IMANTSHI uBasil Bhekisisa Mchunu (Ntshingila), isheba umsebenzi wayo nomculo wokholo. UBasil (55), odabuka eDannhauser, kodwa okhulele KwaMashu, ungumsunguli nomqambi wezingoma eqenjini iKwaMashu Praises Jesus.
Uthi akamusha emculweni kodwa waqala ukuzihlanganisa nawo esefunda esikoleni samabanga aphezulu, iZakhe High. "Ngabe sengijoyina iqembu lokholo likaSipho Mbele (onguphrojusa ohlonishwayo kuleli nasemazweni angaphandle). Sasihlale sinandisa njalo ngoLwesihlanu. Siba namakhonsathi."
UBasil uthe wasebenza nomufi uWake Mahlobo, bebukela eqenjini likaMthunzi Namba, iRejoice futhi beqhudelana neHaze.
"Kuleyo mincintiswano sasilingisa izingoma zamaqembu okholo aseMelika. Ngangizitshela ukuthi ngelinye ilanga ngiyafisa ukuba neqembu elicula kanje."
Uthe ukucula wakufunda ngokuba noSipho, owayehlale elingisa inkakha yaphesheya uGeorge Benson, kuze kube sengathi nguye. Emuva kweminyaka emithathu, izwi likaBasil lagcina seliqaqekile ngo-1996 futhi esecula ngokuzethemba. Wagcina esengenela iShell Road to Fame amahlandla amabili kodwa kungalungi.
Uthe wahlaba ikhefu emculweni, wagxila emsebenzini wesikole. Waqeda u-matric wayokwenza izifundo zomthetho, okubalwa kuzo iBJurispudence neLegum Baccalaureus (LLB).
"Ngaqala ngaba wuMshushisi ngaphambi kokwenza lomsebenzi engiwenza manje wokuba yiMantshi."
Uthe ngo-2011 wagulela ukufa, okwaholela ekutheni asondelane kakhulu noNkulunkulu. "UMdali wangiyalela ukuba ngisungule ikhwaya engizomdumisa ngayo. Kwathi ngoJuni 2012, ngaxhumana noSipho Mbele, ngamazisa ngengikutshelwe nguNkulunkulu. Ngambuza ukuthi kungadingeka malini ukwenza wonke lomsebenzi. Wangichazela konke." Uthe wabe esexhumana nomphakathi waKwaMashu ngalo mbono. Uthe omunye wabantu abawusukumela phezulu lombono nguNhlanhla Mqadi, owaqoqa intsha engamulungu ekhwaya. Bahlangana behlonza abantu abazobhala izingoma nabazodlala kwibhendi. Uthe wabe eseyalelwa wuNkulunkulu ukuba ahlele inkonzo yokuthandazela iqembu nomphakathi waKwaMashu, eCrossini.
Eqhuba uBasil uthe bahlangana kahlanu neqembu bezilolonga ngaphambi kokuyoqopha i-albhamu yokuqala esihloko sithi Prayer For Our Nation, eyaqanjwa nguBasil ngo-2013. Balandelisa ngeyesibili esihloko sithi My Trust, okuyingoma eyayiqanjwe nguBasil.
Emuva kwale-albhamu babuye bahlukana noNhlanhla ngenxa yokungaboni ngaso linye, kwasala uBasil noSipho. Njengamanje iKwaMashu Praises Jesus imatasatasa nokuqopha i-albhamu yesithathu ezophuma phakathi noMeyi, esihloko sithi Shesha Nkosi.
"Isifiso sami manje ukusungula imiqhudelwano yomculo wokholo ngenhloso yokuvumbulula ikhono elisha kuzozonke izifundazwe. Ngifisa ukubona iKwaMashu Praises Jesus seyicula nabaculi baphesheya, ibaphelezela ngamazwi futhi igcina seyinandisa phesheya kwezilwandle," kuphetha uBasil.