Insizwa yaseMahlongwa iqeqesha abaphila nokukhubazeka
THANDI ZONDI
NAKUBA ekhule ewasaba amanzi u-Owami Zama wase-Mahlongwa, eMkhomazi kodwa manje usungakuphika lokho, sekungathi wazalelwa kuwona. Le nsizwa esencane (21) seyingena phakathi nalo ulwandle, iqeqesha abaphila nokukhubazeka kwi-surfing. “Ngikhule ngiwasaba amanzi, bengiqinisekisa ukuthi agcina enkabeni uma ngibhukuda ngoba ngesaba ukumuka nawo. Kodwa ukwenza i-surfing kuwagqashule wonke lawo maketango, ngathi angikaze ngibe nalokhu kwesaba amanzi,” echaza. Uthi uqale eneminyaka ewu-17 ukuthanda amanzi, wabe esethola ithuba lokuvolontiya kwinhlangano engenzinzuzo esiza abaphila nokukhubazeka iMade for More. “Bekunobaba obengisiza engifundisa ukutshuza emanzini, kwesinye isikhathi angiyeke ngizitshuzele.
- ngagcina sengikwazi nami. Njalo ngehora lesi-6 ekuseni besiya olwandle angifundise. Ekuhambeni kwesikhathi uthando lwamanzi lwaphila kimina, ngagcina sengivolontiya ngiqeqesha abaphila nokukhubazeka kwaMade For More,” kuchaza u-Owami. U-Owami uqokelwe ukuba abe ngomunye wabaqeqeshi abazomela iNingizimu Afrika kuma- ISA World Para Surf Champs, eCalifornia. “Lokhu kusho lukhulu kimina, angikaze ngiziphuphe ngiphuma kuleli lizwe ngenxa yamanzi. Ngizizwa ngithobeke kakhulu ngokuthi ngiqokwe njengomunye wabaqeqeshi, echaza. Yize esengumpetha ekuqeqesheni abaphila nokukhubazeka, uthi bezikhona izingqinamba ngesikhathi eqala.
“Bekukuningi okumele ngikufunde kodwa ngaqhubeka ngafunda ngendlela. Konke lokhu kungenze ngaba nokwazisa, nothando lwabantu nesineke. Ngathuthukisa nolwazi lwami lwasemanzini nasekusebenzeni nalolonkeuhlobo lwabantu,” kuchaza u-Owami. Uthi namanje usayithola imibuzo yokuthi ubhukuda kanjani nomuntu ohamba ngenqola enamasondo (wheelchair). “Abantu bayathuka futhi kabakholwa. Kodwa okungihlaba umxhwele wukuthi lokhu kwenze iningi labangani bami laba nentshisekelo yokuthi bafunde ukubhukuda,” esho. Uthi lolu hlobo lo mdlalo kalunakiwe ikakhulu emiphakathini yabamnyama, eminyakeni ezayo uthi ufisa ukuqeqesha nezingane zasemakhaya.
“Ngingakujabulela ukuqeqesha izingane zasezindaweni zasemakhaya ngenxa yokuthi nami ngizalelwe futhi ngakhulela khona. Ngenhloso yokubatshengisa ukuthi uma kukhulunywa ngezemidlalo akukhulunywa ngebhola kuphela kepha zikhona nezinye izinhlobo zemidlalo aba ngachuma kuzona. Kubalulekile ukubaamanzi bawahloniphe,” kuphetha
yena.
