ndandizimisele ukuphikisana nayo yonke into esondele kwebabendifundise yona. Ndikhe ndangqubana amatyeli ngamatyeli nawo nomthetho wesikolo. Ndikhumbula mhla ndathi ndabizelwa kwi-ofisi yenqununu emva kokuba sibhaqwe sitshaya eli labaThwa. Sayalelwa ukuba masize nabazali, lixoxwe ityala lethu bekhona. Ucinga ukuba ndababiza abam? Utsho phantsi! Ndacela xhego lithile embarheni kwaphaya elalini yakuManzana ukuba libe “nguutata wam”. Ndambuyekeza ngesenzo sakhe ngezikali ezibini umnt’omkhulu. Kwathi kanti eli xhego liyingcungela apha emaqhingeni kuba ngomhla wetyala lazenza umntu olugcwabevu ngumsindo, lindifun’apha ngegwangqa, de ndanqandelwa kwangootitshala aba, besithi “utata” makangandohlwayi kakubi olo hlobo. Into ehlekisayo endibona ukuba ootitshala zange bayiqaphele kukuba le ndedeba yayimana ukuliphazama igama lam ithi, “Thembinkosi, Thembalethu! Ufuna ndikwayame ngale nduku?” Ndandisakucela uxolo ke exhegweni, ndithembise izulu nomhlaba. Ndada ndaxolelwa ke ngenxa “katata wam”.
Ngaphandle koku ke, ndandingembi kwaphela: ndandibetha phambili ngasezifundweni, ndiluhlonipha uluntu – ingakumbi abantu abadala njengoko isiko lethu lisitsho – yaye andizange nditshone nakwelinye ibanga ngalo lonke ixesha lokufunda kwam.
Ndathi ke nje ukuba ndifike kwibanga leshumi ngonyaka ka-1994, ndenza utshintsho ebomini, ndaba nabahlobo abatsha ndayeka imikhuba ndaqiniseka kakhulu apha esikolweni. Ndandisendiyibona impumelelo eza nemfundo elundini phaya; sekusele nje unyaka omnye ndingene emnyangweni weyunivesithi. Ndaqala ndenza izinto ngenkathalo, ndafundela ukuqhekeka intloko nangona ikati yayisalele eziko ekhaya.
Kaloku utata yayinguye kuphela osebenzayo ekhayeni kwaye imali ebeyithumela ekhaya ngempela-nyanga yayinganelanga konke ukondla usapho luphela, iphinde ihlawule iindleko zesikolo. Njengoko ke besihlala sedwa siziphekela, ubomi babunzima kakhulu, imali isinqabele xa sisonke. Nangona kwakunjalo, ndandizimisele ukufunda ndiphumelele, hayi impumelelo nje – ndandifuna ukugqwesa, ndiphumelele emagqabini.
Ekupheleni kwaloo nyaka, kunzima kunjalo ngasepokothweni, ndaphumelela phambili ngematric exemption – isiqinisekiso sokungena eyunivesithi. Ndaxhelelwa iteketeke legusha, kwabizwa izizalwane nabamelwane ukuza kuvuyisana nam. Ndaba liqhayiya lelali yonke kuloo nyaka kuba yayindim kuphela elalini owayechophele iimviwo zebanga leshumi, futhi wagqwesa kwiziphumo. Enye into eyaphinde yenza umahluko kukuba ndandingowokuqala kwikhaya lonke ukufumana i-exemption.
