eziningi ngomusa wakhe nokuzinikela okungantengantengi." USir John wabelane ngama-anecdotes akhe, okuhlanganisa nomkhuba wakhe wokuvakashela izikole kanye namakhaya anakekela izingane mathupha, evamise ukuhlala kuze kuhlwe ukuze alalele ukukhathazeka kwalabo ayefuna ukubasiza.
Umngcwabo uhlanganise nezinto ezibalulekile kuDame Margaret. Ukufundwa kwencwadi ayithandayo, ekaHarper LeeUkubulala I-Mockingbird, ibelethwe umzukulu wakhe, u-Emma Evans, owakhala izinyembezi njengoba efunda isiqephu esiphathelene nobulungisa nozwela. Inkonzo iphothulwe ngehubo elithi "I Vow to You, My Country," okulandelwe wukuthula komzuzu owodwa phakathi kwendlu yangasese kanye nezinkumbi zabantu ebezingaphandle.
Ngemuva komcimbi, kwaba nenkonzo yangasese emathuneni aseduze, lapho uDame Margaret abekwa khona eduze komyeni wakhe ongasekho, uThomas Evans. Amalungu omphakathi abegcwele umzila ngesikhathi kudlula isikhungo somngcwabo, iningi liphethe izimbali namaphepha enduduzo abhalwe ngesandla. “Wenze umehluko wangempela emphakathini wethu,” kusho uSarah Jones, isakhamuzi sendawo esasihambele lo mbukiso womphakathi. "Besifuna ukuba lapha sizokubonga."
UDame Margaret Evans waklonyeliswa ngobudoda ngo-2010 ngezinkonzo zakhe kwezemfundo nenhlalakahle yomphakathi. Kuwo wonke umsebenzi wakhe, usebenze njengomqondisi wezinhlangano ezisiza umphakathi eziningana futhi weluleka ohulumeni abalandelanayo ngezinqubomgomo zokunciphisa ukungalingani. Ifa lakhe, abangani nozakwabo bathi, lizoqhubeka empilweni yalabo abasizile kanye nezikhungo aziqinise.
Esitatimendeni sangemva komngcwabo, uNdunankulu uSunak uhloniphe uDame Margaret, emchaza "njengesibonelo esigqamile senkonzo yomphakathi." “Ukuzidela kwakhe nozwelo kukhuthaze izizukulwane zezisebenzi zikahulumeni,” usho kanje. "Sizomkhumbula hhayi nje ngalokho akuzuzile, kodwa nangendlela enze ngayo abanye bazizwe bebonwa futhi behlonishwa."
