Abaphathi besikhungo bathi silapho sikhona, ngenxa yakhe
MTHOBISI SITHOLE
KUBONGWE kwanconcozwa ngamagalelo kaMntwana wakwaPhindangene, iNkosi Mangosuthu Buthelezi, eMangosuthu University of Technology (MUT), ngoMsombuluko ehlonishwa wumkhakha wakwaFaculty of Engineering kulesi sikhungo, ngenxa yeqhaza lakhe ekuheheni izinkampani ezafaka uxhaso ukuze kube nomnyango wakwa-Engineering, eMUT. UMntwana wakwaPhindangene ubebongwa nje, nguyena owakha le nyuvesi ngonyaka ka-1979. Kuvezwe ukuthi ngesikhathi kwakhiwa lesi sikhungo, siqalwe ngemikhakha embalwa ngenxa yokungabikhona koxhaso lokwakhiwa kwesikhungo, kodwa okuthe ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, wathola uxhaso ezinkampanini okubalwa kuzona iSasol, iSuger Millers, i AECI, iMobil Oil, iLTA Limited, iDistillers Corporation nezinye eziningi, okuholele ekutheni kuvulwe umkhakha wakwa-Chemical Engineering, iMechanical Engineering, i-Electrical Engineering noCivil Engineering njengoba lezi zinkampani zidinga izitshudeni eziqeqeshelwe le mikhakha.
UMphathi wenyuvesi, uSolwazi Marcus Ramogale, uthi njengoba usuku lwangoMsombuluko kuqalwe ngalo ngomkhakha wakwa-Engineering, ukugqokiswa kwezitshudeni zakulesi sikhungo amajazi eziqu, babone kubalulekile ukuba umsunguli wenyuvesi abongwe ngamagalelo akhe ngoba uneqhaza ekutheni inyuvesi ihlonishwe emkhakheni we-Engineering. “Siyaziqhenya namhlanje ngokuthi sinenyuvesi enkulu kangaka nje, kungenxa kaMntwana waKwa-Phindangene, owasebenza kanzima, wakhuthalela imfundo okuyiyona ebaluleke okwedlula konke esikhathini esiphila kusona,” kusho uSolwazi Ramogale.
UMntwana uthe imfundo isegazini kuyena. Uthi ubecabangela umuntu omnyama ngoba esikhathini esiphambilini bekunzima ukungena kwabo emanyuvesi, kubekwa eqhulwini abamhlophe. Uveze ukuthi ngesikhathi iqalwa le nyuvesi, beyinezitshudeni eziwu-15 kuphela. “Ngikwenze lokhu ngicabangela ikusasa lomuntu wakithi omnyama obengayitholi imfundo ngendlela egculisayo. “Ngesikhathi ngisebuholini ngikwazile ukuqinisekisa ukuthi ayakhiwa namakolishi amaningi aqeqeshe othisha ngoba imfundo isemizweni yami,” kusho yena. Uthi ngesikhathi elwela ukuba kwakhiwe le nyuvesi, uvakashele amazwe okubalwa kuwona i-America, iGermany namanye efuna uxhaso. Uthi ukwazile ukuthola uxhaso lwemali engango-R5 million kwakhiwa ama-Faculty emikhakha ethile yeziqu, okuthe ngokuhamba kwesikhathi kwavuleleka nabanye abaxhasi. Uthi iphupho lokwakhiwa kweMangosuthu limfikele ngo-1974. Uxhaso lokuqala lokwakhiwa kwesikhungo emkhakheni ethile, uluthole kwi-Anglo American neDe Beers Group. Ukuthweswa kwezitshudeni iziqu kulesi sikhungo, kuzophothulwa ngoMgqibelo. mthobisis@ilangnews.co.za