Kwizikolo zethu ngelo xesha kwakungekho zifundo zokucebisa abafundi malunga nekhondo lomsebenzi amabawufundele, ngoko ke andikwazanga ukufunda ngo-1995. Zazizibini ke phofu izizathu zoko: okokuqala abazali bam babengenazo iintsiba zokuhlawulela imfundo ephakamileyo yaseyunivesithi, kodwa esona sizathu yayikukungazi apha kum – kuba zange ndifake sicelo soncedo – mali yokufunda eyunivesithi. Ndasebenzisa u-1995 ukwenza uphando ngezifundo zaseyunivesthi ndatsho ndafaka nezicelo zoncedo ngezimali. Kuye ke kwanyanzeleka ukuba ndinyukele eKapa ndiye kuhlala notata ukuze ndifumane isingxungxwanyana ze ndiqokelele ubugcwabalalana bokuncedisana nabazali ukundisa esikolweni kunyaka olandelayo. Ndandimana ndibamba ezilarheni nakwiivenkile zeempahla. Kuthe ke ngo-1996, unyaka olandelayo, ndamkelwa kwiYunivesithi yaseNtshona Koloni, i-University of the Western Cape kwisixeko saseBellville kwelase Ntshona Koloni. Ndamkelwa kwiBachelor of Science, isidanga sezenzululwazi. Aqala avuleka amasango!
2. Ndishiya iKapa ndisinge eJozi
Ndishiya iKapa ndisinge eJozi
Ndonwaba ngomzuzwana ndifikile eyunivesithi. Ndaye ndadibana nabahlobo abaninzi abatsha, futhi ndazibona ndiqala ubomi obutsha bamaphupha am. Ndaqala ndawabona amaphupha am efezekiswa, ndayibona impumelelo indincumele. Kubahlobo bam bonke endandinabo, owayebalasele ngumfana wakwaBolosha, uKhaya. Besifana kakhulu ngezimbo nale ndoda yasebaThenjini, sihlala sihleka isiqhazolo apho sikhoyo. Nditsho neengxaki ezi zethu zazithande ukufana, ngakumbi imvelaphi yethu. Sobabini sasisuka emizini ezihluphekelayo, ezilalini. Sasihleka silila kunye, sincedana xa kudingeka njalo, wena wakhe weva xa kuthiwa izandla ziyahlambana. Ndikhumbula nyaka uthile xa ndandingakwazi ukuhlawula imali yasehostele. UKhaya wandingxungxisa kwigumbi lakhe awayehlala kulo, wancama ilungelo lakhe lokuzonwaya. Sahlala kweli gumbi wada waphela unyaka. Kuthe kolandelayo unyaka, uKhaya wafumana esam, ibhasari yakhe yanqunyanyiswa watsho akakwazi ukuhlala ehostele. Ngethamsanqa ke mna kuloo nyaka ndandinalo elam igumbi ngoko ke saphinda sahlala kunye nale ndoda. Ndiye ndaba nayo ke indawana endivuyisayo yile ngxaki yalo mfana kuba kaloku ngoku yayindinika ithuba lokumbuyekeza ngobubele nenceba yakhe awayendenzele yona kunyaka odlulileyo.
Ngexesha esasiqukumbela ngalo izifundo zethu zezenzululwazi sasesithathana njengabantwana bomntu omnye, kude kwathi xa yena ukhakhakha lo esiya eRhawutini ukuya kufuna umsebenzi, savumelana kwelokuba ndingamtyelela kweliya cala nanini na xa ndifuna ukubona iJozi.
Ndaqhuba kakuhle kakhulu ke ezifundweni nakubeni iingxaki zemali zazininzi. Ngethamsanqa, ndathi ndakuthweswa isidanga e-uwc ndanikwa umsebenzi kwaphaya eyunivesithi njenge-it technical assistant. Ndandingusochwepheshe ke kwezekhompyutha ngelo xesha. Lo msebenzi ke ndiwunikwe ngenxa yezinga lokuzimisela kwam ngexa ndandisebenza kumathala eekhompyutha ase-uwc njengomfundi. Kaloku phaya eyunivesithi uyakwazi ukuzifunela umsebenzi wokuncedisana nentlawulo yezifundo zakho kwangeli xesha usafundayo. Kodwa ke noko lo msebenzi yayingowethutyana, kwaye wawuza kuphela ekupheleni konyaka ka-2003. Kwakufuneka ke ndikhangele omnye kwangethuba ukuze ndiqale kuwo xa kuphele isivumelwano sam neyunivesithi. Kwakunzima, kaloku ndandisazi ukuba uKhaya wahlala iminyaka emibini eKapa engafumani msebenzi emva kokuba ethweswe isidanga, kodwa uthe emveni kokuba efudukele eRhawutini wawufumana umsebenzi osisigxina. Yiloo nto kanye eyandenza ukuba nam ndicinge ukuya kweleendunduma ukuya kuzama khona, ndilandele uMthembu.
