MTHOBISI SITHOLE
USEPHENDUKE ujika-nelanga umfundi waKwa-Phikazizwa Secondary School, eMdumezulu, eMbumbulu, okuthiwa isikole bese sikhathele ngenxa yokuphutha kwakhe esikoleni. Sekube nemihlangano emithathu nabazali bakhe kukhulunywa lolu daba, bona basola isikole ngokulimaza ikusasa lengane yabo ngokuyixosha. Ngokuthola kweLANGA, uNoluthando Hlengwa (20) (osesithombeni) ofunda uGrade 11 eMdumezulu, ukhonjwe indlela ngoNcwaba (August) emuva kokulova izinsuku ezingaphezulu kuka-32 kulo nyaka, angaphathi lutho olubika ngokuphutha.
UNkz Nozibusiso Hlengwa onguyisekazi kaNoluthando, uthi okubakhalisayo wukuthi njengoba unyaka usuphelile, yisiphi isikole esizokwamukela lo mfundi? Uveze ukuthi eNyonemhlophe High School, ewumakhelwane weKwaPhikazizwa, babuyele emuva bephoxekile ngoba ingane yabo ibisinyundelwe. “Sizame konke okusemandleni sithi mabayijezise ingane noma ngabe bayayishaya akunankinga, hhayi ukuthi bayihlalise ekhaya,” kusho uNkz Hlengwa. Utshele leli phephandaba ukuthi ngokwazi kwabo, lo mfundi uvuka ekuseni aye esikoleni njengoba bethi uthathwa yimoto kamalume. Uthe okuvuse kakhulu uhlevane phakathi kwabo nesikole, wukuthi uNoluthando uphuthe izinsuku ezintathu zilandelana. “Sizame kakhulu ukuxoxa nabahloli, kabasisizi ngalutho, bathi masixoxe nesigungu sesikole. Kuyilungelo lengane ukufunda nokufundiswa,” kusho uNkz Hlengwa.
UNoluthando utshele ILANGA ukuthi okumenze walova izinsuku ezintathu zilandelana, wukuthi uhlushwa ngabantu abadala (idlozi). Uthe ngosuku lokuqala uvuke umzimba wakhe ukhathele engazizwa kahle. Ngolwesibili washiywa yimoto ebahambisa esikoleni, kwathi ngolwesithathu waya kwadokotela nakuba engabuyanga nobufakazi balokho. “Esikoleni bathi ngeke ngikwazi ukumelana nomatikuletsheni ngonyaka ozayo, ngakhoke kuyabehlula ukungigcina ngoba kangiyona ingane ehlelekile,” kusho yena. Ilungu labaphathi besikole elingagunyaziwe ukukhuluma nabezindaba litshele ILANGA ukuthi seluxoxwe kakhulu udaba lwalo mfundi kanti ngoLwesibili bekubizwe isigungu esilawula isikole nabazali bakhe, abagcine bengafikanga.
“Mhla ka-15 kuNhlolanja (February), besihlangene nabazali bakhe kuxoxwa yona le nto. Mhla ka-16 no-17 kuNhlaba (May), bekuyiso leso. Uma elovile akabuyi nalutho oluphathekayo olweseka ukulova kwakhe,” kusho ilungu lesikole. Iphunzile imizamo yokuthola usihlalo wesigungu esilawula isikole, ucingo lwakhe belungangeni. Okhulumela uMnyango wezeMfundo KwaZulu-Natal, uMnu Kwazi Mthethwa, uthe izikhulu zezemfundo zizongenelela ngokwemigomo yakhona. “Ithimba lethu lizothola kabanzi ngembangela kuzo zonke izinhlangothi ngoba nathi kasikuthandi ukuthi abafundi balove ngoba yikusasa labo leli. Uma umzali ebona kuphela usuku lonke ingane ihleli ekhaya ezinye zivuka, kufanele ayisukumele leyo nto, axoxe nesikole,” kusho uMnu Mthethwa.