KUNXUSWA abazali bezingane esezihaqwe yisifo samatele ukuba ziphuthunyiswe ezikhungweni zezempilo. Lesi sexwayiso sikhishwe wuMnyango wezeMpilo KwaZulu-Natal kulandela ukubheduka kwalesi sifo okuqale ngesonto eledlule. Kubikwa ukuthi isibalo sesifinyelele ezinganeni eziwu-195.
Amatele athelelana ngokuthintana, ukuphuma koketshezi lwasemlonyeni noma lwasemakhaleni nokusebenzisa izinto ezizodwa. Izimpawu zakhona ziqala ukubonakala ezinsukwini ezintathu kuya kweziyisikhombisa uthelelekile, kodwa futhi lesi sifo sihlala emzimbeni izinsuku eziyisikhombisa kuya kweziyishumi.
Siqala ngokubonakala kwezimpawu ezithi kazifane nezomkhuhlane phakathi kwazo okuba imfiva, umphimbo obuhlungu namapanyaza abuhlungu ezandleni nasezinyaweni kanjalo nasemzimbeni. Lesi sifo siziveza ezinhlangothini zolimi, ezihlakaleni zezandla nangaphansi kwezinyawo nokwenza kube nzima ukunyathela.
UNkz Babongile Mhlongo oyiNhloko eMnyangweni wezifo ezithathelanayo ngaphansi koMnyango wezeMpilo uthe lokhu kugula kuhlasela kakhulu izingane. “Lokhu kugula kuhlasela izingane ezincane, ikakhulu ehlobo nasekwindla. Amathimba ezempilo aseqalile ukuvakashela ezinkulisa ukuhlonza izimpawu ezinganeni. Izingane ezibukeka zinezimpawu zithunyelwa ezikhungweni zezempilo eziseduze nabazali babe sebenxuswa ukuba bazilande ezikoleni,” echaza.
UNkz Mhlongo uthi kubalulekile ukuthi izingane zihlale emakhaya kuze kube kunyamalala izimpawu zalesi sifo.
“Ngemuva nje kwezinsuku eziyisihlanu kuvele izimpawu, ingane kufanele ihlale ekhaya ukuze kuqinisekiswe ukuthi iphephile futhi kayitheleli ezinye. Esikuqaphelayo okwamanje ukuthi sihlasele ikakhulu ezinkulisa,” esho.
Uthe kayikho ingcuphe yokuthi lesi sifo sibe nokuthelelana phakathi kwezilwane nabantu. “Isifo samatele esisibona eThekwini, kasifani nalesi esejwayele ukuphatha izilwane. Kasikwazi ukusuka ezilwaneni sitheleleke kubantu. Ngakho-ke uma unezinkomo ungabe usuziqhelisa ngoba unomcabango wokuthi zizobhebhethekisa isifo kubantu,” esho.
Izibalo zokuqala zamatele ziqale ukubikwa ngomhla ka-6 kuya ku-10 kuNhlolanja (February). Kusukela ngaleso sikhathi isibalo sesenyukile, izindawo ezinezinagne ezithintekile kubalwa iPhoenix, iGreenwood Park naseMhlanga. Kusukela ngaleso sikhathi uMnyango wezeMpilo usuvakashele izikole eziwu-9 ezithintekile ukuphenya kabanzi.
Umnyango ugcizelela umkhuba wenhlanzeko, ukuwashwa kwezandla ngaso sonke isikhathi, ukungasebenzisa izitsha ezizodwa njengezipuni, izinkomishi nezixubho. Ukuvulwa kwamawindi ukuze kushaye umoya.
Okhulumela uMnyango wezeMpilo KwaZulu-Natal, uMnu Ntokozo Maphisa uthe: “Sikhathazekile ngokukhula kwesibalo, nakuba kunjalo sicela umphakathi wehlise amaphaphu. Kubalulekile ukuba abantu baqonde ukuthi ngamatele nokuthi angagwemeka kanjani, izimpawu zakhona nokuthi athelelana kanjani. Sinxusa abazali ukuthi baqinisekise ukuthi izingane kazisondeli kubantu abagulayo. Labo asebehaqwe amatele, abanezimpawu ezithanda ukuba zimbi, bavakashele ezikhungweni zezempilo eziseduze. Izingane ezitshengisa izimpawu zamatele mazigcinwe ekhaya kuze kuba ziyelulama.” kuphetha uMaphisa.