Kaloku ndikhe ndatsiba eRhawutini ngonyaka ka-2000 ndiye kubona nje iRhawuti ukuze ndizibonele ngawam amehlo bonke ubumbeje-mbeje bayo endandixelelwe ngabo ngabahlobo bam, uSiviwe noKhaya.
Ukuqala kwam ukuya eJozi ndakhwankqiswa kakhulu bubunewunewu nokuphithizela kwesixeko esikhulu sodumo – iJo’burg ngabula makhumsha. Ndandifikele ke kwilokishanyana yemikhukhu, iGoodHope Extension 5 – abayaziyo bathi kuseFive – kude kufuphi nedolophu enyakazelayo yaseGermiston, eMpuma Randi. Ndandisakumana ndityelelela ezinye iidolophu neziphaluka ngeempela-veki ukuya kubona abahlobo bam bakudala kwakunye nabanye endandisakufunda nabo kuManzana.
Mandiyithethe ke inyani, ngeliya xesha lika-2000 umsebenzi ndandingenaxhala kakhulu ngawo, kaloku ndandisenethemba lokufumana isithuba esisigxina kwaphaya eKapa, indawo ebesele ndiyithatha njengekhaya lam lesibini. Hayi ke ngoku, ngo-2003, izinto beziguquke mpela, umsebenzi ndiwufuna ngamehlo abomvu. Iingxaki zazisele zindambethe ngoku. Umzi-mveliso we-asbestos wakwa-Everite apho utata wayesebenza khona kangangeminyaka engamashumi amathathu waye wavalwa. Oko ndazalwa yayingutata kuphela osebenzayo ekhaya osebenzayo. Ngoku naloo vimba wemalana wayeyifumene ngexesha lokuvalwa wawuthande ukubhokoxeka, ikati ichwechwela ngaseziko. Umama waqala ishishinana lokuthengisa amaqebengwana kwisikolo esasikufutshane nalapho ekhaya, ukuzama ukugxotha kwale kati, kodwa kwakunzima. Ndafunga ukuba ndiza kuzama kangangoko ndinako ndifumane umsebenzi ndonyule usapho lwakuthi kule ndlala. Ndandikwazi okulindelweyo kum njengenkulu, futhi ndizimisele ukuqubisana nazo zonke iimfuno zekhaya lam. Kaloku ngoku besendiyindoda.
Ndagqiba kwelokuba ndithathe ikhefu kangangeeveki ezintathu ekupheleni kweyoMsintsi – uSeptemba ka-2003 ndilungiselela ukuba khe ndithi gxada eRhawutini ukuya kubona abahlobo, ndikhangele nomsebenzi. Okuyinene kukuba mna ndingumntu apha ozinzileyo nothanda ukuthobela indawo asebenza kuyo, ngoko ke i-uwc ndandiyihloniphe kakhulu kuba le yindawo eyandinika umsebenzi wam wokuqala ngqa. Kodwa ke noko kwakusele kucaca ngoku ukuba nokwana iKapa eli lalingandiphathele nto ncam, kwakufuneka ndixoze mphini wumbi. Ndandilulungele olu hambo luya eJozi ngaphaya kokuqonda. Ngentseni ndaya kwisikhululo sikaloliwe saseBellville ndihamba noCynthia, iqabanekazi lam elalindithengele itikiti ngezolo. Sithe xa sisangana emva kokufika kukaloliwe endandiza kuhamba ngaye, wasebeza ngelizwi elincinane esithi “Ndikunqwenelela okuhle, uziphathe kakuhle”.
Emva koko ujikile ngaphandle kokunyeka wasishiya isitishi; ndibona gca ukuba akafuni ndimbone ukuba ucela kule nto yabantwana.
Ukungena kwam kuloliwe ndafumana igunjana apha elalinabantu abahlanu, ndasele ndisiba ngowesithandathu
